Zenob was abbot of Glak monastery
for 20 years.
After [Zenob] was Epip'an, the student
of Anton, who ruled for 30 years. In his 10th year, St. Gregory
came to Glak monastery and remained with Anton and Kronides on
Aweteac' hill for 4 months. But they removed him from the place,
Saying: "Go to some uninhabited place in the wilderness,
so that no one will glorify your sanctity". So he went to
Maneay cave and lived there for 7 years, and passed from this
life to the glory of God.
Then his student Step'anos directed
the monastery for 15 years. In his 4th year, the holy Anton died,
and two months later blessed Kronides, having dwelled 40 years
in the place called Innaknean [Nine Springs]. He is buried not
far from the church on the south side. It was he who built the
church where the relics of St. Gregory are kept, on the other
side of Kuarhac', by the gushing spring. [g7] There he established
60 clerics who possessed angelic behavior.
[2] Ep'rem ruled 28 years.
Yovhannes, 10 years. He lived in the
time of St. Sahak.
Ghimindos, 10 years.
Markos, 18 years.
Kiwregh, 22 years. He was the first
bishop ordained by the Armenian kat'oghikos Yovhann
Mandakuni.
Grigor, 6 years.
Andreas, 11 years. [It was Andreas who
went with the Armenian kat'oghikos Vardan to a meeting
of the Byzantines at which all the Armenians, Georgians and Greeks
with the emperor Zeno confessed Christ of One Nature] [YM p. 8
n.3 in 3 mss.]
Nerses, 7 years.
Yovhannes, 3 years.
Sahak, 5 years.
Yovsep', 6 years.
Bart'oghimeos, 4 years.
At'anas, 10 years. It was At'anas who,
in the time of the Armenian kat'oghikos Movses,devised
the calendar, at Movses' command, in the city of Duin, for he
was familiar with the calendars of all peoples.
Komitas, 8 years. He went to the Iberian
kat'oghikos from the Armenian kat'oghikos
Abraham to create unity.
Step'annos, 6 years. During the time
of the Armenian kat'oghikos Komitas, Step' annos went to
him and brought some relics of the [3] holy Hrhip'simeans and
placed them in Glak monastery where he himself was. Komitas had
[re]built the chapel of the blessed Hrhip'simeans. [g8]
Barsegh, 8 years.
T'adeos [T'odik], 30 years. He received
virtue in his childhood, and was a student of Barsegh, becoming
dear to him (on account of his conduct), and to Mushegh, prince
of the Mamikoneans, who increased his holdings with many dastakerts.
He established many clerics in Glak monastery, hermits who ate
but once a day, and lived alone, 388 of them.
In his time four men arrived from Byzantium,
men who were hermits and herb eaters, and opposed to any pleasures
of the flesh. They wished to continue on to Sukaw mountain, and
once they had come to that place they desired to dwell in the
retreat. After they had been there for 2 years, some three other
men from Sagastan heard about [them]. Arriving at that very place,
Glak, and meeting each other, they stayed in the same place. Some
remained at Innaknean, on Aweteac' hill, and others in the caves
which were to the southeast of the hidden Cross. Others went to
the forested hills. They stayed for a long time, 20 years, practising
their discipline.
[4] Now in the time of the rule as prince
of Mushegh Mamikonean, and during T'odik's directorship of the
monastery, marvellous deeds were performed at Glak, at the church
of St. Karapet. The prince of the Arcrunik', who was named Vard
patrik had built many churches and monasteries. He had
a pious wife named Mariam. Since he was going to Caeearea, he
brought his wife to her father Mushegh. He left his wife there,
entrusted the district to others of the azats, and departed.
Now since his wife [Mariam] was very desirous of seeing [g9] the
holy men attached to Glak monastery and to the congregation of
Karapet, one day she came with great enthusiasm to the church
of Karapet bringing along her first-born son, a small suckling
child. Many times she beseeched the clerics to allow her to enter
the church, but the attendants prevented her. However [the cleric]
Step'annos took the small child in his arms, brought him before
the altar, had him worship the Lord, and then brought him back
and gave him to his mother. Now [Mariam] took the child and began
to weep, saying: "Woe is me, sinner that I am, for I have
been deprived of goodness. Let all women lament me, let all mourners
give way before my tears. Let the mountains cover me and the hills
pity me. Let the beasts and the species of birds grieve me. Let
the angels lament for me, and the dews who have made their
nest within, attack me [? Hreshtakk' apashawesc'en
zanjn im, ew dewk' buneal yarjakec'an
i veray im]. Oh blessed attendants
of Karapet, pity me and allow me to be taken into the [5] church",
Then she said to the child: "Oh my little son, why were you
separated from my embrace, why did you not pity your mother? Did
I not bear and nourish you? Why did you leave me alone"?
Saying this the woman took out numerous
fragrant incenses and gave them to the attendants, and she gave
much treasure for the needs of the church. She sent a message
to father T'odik to accept the goods and to let her inside. But
T'odik said: "We do not have a command to permit it from
our predecessors, and we dare not do it. But your deed [i.e. the
contribution] is acceptable if it was done out of faith. Do not
importune us for a reply, but instead, go in peace". Now
[Mariam] said: "No. It if is a question of authority, I do
not fear you. But if it is a question of arousing the enmity of
St. Karapet toward us, well, was he himself not born of a woman,
and the Lord Himself, the Apostles and the Prophets, did they
not have mothers? Now, oh Lord, I shall enter and I have Your
mother as my intercessor. Do not turn Your wrath on me lest I
be exposed to the scorn of the land. For if you ever drank a woman's
milk, deem me worthy of entering the church". Having said
this, she entered the church and kissed its wall. She went before
the holy altar, kneeled and said: "Lord, see my broken heart
and have pity on me who is wounded, forgetting Your anger in pity.
May Your name be blessed for eternity".
[6] As soon as she went out, the church
attendants became annoyed, resentful and very chagrined because
of her act, and they did not prepare food for the woman. But Mariam
ordered her servants to make a meal for the clerics and to call
them all to table. There were 395 men. When they had dined the
woman said: "Oh lovers of holiness and zealots of divine
servitude [p'oyt'k' yastuacayin msakut'iwnn],
rejoice with me in the Lord, for He forgave me and fulfilled the
desire of my heart. Now bless me and let me depart in peace".
[Her party] departed.
The church warden and a certain one
of the clerics went before the altar [of St. Karapet] and said:
"Oh Lord, if you pardon the woman who did this, other women
will dare to do the same [xram hatanel, "to
open a breach, make a trench"]. Now give a sign of your strength
that it be a testimony to the generations, and a witness and law
to the multitudes''. As soon as they had set the woman on her
way, she ascended a small hill on the southern side of the monastery,
at the head of Nardak [5 mss. Sadak], facing a small
stronghold of Mecamor below Nardak which they call Andak. [Mariam]
saw a wondrous sight to the north. She threw her child to the
dayeak and said: "I see a man with long hair in a
thundering cloud coming [7] to me from the church. I see with
him a sword, sharp and wet and dyed with blood". While speaking
she was struck and perished there. [g11] Seeing this, the servants
went and informed the church attendants. The abbot became angry
with the warden and grew very sad and wept for many hours. Then,
taking attendants with him he went to the place, made a grave
and buried her there. He erected a xajk'ar [stone cross]
and wrote on it as follows:
Should Anyone Dare to Battle
Against the Church of God
Let this Sword be through Him
And this stands firm over the same place.
Now [the abbot] took [the woman's] child
and gave him to the dayeaks until he reached puberty. At
that time [the abbot] took him to the monastery and trained him
and established him as abbot before his own death. Now when [the
lad's] father, the prince of Arcrunik' came from Caesarea and
heard about the death of hls wife, he was seized with remorse.
Abbot T'odik consoled him. And the prince resolved to construct
a church. He went in search of [building] materials to Matravank',
built a beautiful church there, and named it after his wife [Mariam],
Holy Astuacacin [Mother of God]. He adorned it [8] with marvellous
vessels and appointments. He similarly embellished holy Karapet
at Glak monastery with great glory.
[This prince] returned to Karapet [the
villages of] Kuarhs and Parex, since a certain impious prince
of the Mamikonean house had shorn these two awans from
the monastery and given them to some gusan woman. [The
monastery's] abbot Kiwregh became incensed at this and cursed
the prince for separating the villages from the monastery. After
a month, when this prince was going to the hunt his horse threw
him and he gave up the ghost. Although the son returned the awans,
nonetheless the abbot did not accept them from [g12] him until
the arrival of this prince. The prince weighed out 22,000 dahekans,
gave them to the prince of Taron, bought Kuarhs and Parex and
gave them to the monastery with a deed [vch'rhaw]. In addition
he gave two villages of his own district, Artamet and the gah
[village] of the princes [ew erku giwghs
yiwr gawarhen, zArtamet ew zgah
ishxanac'n. Three mss. zArtamet ew
zGoms]. Then he left his son with T'odik and went to his
own district. When he died he had his remains taken to Innaknean
[monastery] and he is buried three paces from the church on the
eastern side.
At that time they killed the Iranian
king Ormizd, and his son Jamb Xosrov came as a fugitive to the
Byzantines. Having been baptized in the Chalcedonian faith, he
departed with troops from [the emperor] Maurice [582-602]
to the Iranian gorcawork', and took [his] country. Now
when Xosrov was coming back from Byzantium, upon the order of
Maurice he took to Duin Mushegh, lord of Mush and prince of Taron's
Xut' and of Sasun, and established him as marzpan of Armenia,
giving him 30,000 Armenian troops. [Xosrov] took 70,000 Byzantine
troops and went to Bahl Sahastan. The Byzantines were too proud
to encamp with the Armenian troops, so they went a day's journey
distant to [a] dastakert and encamped there. [g13]
Now Nixorch'es, the one who had killed
Ormizd, assembled 80,000 Iranian soldiers and marched against
Mushegh. The brave Mushegh, having encouraged the troops, barely
convinced them to enter battle [? Isk k'aj Mushegh
k'ajalereal zzorsn, haziw hawanec'oyc'
mtanel i paterazmn]. Mushegh, prince of the Mamikoneans
and marzpan of Armenia, advised the Armenian soldiers to
call on St. Karapet as an intercessor and support. Having done
so in unison, they attacked the [rebel] Iranians, and the Lord
gave the enemy into their hands. When Mushegh had observed who
was the monarch, he approached him and they started to fight each
other. Mushegh was exhausted [vastakec'aw yoyzh],
but, placing life or death before [10] himself, he raised up his
club [barjeal zmurchn] and brought it down on Nixorch'es'
skull. His brains oozed out of his nostrils. He severed Nixorch'es'
head and flung it into his pouch [jgeac' maxaghn
iwr]. The soldiers were encouraged in their fighting and
grew more powerful. They put the enemy to flight, capturing 48
princes alive, while the number of the slain was unknown because
of the multitude of them. Among the princes they captured 1,000
men [isk ars hazar end ishzanac'n
embrhneal], and with great triumph [Mushegh] returned from
the battle.
As soon as king Xosrov was informed
of what had happened, he rejoiced exceedingly. But the army of
the Byzantines was grieved, feeling intense shame. Just when the
king summoned Mushegh and was preparing to bestow pargew
on all the soldiers, Maurice (whom the Byzantines had set up as
emperor) sent [a message] to Xosrov, saying: "Are you aware
of the fact that Mushegh threatens the king with death"?
Now [Xosrov] planned to ensnare and kill Mushegh and he sent to
have the latter summoned. However, Xosrov's sister, having learned
[of the plot] informed Mushegh of her brother's treachery. Mushegh
took along [11] with him 40 princes, without anyone else, and
they organized in war formatlon. With swords at the waist, they
went to the king. [g14] Coming on horses up to the door of the
xoran, they responded in severlty and exposed the assassination
plot. They spat on him and ridiculed his foolishness. Then [Mushegh]
arislng in great anger, with all the princes, left the king. As
soon as the king heard [what they had said] he was frightened,
for he was a youth.
Now prince Mushegh sent to the Byzantine
general, saying: "You treacherously wished to slay me. Do
not arouse a sleeping lion or a wolf which has forgotten its natural
way of acting. Otherwise he who vanquished 80,000 can slay 70,000
too". He left troops in Duin and quit the marzpanut'iwn.
He gathered his troops which were from the Mamikonean tun,
and came to his own district. After a few years, Phocas killed
Maurice, and himself sat on the throne [602-610].
Xosrov went to avenge Maurice and enroute passed by the city of Karin. He sent [a message] to Mushegh, the prince of Taron, saying: "Come with me to the court of the Byzantine emperor, and avenge the death of Maurice. Otherwise, on my return, I wlll destroy your country and take you in fetters to the royal court, with your wife and sons. Now Mushegh did not send any reply [to Xosrov], but instead [12] began to fortify the district. When Xosrov went he took booty and captives from the country of the Byzantlnes and then passed to the Basen area, to Duin, Her and Bahl. But when [the Iranlans] came to Karin, Xosrov sent Mihran to prince Mushegh in Taron that he capture Mushegh and take him to the Iranians. He commanded that those places where [Mushegh] had churches be destroyed [zteghisn` yors na zhawatsn uner korcanel. Two mss.: zteghisn, zor na hastat uner] and that the clerlcs be kllled. Arriving there, those sent to accomplish this, did so. [g15]
In the flrst year of the kingship
of Phocas [602] (one of the servants of Maurice who treacherously
killed the emperor and sat on his throne), Xosrov recalled the
oath he had made with Maurice and came to Byzantium with 140,000
troops. He dug through many awans and districts and then
turned back. Now he sent his sister's son, Mihran, to Taron with
30,000 men. As soon as he arrived in the Hashtenic' district,
he captured someone to serve as their guide, and they came as
far as the Inscribed Stone [at Arjan] [ekin minch'ew
yArjann k'areay]. Having read the characters
of the inscription they destroyed it, and 8,000 of [13] them went
on to Meghti and Asteghunk' stronghold, while 22,000 remained
at Arjan watching the fugitives. As soon as 7 men who were vegetarians,
learned [about the situation] they came to the monastery and made
all the clerics flee. Some fled and some remained. But Poghikarpos
sent everyone to Oghkan stronghold, keeping only abbot T'odik
and the church attendants in the place. And he ordered the attendants
to ready themselves for communion. Once the 7 vegetarians performed
mass, they ordered a secretary who had come from Byzantium [ew
hramayec'in nshanagrl mium` or
ekeal er i Yunac'`grel...] to record
what they said. They raised their hands before the holy altar
and spoke the following: [g16] [We omit the translation of the
prayers on pp. 17-19]
Having said "Amen", a voice
came from Heaven which said: "Let it be as you wish. Those
who for My sake and for Saint Karapet have dwelled apart, I shall
repay upon my [second] coming and I shall forgive their sins.
For I am merciful to all. Now come to the place of light which
you have readied [for yourselves] through your asceticism".
When the blessed men heard this they worshipped before the holy
altar and then went outside. Poghikarpos went before the holy
Cross and began to pray and beseech God for the peace of the [14]
entire land, the ruin of the enemy which had come, and for the
poor remaining in their places [ew aghk'atac'
mnal i teghis iwreanc']. Suddenly
the Iranian army arrived. As soon as they saw Poghikarpos, they
quickly cut his neck and threw him in front of the Cross. Hurriedly
coming as far as the church door and seeing the clerics there
weeplng and praying, they flung themselves upon the seven and
cut them down. Their names were as follows:
T'eovnas,
Poghikarpos
Simeon,
Yohannes,
Epip'an,
Dimarhios
and Enarkios.
These seven were killed by the Iranian
troops of Mihran on the 4th day of the month of K'aghoc' [December-January],
which was Thursday, at the 9th hour. And they remalned there until
morning.[g20]
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