Constantine dies as a result of his
mother's plot, and Heraclius (son of Heraclius by his second wife)
is enthroned. General Vaghentin comes to Constantinople and enthrones
Constantine's son, Kostas. The Iranians war with the Ishmaelites
and are defeated. Aspet Varaztirots' returns from court,
and dies. The Ishmaelites come to Atrpatakan, and divide into
three wings They take Artsap'u fortress, campaigning against the
sep'hakan gund.
When Heraclius died, his son Constantine
ruled. [The latter] appointed Vaghentianos called Arshakuni as
the general of his troops. He ordered his troops to go to the
East [g111]
Constantine ruled only a few days before
dying in the plot of his mother Martina, Heraclius' wife. Heraclius'
son, Heracleonas, born of the Augusta Martina, was then enthroned.
[134] Constantine had been Heraclius' son by his first wife. Taking
the initiative, Vaghentin went against him at Constantinople with
his troops. He captured Martina, cut off her tongue, and then
killed her with her two sons. They enthroned Constantine's son,
Constans [II, 641-681, calling him after his father's name.
Constans personally assembled the troops and went to the East.
During the first year of the reign of
the Byzantine emperor Constans, and in the tenth year of the Iranian
king Yazkert [641/421, the Iranians assembled 60,000 armed men
to war with the Ishmaelites. The Ishmaelites fought them with
40,000 swordsmen, clashing in the district of Mark'. The battle
lasted for three days until the foot soldiers on both sides were
reduced. Suddenly the Iranian troops were informed that an auxiliary
force had come to help the Ishmaelites. The Iranians fled from
camp all night long. The remnants of the Ishmaelite troops went
against them in the morning, but found no one in the camp. so
they raided across the face of the entire country, putting man
and beast to the sword. They captured 22 fortresses and killed
everything alive in them.
But who can relate the incredible disasters
inflicted by the brigand Ishmael who whipped up sea and land?
The prophet [135] Daniel long ago prophesied that such difficulties
would come upon the earth. [He spoke of] the four beasts which
represent the four kingdoms which arose on the earth. The first
was the Western kingdom, which is Byzantium, represented by a
humanlike beast. "Its wings were plucked off, and it was
lifted up from the ground". He said that this was diabolical
idolatry. "And it stood erect, as a man, and it was given
a human heart". Behold, the second beast resembles a bear.
It is [g112] in the East and is called the Sasanian kingdom. "And
the bear had three ribs in its mouth"-- the kingdom
of Persians, Medes and Parthians--and they said to it: "Arise
and devour much flesh". Everyone knows how it ate. "Now
the third beast was like a leopard with four wings of a bird,
and possessing four heads". [The winged leopard] represents
the Northern kingdom, Gog and Magog and their two comrades to
whom had been given authority to fly in force to the north. "Now
the fourth beast was awesome and dreadful with teeth of iron,
and claws of copper. It would eat and devour then stamped the
residue with its feet". This fourth emerged from the South
and represents the Ishmaelite kingdom As the chief of the angels
said: "The fourth beast will come to possess a kingdom greater
than any kingdom, and will devour the entire world". "And
from the ten horns, ten kings will arise but after them yet another
shall arise who in wickedness [136] will surpass all the previous
ones" [Daniel 7].
In the second year of the venerable
Heraclius' grandson Constans' reign, Vaghentin planned to deceive
the Senate through rhetoric and to personally acquire the throne,
such that by crowning him, he would do what he had with the military
command [? orpes zi psakeal zink'n
aynpes arasts'e zzawravarut'iwn].
He made the yoke of service weigh heavy on the inhabitants of
the city, having as his support the 3,000 armed troops which he
had brought with him and numerous other troops which had joined
him. It was then that the men of the city gathered together before
the patriarch, in the holy church of God, and told him that [they
wanted to] elminate the weight of their service. They sent to
Vaghentin [telling him] to abolish their service, but he did not
want to hear it. Now there was a certain one of the princes present,
named Antoninos, who said to Vaghentin: "What is their alliance,
what is their plot? Besides, how could they dare to send you such
a message? But if you command, I shall go and destroy their alliance
and plot, and shall chase each one back to his place, that your
[g113] [137] will be done". [Vaghentin] responded: "Go
and do as you said" [Antoninos] arose and departed with a
thousand men. As soon as he entered the church he began severely
beating the principals. At this, the patriarch rose to his feet
and said: "It is too much, and unjust to do what you are
doing here". Anton attacked him and slapped him on the jaw,
saying: "Go to your place". Then the mob became agitated
and attacked [Antoninos], seizing him and dragging him through
the city by his feet. After this they set him on fire. Vaghentin
was informed and he was seized with trembling. Just then the mob
poured in upon him, dragged him beyond the houses, beheaded him,
and then took [the corpse] to the same place where they had burned
Antoninos, and burned that too. Then they confirmed Constans on
the throne of the empire. They made T'eodoros, a certain one of
the loyal princes of Armenia, the general over those in the Byzantine
sector [Ew ararin zawravar zT'eodoros
zomn hawatarim yishxanats'n Havastaneayts',
yaynts' or i yunats' koghmane].
As soon as [Teodoros] took the military
command, he beseeched the emperor as a favor to have clemency
on those [people] who had been exiled to Africa, especially on
[138] Aspet, son of Smbat called Xosrov Shum. God made the emperor's
heart mild, and he ordered that [the exiles] be brought to the
capital. He received them as though they were beloved [personages]
of the realm. He made [Aspet's] son Smbat the first spatharios
among all the spatharioi, and a candidate. Thus, in the
fifth year of his reign, he returned to the previous order. [The
emperor also had clemency on] Vahan Xorhxorhuni and others besides.
[Constans] dispatched a certain prince named T'uma to Armenia.
He arrived, and did not want to destroy the oath [existing] between
the emperor and the prince of Mark'. He united all the princes
and took them with him to the prince of Mark'. He spoke with him
about peace. And he received many goods from him and promised
with an oath that he would have T'eodoros sent to the palace bound,
since he was the prince of the land of Armenia. He then returned
to the Armenian troops. As soon as [T'uma] reached the Koteits'
country, [his men] suddenly fell upon [T'eodoros], seized, bound,
and had him sent before the emperor. Now when emperor Constans
heard of this, he was exceedingly wroth, for he had not ordered
that [g114] [T'eodoros] be bound. He commanded that he be released
from bonds, and that the document accusing him be read. When [Constansl
learned what the treachery really was he ordered [139] that [T'eodoros]
be summoned to his presence. [Constans] received him with affection
and with the honor due to his authority He arranged a stipend
and acquisition from the treasury. He then commanded that T'uma
be summoned, but he did not order him to enter the court. Rather,
the examination was conducted outside [t ginal text read
Her ew and, and referred to the district
of Her]. They battled with the fortress, but were unable to take
it. They went to Ordspu and were unable to take it. So they departed,
encamping across from the fortress of Artsap', near the water.
[The Arabs] began warring with the fortress, and suffered no small
amount of injury from those inside. Now there was a [secret] way
out of the fortress from the rear leading in the direction of
Asoren. This [g116] was called Kaxanaktuts'. Now some men thus
descended from the fortress, to go to request an auxiliary force
from Darawn fortress. And Smbat Bagratuni gave them his son Varaz
Sahak, with forty men.
Going at nighttime, they ascended to
the fortress, not taking care [to conceal] the place. The Ishmaelites
found the place and entered the fortress by the very same path.
Before dawn they had seized the place. They came across ten guards
asleep, whom they killed.
The Lord frees the captives and destroys
the Ishmaelites. Those [Arabs] who had spread out raiding at Ayrarat
strike Tayk', Iberia, and Aghbania. The naval battle between the
Ishmaelites and the Byzantines. Procopius [Prhokop] goes to Mu'awiya
[Muawiya], prince of the Ishmaelites, [143] and the peace between
[the Arabs] and Byzantines. The deeds of kat'oghikos
Nerses. The dispute over faith with the Armenians. The Armenians'
reply to emperor Constans.
In the second year of Constans' [reign],
on a Sunday, the 23rd of the month of Horhi [The second month
of the moveable Armenian calandar.], the Ishmaelites shrieked
before and behind the fortress and put [the inhabitants] to the
sword. Many were thrown from the height and were killed. After
lowering the women and children from the fortress, they wanted
to kill them. There was no counting the captives, and there were
an extremely great number of cattle [which they seized]. But at
dawn the next day the general of Armenia came upon them and visited
inconceivable destruction on them. Now they were 3,000 select
armed men, drawn from all the Ishmaelite forces, but [virtually]
none of them escaped. A few, however, fled on foot, and secured
themselves in Shamp [Swamp]. On that day, the Lord spared the
multitude of captives from the Ishmaelites, and greatly destroyed
Ishmael. Two Ishmaelite princes, Uthman [Awt'man] and Ogomay [Abgaryan:
Ogbay, p.317 n.523], died. Great was the tiumph of the
general of Armenia, and the latter sent to Constans gifts from
the booty, one hundred of the most [144] select horses. The emperor
and the entire palace were pleased, and [Constans] sent great
thanks [to T'eodoros].
Now that [Arab] army which was in the
Ayraratean region put to the sword areas as far as Tayk', Iberia,
and Aghbania. They took booty and captives and passed on to Naxchawan
where the other division was battling to take the fortress of
Naxchawan. However, they were unable to take it. They took the
fortress of Xram, killing [the men] and taking the women and children
captive.
Now the [Arab general] who was in the
Palestine area, ordered that a large naval fleet be organized.
He boarded a ship and began warring with Constantinople. But his
naval battle did not succeed, for a multitude of [Byzantine] troops
in boats came up before him, and sent [the Arabs] to the deep,
driving off many others with fire, and pursuing those who fled.
Nonetheless, emperor Constans was horrified [by the attack] and
considered it wise to pay a tax/tribute [sak], and to make
peace by means of messengers. The Ishmaelites hurried the Byzantines
to complete a peace agreement. Now [145] Constans, the Byzantine
emperor, because he was a lad, did not dare to do so without the
approval of the army So he wrote to Procopius for him to go with
him to Damascus, to see Mu'awiya, prince of the Ishmaelite army,
in order to make the terms of the agreement in accordance with
the desires of the troops. As soon as Procopius saw the imperial
order and learned about matters from the troops, he went with
them to Damascus to Mu'awiya, prince of the Ishmaelite army. He
revealed the amount of the tribute, stated the limit, made peace,
and departed.
At that time Nerses, kat'oghikos
of Armenia, decided to build a dwelling for himself close by the
holy churches in the city of Vagharshapat, by the road where it
is said king Trdat went before saint Gregory. [Nerses] also built
[g118] there a church named after the divine Zvart'nots' ["Joyous
Ones"] the multitude of heavenly soldiers who appeared in
the vision of saint Gregory. He built a lofty structure of stunning
beauty worthy of the divine honor to which it was dedicated. [Nerses]
led [the course of] a river [near to the church], he had all the
stony areas worked on, and then planted vineyards and trees. To
the glory of God, he ordered that a lofty wall be constructed,
which by its [146] beautiful design blended with nature.
But that rebellious dragon did not cease
and instead out of its cunning, wanted to war with God. It strove
to bring persecution upon the churches of the land of the Armenians.
For in the time of Heraclius' grandson, emperor Constans, it started
working the guile of its wickedness taking as satellites those
troops stationed on Byzantine [Armenian] land. Now the Armenians
never accepted the Roman communion of the Body and Blood of the
Lord. [The soldiers] wrote a letter of complaint to the Byzantine
emperor Constans and to the patriarch, saying: "We are regarded
as infidels in this land. For [the people here] are disrespectful
toward Christ God's Council of Chalcedon and the Tome of Leo,
and they anathematize them". Then the emperor and the patriarch
ordered that an edict be written to the Armenians telling them
to unite with the faith of the Romans and not to dispise the Council
or the Tome. Now there was [in Constantinople] a man named Dawit'
from the village of Bagrawan who had studied the art of philosophy.
[Constans] ordered that he be dispatched to Armenia to eliminate
the opposition. All the bishops and naxarars of Armenia
assembled in Dwin by the Christ-loving kat'oghikos,
Nerses and the pious general of Armenia, T'eodoros, ter
of Rshtunik'. They saw the emperor's [147] order, and listened
to the philosopher who taught the division of the Trinity according
to the Tome of Leo. Having heard this, they did not agree to replace
the correct doctrine of saint Gregory with the Tome of Leo. All
were inclined to [g119] give a written reply.
[The following is] a copy of the reply
to the letter sent to Armenia by Constans, emperor of Rome, written
by the bishops of Armenia, kat'oghikos Nerses, the
naxarars and general T'eodoros, lord of Rshtunik'.
A true and orthodox Nicean letter.
I beseech those of you who hold the
God-loving Christian faith to read this.
We have the command of the caring prophets
and apostles of Christ to make beseeching prayers for your God-loving
realm,for all the princes, troops, and pious palace officials
[amenayn astuatsapah paghatoyd], wherein
the love of God reposes and the signs of divine favor are apparent.
For behold, [you possess] a kingdom
greater and stronger [148] than all others, which was crowned
not by human hands but by the right hand of God, which nothing
except Christ's kingdom can equal. By the grace of God the same
is true of [your] patriarchate.
The naxarars and Christ-loving
troops--and we glory in the light of your God-loving kingdom--were
unmoved by the wicked and impious Iranian kings For when they
abolished the kingdom, and destroyed all the troops of the land
of Armenia taking men and women into captivity, brandishing swords
at the survivors and trying to convert [us] to fanaticism, they
were unable to do so. Indeed, "the infidels were yet more
embarassed in their folly"[Psalms 24]. [So matters continued]
until king Kawad and his son Xosrov ordered that "each individual
should adhere to his own faith and no one should dare harrass
the Armenians. All are physically our servants, but as for spiritual
matters, He Who judges souls knows about them". Then there
was Ormazd's son Xosrov who, [g120] after capturing Jerusalem,
ordered all the bishops of the East and of Asorestan to assemble
at Court. He said to them: "I hear that both sides are Christians
yet that one group anathematizes the other. What do they regard
as just? Now [149] let them come together at the royal court so
that what is correct will be confirmed and what is false will
be rejected". So all the bishops and priests and believers
in those parts assembled, and [the king] established as their
ostikan Smbat Bagratuni (who was called Xosrov Shnum),
and the chief physician of the Court. Present were the patriarch
Zak'aria of Jerusalem who was in captivity and many other philosophers
who were captured from the city of Alexandria. King Xosrov ordered
them to proceed with justice and to acquaint him with the truth.
All of them assembled in the royal hall,
and there was a commotion. For some were of the orthodox faith,
[possessing] documents with the seals of ancient kings. Others
were Nestorians, while many others were the rabble [ew
ayl bazum xarhnichaghanch zhoghovrdots'].
The patriarch even came forward and said: "Let that man not
be called God", and the king was informed.
The king responded: "By whose command
has he come here? Let him be beaten and have him depart".
He also ordered that the multitude of sectarians be removed from
the atean. He ordered that only the [beliefs of the] Niceans,
Constantinopolitans, [150] Ephesians, and Chalcedonians should
be examined. Now there were two bishops from the land of Armenia
present, trustworthy men who had been dispatched [to Iran] because
of the violence in the land [of Armenia]. [They were] Kumitas,
bishop of the Mamikoneans and Matt'eos [bishop] of the Amatunik'
and had arrived to inform the king. They had ready with them the
document of saint Gregory [unein patrastakan and
end ink'eans zgir srboyn Grigori].
The king ordered that it be asked: "During the reigns of
which kings did those councils take place"? And they replied:
"The Nicean Council took place under Constantine; the Council
of [g121] Constantinople, under Theodosius the Great Ephesus,
under Theodosius the Less; and Chalcedon, under Marciann. The
king replied: "The orders of three kings seem more just than
that of one king". Then the king started asking about Nestorius,
wanting to know who he was, where he was from, at which council
had he been present, and what he had said Then he ordered that
the Nestorians be removed from the atean. Similarly he
inquired about the Council of Chalcedon, wanting to know who were
its principals. They told him everything, saying "[ the heads
of the councils of] Nicea and Constantinople were emperors Constantine
and Theodosius the Great themselves The Council of Ephesus was
presided over by [151] Cyril, bishop of Alexandria and Chalcedon,
by bishopT'eodoretos who was inclined toward Nestorius".
Present [at this assembly] were [the
cleric] called the Eran kat'oghikos, and other bishops
from Asorestan, Aruastan, Xuzhastan, and other lands. King Xosrov
ordered that if they did not turn from their heresies and walk
the royal path, he would have all of their churches demolished,
and have them put to the sword. He ordered that a tax be levied
for the Chalcedonians, Iberians, and the kat'oqhikos
of Aghbania and many other bishops from the Byzantine area, and
the princes who had come into the service of the Iranian king
[? isk ork' zk'aghkedonin ew zVrats'. .ew ishxank' ` ork' ekeal
ein i tsarhayut'iwn parsits' t'agaworin, orov ew ch'ep'ayk'arn
isk hramayeats' tal]. However, he sought a contract from the
two sides [bayts' xndreats' yetkar i
koghmants'n erkots'unts']. He started to
examine the Council of Nicea (which was convened by Constantine):
of Constantinople (under Theodosius the Great) of Ephesus (under
Theodosius the Less) and of Chalcedon (under Marcian). When he
was familiarized with everything justly and truthfully, he inquired:
"Why is it that those three do not mention the division of
[Christ's] [152] nature into two parts, as the others do? It is
clear that even we must be divided in two, that [even] the king
has two, rather than one, nature(s). For I too am of two natures,
one from the father and one from the mother, one spiritual, one
physical. However, the Divinity which is not everywhere [g122]
despite what it wants, cannot be everything or do everything.
What is Divinity"? Then [Xosrov] ordered that Zak'aria the
patriarch of Jerusalem and the philosopher from the city of Alexandria
be ordered to tell the truth under oath. They replied: "We
did not approach God wickedly nor did he visit his anger upon
us wickedly. Now, fearing God we shall speak the truth before
you. The true faith is the one pronounced at Nicea before the
venerable Constantine. [The councils of] Constantinople and Ephesus
were in accord with this as is the correct faith of the Armenians.
The pronouncements of Chalcedon were not in accord with them,
as your benevolence has learned". The king ordered that the
treasury be examined and they found [in the treasury a copy] of
the true Nicean creed and the confession of faith of the land
of Armenia [ew gtin qreal zNikiayn
hawats chshmarits, ew i veray
haseal est miabanut'ean hawatoy
ashxarhis Hayots'] which was sealed with the ring
of king Kawad and of his son Xosrov. At this king Xosrov ordered
that "all Christians under my authority should hold the faith
of the Armenians". [153] Those uniting with the Armenians'
faith were the metropolitan Kamyishov from Asorestan and ten other
bishops, the God-loving queen Shirin, brave Smbat, and the great
Chief Physician. King Xosrov ordered that a copy of the correct
confession of faith be sealed with his ring and placed in the
royal treasury.
Now because God removed us from serving
the authority of darkness and made us worthy of your divine kingdom
how much more ought we to beseech Christ God that your pious and
God-loving kingdom remain unshaken for eternity, that days on
earth be as days in Heaven filled with much triumph, ruling the
entire world, land and sea. For although physically you are of
the [g123] human race, nonetheless you sit on a divine throne
and your God-loving kingdom is filled with the light of glory
which shines down upon all, you who are crowned from On High,
the pride of all Christians, with the strength of the divine Cross.
You resemble the God-loving, pious, God-favored, brave, triumphant,
salvation-working, blessed Heraclius, your father, who saved all
countries from the bitter executioner. May Christ God grant you
the same because of your piety. [There follows a lengthy discussion
of doctrinal matters, which we omit. The translation resumes with chapter
34 grabar p. 135.]
The attack of the Hagarenes, and events
in Rome.
Once again I shall speak about the evil
which befell us in our time, regarding how the veil of ancient
faith was torn, and how that death-bringing dry heat breathed
upon us and scorched the tall, beautiful, leafy trees of our tender
orchards. And this is the truth, for we sinned against the Lord
and angered the saint of Israel. "Should it please you to
heed me", he said, "you shall take the land's goodness.
But should you wish not to listen, the sword shall devour you,
for this was uttered by the mouth of the Lord". This same
whirlwind was seen above Babylon and then reached every country.
For Babylon is the mother of all nations and its realm, the kingdom
of the North.
Now further south of them, namely, the
Indians and the peoples dwelling in the great desert were the
disowned sons of Abraham, born of Hagar and R'etur: Ishmael, Amram,
Mogan, Madian, Yek'san, Yesbok, and Melisawe And the sons of Lot
were Amon and Movab; and those of Esau were Edom, and there were
others yet, who dwelled to the north of the southen Indians [Ew
aylk' ews, or ein i harawakoghmn
Hndkats' nots'in i hiwsisoy koghmane]
in the enormous and vast desert, [being] disowned [155] by Moses
and the children of Israel. The prophet said about them: "[They
are] as a storm which comes moving from the south, from the terrible
desert". That is the large and terrible desert [I mentioned],
from which came that whirlwind of peoples, arising as a storm,
and seizing and trampling every country. And the saying was filfilled,
that "the fourth beast will create a fourth kingdom upon
the earth, more wicked than all other kingdoms, which will make
a desert of every country". [g135]
Now what shall I say about the agitation
and calamitous disasters taking place within the empire of the
Romans, [the empire] which never ceased its internecine warfare.
The principal men and advisors of the realm were drowned in blood,
since it is said, they were plotting the emperor's death. As a
result, all the principal men and the princes of the empire were
destroyed and the inhabitants of the land were reduced, until
there was no advisor to be found. [Among those] killed were Georg
Magistros and that virtuous man, Manuel, who was the father-in-law
of aspet Smbat (son of Smbat the great, called Xosrov Shum).
Some say that they observed a glowing light at the place where
he was killed. Smbat was exiled. For the troops accused him of
trying to rebell afterwards. They told the emperor that [Smbat
had said] "The [156] Magistros' blood must be avenged".
He was a prince of the army there, and liked by all the troops.
Smbat was prince of the Thracian princes' troops, while Manuel
was a Magistros working in Constantinople. Now the emperor did
not summon the Magistros with bold authority, since he feared
a rebellion of the troops. Rather, he summoned the aspet
Smbat and made him swear by the Lord's Cross, which he possessed,
that he would divulge nothing. Then the emperor sent [Smbat] back
to his troops to speak to the Magistros in peace, but to deceive
him and bring him [into captivity]. Now [Smbat] went but was unable
to deceive him, especially since he did not conceal [the emperor's]
words. Then he spoke with all the princes of the army and gave
[the Magistrosj the imperial order. Since they and all the troops
were unable to resist the imperial order, they gave him into their
hands. They seized and bound him and took him into the emperor's
presence As a result, the troops of the Thracian princes plotted
[Smbat's] death and said that he was planning to rebell, so that
he would be put to death. However, the emperor rejected them and
spared [Smbat]. [g136]
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