Now when the principal citizens living
in Ani saw that Gagik was confined in Byzantium they thought to
give the city either to Dawit' or to the one from Duin, since
Dawit''s siater was his wife, or to Bagarat king of Abxazia. When
the patriarch Petros understood [61] that the city would be given
to somebody, he sent [g62] to the man who held sway over the Eastern
part(s) and resided in the city of Samusat (which they say was
built by Samson, in antiquity). He wrote [as follows]: "Inform
the king [about what is going on and find out] what he will give
us in return if I give up the city and other strongholde in this
land". [The Byzantine official] hurriedly informed the king,
and the king satisfied [Petros] with treasures and authority.
And thus did they rule Ani, and the entire land.
Meanwhile Gagik remained with the king,
inconsolable. [The king] out of compassion had given him the place
which he himself wanted [but] which was greatly inferior in value
to Ani or the other land [he was deprived of]. Rather [the Byzantines]
recompensed the ka t'oghikos(Petros) from whom they had
taken the city, with thanks and rewards (ztric' tursn).
Furthermore by the king's order Gagik married the daughter of
Dawit',son of Senek'erim, and ruled that sector, since when Dawit'
died he had left no other heir.
[62] Now there was a certain prince
named Asit who previously had held lordship of the East. The king
sent him to be lieutenant (teghakal) of Ani city. Upon
arrival he elevated the patriarch Petros with incomparable honor,
subdued the land under his control, and then went in person with
numerous troops against the city of Duin. Now Apusuar, lord of
[that] city warred with [Asit] and an inestimable number of men
were killed by the city gate [including] the great prince of Armenia,
Vahram and his son, something which caused the Armenians great
mourning. Asit remained [in control] of the lordship of Armenia
until the year 493 of our [Armenian] calendar (=1044) when a certain
Kamenas replaced his authority. But when the latter arrived he
did not honor the patriarch in accordance with the previous dignity.
Instead he commenced writing accusatorial letters to the king
about him and deceitfully removed [Petros] from the city, saying:
"The king has commanded that your habitation be at Arcn awan
in the Karin district". So the patriarch arose and came to
our populous (mecanist), shahastan city filling
with joy the beholders who wanted him [there]. The time for the
[g63] feast of the holy Revelation of God neared. When the feast-day
itself had come, [Petros] together with [63] a vast multitude,
descended to the churning waters which coursed down from the mountains
located in the northern part of the plain. There he gloriously
and appropriately celebrated the sacrament of the day. Now when
the moment came for releasing the Lord's oil (=chrism) upon the
waters, a Tachik man came forth from the crowd and requested baptism
in the water. [Petros] inquired of him why he wanted this, learned
that he desired to become Christian, and so ordered him to get
into the water. The chrism-bearer stood near him, took the bottle
in his hand, but broke it by striking it, causing the chrism to
plentifully pour on the neophyte and the water. However a fragment
of glass seriously wounded his hand, and blood copiously flowed
to the ground. Many who saw this prophesied that "That is
not the sign of anything good", and indeed [the prophecy]
was fulfilled that very day. For while they were seated at the
dinner table, men arrived who seized and took [Petros], placing
him in the fortress called Xaghtoy Arhich. Subsequently they
brought from Armenia [Petros'] nephew (sister's son) named Xach'ik
whom they placed in the fortress called Seaw K'ar (Black Rock).
They remained [in confinemement] until it was almost Easter. Then
they were removed thence and taken before the king in Constantinople.
Prior to this, Xach'k's senior brother Anania had been taken there
by a certain eunuch who held eway over half the kingdom (or
uner zpatiw kes t'agaworut'ean) .
In the same year, the gate of Heaven's
wrath opened upon our land. Numerous troops moved forth from T'urk'astan,
Their horses were as fleet as eagles [g64], with hooves as solid
as rock. Well girded (goteworealk' k'ajapes), their bows
were taut, their arrows sharp, and the laces of their shoes were
never untied (i.e., they were always on the move). Having arrived
in the district of Vaspurakan, they pounced upon the Christians
as insatiably hungry wolves devour their food. Coming as far as
the Basen district and as far as the great estate called Vagharshawan
they demolished and polluted 24 districts with sword, fire, and
captive-taking. This narration merits many piteous laments and
tears. They sped like lions, and like lion cubs they mercilessly
threw the corpses of many people to the carnivorous beasts [65]
and birds. They wanted to go on to the city of Karin to effect
the same there. However He Who limited the ocean, saying: "Thus
far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud
Waves be stayed"[Joel 38.11] threw up a thick fog before them and stopped
their course. He did this in His fathomless wisdom so that out
of fear of them we learn, and they also learn that what they had
accomplished was not by reason of their might. No, the Hand which
mightily prevented them was the same Hand which had succored their
journey.
[God] poured His wrath down upon us
by means of a foreign people, for we had sinned against Him. But
once again He regretted this and ceased visiting His evils upon
us, for He is merciful. But He did not grow totally angry nor
did He hold His grudge forever. He was obliged to try us, since
He is the righteous judge; yet He hastened with His mercy, since
He is the forgiving Father. He regretted the evils visited upon
us since He is the God of mercy. Indeed He [g65] displayed both
[wrath and forgiveness] toward us: first requiting us with a deserved
vengeance, then His anger would pass so that we would not be completely
exterminated. We became infected with the dieease of [66] Pharoah
and his partisans--foolish callousness. For when [Pharoah) was
tormented he would confess: "This is the finger of God"
[Exodus 8.19], yet when the frightful wrath had passed, filled with impiety
he would say: "I do not recognize the Lord, nor will I let
Israel go"[Exodus 5.2]. When he received the final punishment, becoming
an inhabitant of the deepest abyss, the senseless one correctiy'
said: "This is the finger of God". Just as the hand
performs a complete work with ten fingers, so it was there that
the punishment, commencing with one finger ended with ten. Then
he released Israel.
Now after [His] wrath had been revealed,
and had been stirred up, and after horrible evils had commenced,
we stood tnembling in shocked, horrified terror. But God had mercy
and closed their road with a fog, and blocked the march of the
impious invaders. We regarded that good deed as suspect and were
found lacking in our thanks. However we should have come to our
senses from the punishment suffered by our brothers, and we should
have hastened to learn the prophet's saving advice: "Put
an end to your evil ways, and learn to do good"[Isaiah 1.16-17], etc. We
should have calmed God with our uprightnesa, [67] extinguished
the blazing flames of Gehenna's chastisement, and lowered that
hand upraised in anger to pardon us. But we forgot about this,
Nor did a knowledge of Him dawn in our hearts. To those who are
iniquitous, [God] is iniquitous, to the unjust He is unjust. We
were like the wild boars, throwing ourselves upon the Word [g66]
bearing responsibility for everything. It seemed to us that they
bore chastisement because they were guilty whereas we were saved
because of our justice. But we did not recall the Lord's command
and instructive counsel: "There were some present at that
very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had
mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, 'Do you think
that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans,
because they suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent
you will all likewise perish'"[Luke 13.4-5]. We, however, conducted ourselves
according to the words of Amos with which he insulted Israel,
drinking strained wine, perfumed with fragrant oils, relaxing
on ivory couches, etc,, but the misfortune of Joseph did not bother
them. God required that when some folk are subjected to torments,
those near to them should share their grief: "weep with the
weepers"[Romans 12.15], But they behaved just the opposite. Although
[68] they were of one blood, they were not pained at the capture
of Joseph's clan. Thus did the prophet sing out an accusation
against them. The same [fate] befell us.
In the year 497 of our [Armenian] calendar(=1048)
which was the second year of our captivity, once again the dregs
of bitterness full of rage moved forth from Persia (i tanen
Parsic'), surging in gigantic waves. They filled up the vast
plain of Basen and Karin. Jets of that flood took hold of the
four conners of the country; in the west, as far as Xaghteac'
district; in the north, as far as Sper and the strongholds of
Tayk' and Arsharunik'; while in the south it stretched as far
as Taron, to the Hashtenic' district, as far as the forests of
Xorjean (yantarhs Xorjenoy). Resting for 14 days,once more
they billowed out and covered mountains and thickets, and seized
the entire land. [g67] It seems to me that this resulted from
that unadul- terated wine which the young Jeremiah in his vision
with a golden goblet gave to drink to kings, nations, cities,
princes and their troops, and last of all to the House of Sisak.
Behold that prophecy was indeed fulfilled. For Armenia drank of
that pure wine, and became evilly drunk. It drank, became numb,
and lost [69] its senses. It drank until [it was responsible]
for all [chastisements] visited upon it. And now it lies sprawled
at the crossings of all roads, naked, disgraced, and trampelled
upon with insults by all passersby. [Armenia] quit its home, was
alienated from acquaintances, went far away from family and relatives,
[becoming] the captive and slave of all peoples.
It is time to repeat the words of the
prophet: "What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust
has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has
eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust
has eaten"[Joel 1.4]. Such words are likewise my own, since all the
prophetic words of the prophets were fulfilled regarding us. The
cutting and swarming locusts have passed, but it is about the
hopping and destroying locusts that I speak. For the first time
that the Persians and other barbarous pagan peoples arose, sullied
many districts with murder, took much booty and captives and returned
to their land, they brought the good news to [other] peoples and
kingdoms. And they invited them, saying with [70] the prophet:
"All you beasts of the field, come to devour--all you beasts
in the forest"[Isaiah 56.9]. Upon arrival of the next year, they assembled
a countless host of troops of bowmen and swordsmen, assembling
as eagles pouncing upon food. In the month of September on Wednesday,
the feast of the blessed Cross, they [g68] speedily came to our
land in great excitement.
It is a history for us to lament and
mourn. The entire public is invited to sob over this narration.
The Ninevehites were so terrified by the threats of the prophet--and
he a foreigner who had entered their city, unknown to anyone,
insignificant-- that everyone from the king down to the miller
sobbed together, everyone dressed in melancholy sack-cloth, everyone
stopped eating (hatealk i kerakroy), forcing himself to
multiply the laments. Furthermore they summoned profeesional mourning
women, [saying]: "Perhaps God will regret [His deed] and
turn His wrath from us"[Jonah 3.9]. How much more deserving of lamen-
tation is our [account], when not merely a threat but the actual
chastisement of rage was visited upon us. Wickedly tormented and
destroyed, we became a spectacle for the world [to gape at], as
the Apostle said of the saints, and we have left behind us [71]
for succeeding generations an unhappy history. For [our] cities
were ruined, homes burned, palaces transformed into furnaces,
regally built (ark'unashen) chambers reduced to ashes.
Men were killed in the squares, women taken from their homes into
slavery, suckling babes hurled against rocks, and the beautiful
faces of little children withered away. Women were disgraced in
public, youths were stabbed to death in view of [their] elders,
the respect-worthy white hair of the elderly became blood-stained
and their [g69] corpses rolled upon the ground. The enemies' swords
grew dull, their hands grew weak, the strings of their bows were
broken, their quivers were emptied of arrows, they grew weary--but
mercy did not find a way into their hearts.
Oh God, [for] Your mercy! You Who so
tolerated the arrogance of the impious inflicted upon the flock
of Your pasture, remember Your people whom You received beginning
with the coming of Your only-begotten [son] and saved with the
blood of Your annointed one. God, why did You completely reject
[us], grow wrathful and betray us to the hands of impious, stern
and rebellious men? Remember not our sins, and because of our
sins turn not Your [72] face from us. Remember, instead, Your
mighty hand and forceful lofty arm by which You ruled us and [that]
Your name was placed upon us. But now, lo: You became angered,
and we sinned. Therefore we roamed in slavery among many peoples
and became as if unclean to everyone (ew eghak' ibrew zpighcs
amenek'ean). The winds dispersed us and there remained none
to bless Your name or to remember to take refuge in You. For You
turned Your face away from us and betrayed us because of our sins.
Remain not eternally angry at us, and in time forget our sins.
Alas the dawning of that day! That light,
which on the first day [of Creation] came into existence of an
incorporeal sort by the word of God, on the fourth day became
possessed of substance and was divided [to create] the luminaries,
princes of the day and night, eternal travelers of the world.
One [body, the sun], awakens men to work, while the other [luminary,
the moon], gives boldness to the wild beasts. But now our noontime
became eclipsed and was transformed into night. That bestial pagan
people which had long since been growling in its lairs, as the
prophet says, sought [73] their food from the flock of God. When
our day [g70] turned to night, they came forth and spread over
the face of the earth. They found much prey and were satiated
with food, and saved the left-overs for their children, [enough]
for many years. Now although there was plenty of prey for them
everywhere, for the country before them was like a lush garden
full of fruit, nonetheless this was more so in the Mananaghi district,
on the mountain named Smbatay Berd (Smbat's Fortress), for it
was there that a countless multitude of fugitives had assembled
[with] an inestimable number of animals. The infidels (anorinac'n)
attacked, broke into the stronhold, and put everyone to the sword.
One could observe there a pitiful spectacle,
and one worthy of much lamentation. For some whom they grabbed
hold of were dispatched with the sword; some who had secured themselves
into craggy places [the Saljuqs] killed (satakein) with
arrows; many who had gone up to a cave were crushed to death by
huge rocks [rolled on them], and their corpses tumbled down upon
each other rssembling heaps of wood-shavings [left] by a wood-cutter,
filling the valley in front [of the mountain]. Alas and alack
[74] the very bitter light of that day! Brave men armed, and glowering
with rage, assembled, while the cowards swooned, women took leave
of their senses, and youths scoffed [at the danger]. Yet they
could find no way out, for the enemy had blockaded them on all
sides. No love for dear ones there, no lament for friends (barekamac'),
Father forgot tenderness for his children, mother [forgot] love
for her newborn infants. The newly-wed woman could not remember
her love for her bridegroom, nor did the man think to caress his
longed-for wife. Hymns of the mass ceased [g71] in the priests'
mouths, and the recital of psalms stopped on the lips of the psalmists.
Everyone without exception was seized with trembling and dread.
Because of the severe crisis, many pregnant women aborted their
babies. [The Saljuqs] surrounded that mountain for the entire
day, like hunters with nets, until they weakened and were exhausted.
Now when evening fell, they took their
loot, captives, and the booty from the slain, and departed. But
they left behind them a scene more pitiful and lamentable than
it had been before. The death--agonies were of many types: for
some who had fallen [75] [fatally wounded] were still alive. From
thirst their tongues had dried up, and with weak and soft voices
they sought to quench their thirst, but there was no one to give
them drink. Others who were terribly wounded, and could not make
sounds, were breathing violently. Others whose throats had been
slit but were still alive were emitting gurgling sounds in pain.
Yet others, who had been badly wounded, were scraping the ground
with their feet and clawing at it with their fingernails. There
were others whose appearance was so frightful that the very rocks
and other inanimate objects were moved to lamentation and sighing.
For when the infidels were removing captives from the mountain,
they took the children (ztghaysn) from their parents' embrace,
and threw them to the ground, and [the Saljuqs'] place of encampment
was swarming with them. Some [of the children] had died (satakein)
when they fell against rocks. The sides of some of them had torn
open and their intestines poured out onto the ground. As for those
remaining alive, what ear could bear their crying? Those [children]
capable of walking were moving about here and there looking for
their mothers, and the mountains reverberated with the loudness
of their crying. Those who [76] were [to young to be] steady on
their feet, were crying as they crawled along on their knees.
Those who were even younger than they, thumped the ground with
their feet, and, weakened through crawling they could scarcely
breath. With their piteous sounds and unceasing cries they resembled
lambs newly separated from their mothers, who, being impatient
by nature, angrily struck out this way and that, offending the
very air with their bleating and weighing heavily upon the listeners'
ears.
Such is your wicked history, o mountain!
Mountain whereon God was not pleased to dwell, mountain of blood,
of invasion, and loss. It is impossible to call you a mountain.
Rather, you were a mud pit in which the entire population of the
country was lost. [Now] wild beasts take lodging on you, and kites
and vultures have made you their dwelling, and packs of foxes
frolic about, filled with meat. Oh mountain! You were not fertilized
by the dww of Heaven like [mount] Hermon, but with the fat and
blood of the corpses which fell upon you. Oh mountain! You were
not, like mount Sinai, a medium through which Moses spoke with
God; no, you silenced many priests [77] singing the psalms, [priests]
who by their prayers were always conversing with God, When Elia,
frightened of death, fled from Jezebel, he went to [mount] Koreb,
and lived. But those who took refuge on you were betrayed to the
sword and became food for foxes. Oh mountain! I consider you equal
to Geghbu mountain upon which the children of Israel perished.
Therefore now I shall repeat about you what David said about that
[mountain]. [g73] May no rain nor dew fall upon you, mountains
of Smbat, for you drank in the blood of the believing men and
women who fell upon you. Let the evil history of this mountain
end here, albeit I have related but little from much [information].
Let us turn to the theme of this history. I would gather my energies
to writing in such a way that I move all to tears. Together with
Jeremiah, I call upon [professional] weeping-women to compose
laments with me, for I write not about mountains, caves, and desolate
places where beggarly fugitives went to dwell.
Rather [I would write about] such a
city [as Arcn], charming and renowned throughout the lands. It
was like a city perched upon a mountain, with both sea and land
laboring to multiply and sustain its strength (ew cov ew c'amak'
erkner ew arhatanayr krel i sma zzorut'iwn iwr), as the great
prophet Isaiah said about Jerusalem. So [Arcn] was in times past,
when it was crowned with a plentitude of good things, and everything
was as one would wish. Then it resembled a newly-wed woman who,
with her captivating beauty and glittering ornaments, is longed-for
by everyone. For its princes were humane, judges were righteous
and uncorruptable (? kasharhuc'n nercghk'). Its merchants
were builders and embellishere of churches, givers of lodging
to the clerics, alms-givers and sustainers of the poor. There
was no deception in business transactions, nor treachery in exchanges
(i turewarhik p'op'oxmunsn). Profits of usurers (vashxic')
and speculators (tokoseac'n) were deplored, and despised
and dishonored were the gifts given them as bribes. Everyone strived
for devoutness. The priests were saintly lovers of prayer, and
obedient to church [g74] orders. Therefore [the city's] merchants
were glorious, [79] and its buyers, of the line of kings (? ew
arhgnoghk'n t'agawork' azgac'). And our city was like a precious
gem shimmering with resplendent beauty among all other cities,
completely beautiful, fully embellished.
But after the Sceptics and Pyrrhonists
entered our churches, the reign of justice was transformed into
injustice, the love of silver became more honored than the love
of God, and Mammon [more esteemed] than Christ. Then all modesty
of the [social?] orders was perverted and anarchy resulted (?
yankargut'iwn darjaw). The princes [of Arcn] became thieves'
companions, evil-doers, servants of silver; its judges took bribes
and for bribes robbed the just; the case of orphans and widows
was not defended. Usury and speculation became law, and [the production]
of wheat was multiplied [to such an extent] that the land was
ruined (=worn out) and did not bear crops at the proper time to
feed mankind. He who cheated his friend boasted about being wise,
while he who ravished said, "I am mighty". The wealthy
(mecatunk'n) ravished the homes of neighboring poor people
and expropriated their fields, nor did they think about the divinely-ordained
curse written by [80] the Lord's servant, Moses: "Accursed
is he who ravishes the fields of his neighbor"[II Deuteronomy
27.17]. [They did not recall] the rebuke of the great Isaiah who in
angry protest condemned such people: "Woe to those who join house to house,
who add field to field, until there is no more room, in order
to expell their friends. This reaches the ear of the Lord in all
its power"[Isaiah 5. 8-9]. I shall not continue [the passage] to spare
you. They did not remember what [g75] Jezebel suffered after ravishing
Nabrovth's vineyard although to this day [that fate] is blared
forth by trumpets within everyone's hearing. The piety and holy
selection of priests also came to an end. They pushed and crowded
toward the altar and officiated at the ineffable mystery [of the
mass] which is awesome to the angels, let alone to man, and [they
got there] through silver and not through God, forgetting the
psalmodic hymn: "They shall be despised who are chosen by
silver"[Psalms 67.31].
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