181


15. Concerning those of [Mxit'ar's] students who were prominent.


There were many people who studied doctrine with him since the renown of his learning had reached everywhere. They came to him from all areas since, true to his name [Mxit'ar (Mxit'arich', "comforter")], he comforted everyone. He was a consoler resembling Barnabus and noted among the people like Anton. His words, full of grace were efficacious and everyone wanted to see and hear him. For this reason, many who held the title of vardapet concealed their identities [g217] and came as students and received the command again. Many of Mxit'ar's students attained the title of vardapet. But two of them were more learned than the others and able to assist others in turn. First was T'oros from Armenian Melitene whose father was Armenian and his mother was Syrian. He was a meek and humble man, virtutous, very fond of the poor, a host to strangers, and generous with gifts. Having lived such a benevolent life, he was gathered to his fathers in ripe old age. He is buried above the renowned monastery of Haghbat, in the cemetary of bishops and vardapets. May his memory be blessed and his prayers, a buttress for the faithful.

The second [noteworthy student] was named Vanakan. He [182] was a holy, modest man, foremost in all good works, rational and sensitive to all and more competent in doctrine than all the others of his time. He was an excellent, creative thinker who could speak fittingly. For these reasons many people came to him, not only to study doctrine, but indeed his entire life and activity were unwritten laws for the observers. I say this not merely as someone who heard it from others, but as an eyewitness, for we spent much time with him getting an education in the borders of Tawush fortress [g218] in the retreat where he had his abode. Like a fountain [of wisdom] he gave us the words of doctrine to drink.


16. Concerning the death of the great vardapet called Gosh.


This venerable man of whom we spoke above, reached great old age, having kept his faith. But when he saw that his bodily strength was failing and that he was close to joining his fathers, he called the residents of the congregation of Nor Getik who had shared with him in all the labors of the church and monastery, and he blessed them and his students in the name of the Lord. Selecting one of them, named Martiros, who had studied with him and was his intimate, Mxit'ar appointed him as their director. Martiros was a youth [183] but perfected in learning, a man mellifluous in the songs of worship, a great reader and a speedy writer. Mxit'ar commanded him to direct them. And he wrote a will to the great hazarapet Iwane, Zak'are's brother, and entrusted to him the monastery and its director. Then he himself, white-haired [g219] and ripe in age, passed from this world to Christ.

The director of the monastery, Martiros, together with the congregation handsomely saw to the proper requirements for the spiritual and physical burial of Mxit'ar. They laid him to rest before the door of the smaller church which stands above the monastery on the west side. And to this day Mxit'ar's grave aids those in pain who take refuge in his prayers, in faith; and people always take soil from that place to cure sick people and animals, for God glorifies those that glorify Him, in life and in death.

Once it happened that his servitors came up bringing wine on asses, for the monastery's needs. A certain Georgian named Basila came and wanted to take some of that wine from them, for he was Iwane's official in charge of the grove which guarded his lodging. But the attendants said to him: "Do not bother us for we are Gosh's people" (t

It was frightful to behold their appearance and their cruel lack of compassion; they pitied not a single mother's [g239] tears nor a single grey head, but went on punishing and killing as if enjoying themselves at a wedding or a drinking-bout.

The whole country filled up with the corpses of the dead yet there was no one to bury them. Tears appeared in the eyes of lovers but no one dared to weep, out of fear of the impious ones.

The country was draped in mourning and its magnificent [202] beauty was destroyed. Its worship was blocked and mass ceased to be offered at its altars, the singing of songs was no longer heard. The whole land was plunged into darkness and people preferred the night to the day. The country was drained of its inhabitants and foreigners moved about in it.

Goods and property were ravished, though their greedy nature could never be satisfied. Houses and rooms were searched and there was nothing left that they did not take. They moved about here and there like swift mountain goats and wrecked and tore things apart like wolves. Their horses did not tire at the pace, nor did [the Mongols] tire of amassing booty.

Thus severity was visited upon many peoples and tongues for the cup of the Lord's wrath poured down over the country in vengeance for our wicked deeds and for sinning before Him; and His just rage was kindled. Therefore the entrance [of the Mongols] into [g240] every land was made easy. As soon as they had captured all lands, they gathered up all the animals (those which had fled and those which had not), the goods and property and multitude of slaves, which were out in open areas.

Thereafter they battled with all the fortresses and with [203] many cities, erecting diverse types of [siege] machinery, for they were very clever and capable. They took and tore down many fortresses and keeps. It was summertime and extremely hot, and provisions had not been gathered in, for [the Mongols] came upon them unexpectedly. Therefore men and beasts suffered from thirst and, willingly or unwillingly, fell into the hands of the enemy because of the danger facing them. And there were those they killed, and those they kept as slaves for their needs. They treated similarly the densely populated cities, encamping about them and besieging them.


23. Concerning the capture of the city of Shamk'or.


One of the nobles, named Molar-noyin, whose lot had fallen over those regions (while they moved from their abode in the Mughan plain) sent a small force of about a hundred [g241] men who came and encamped by the gates of the city of Shamk'or and blocked entrance to and exit from it.

Now at the time, this city was under the authority of Vahram and his son Aghbugha, who had previously taken it [204] from the Iranians. The residents of Shamk'or sent to Vahram and his son for them to come and aid them, saying: "They are few". But Vahram did not aid them nor did he let his son go who wanted to, telling the emissaries: "They are numerous". Moreover, he ordered the citizens not to fight them.

The foreigners' army increased daily until their commander, Molar, arrived and fought against the city. He filled the trench which surrounded the city walls with wood and stalks so that they might easily climb onto the walls. But the people hurled down fire at night and burned the filler. Now in the morning when Molar-noyin saw that, he ordered each of his soldiers to bring a load of soil and to throw it into the trench. When this was done, the area became level with the wall.

Then each soldier applied himself to that part of the city directly in front of him. And they took it, killed all the inhabitants, burned the buildings and took whatever they [g242] found there. They then fell upon other fortresses under Vahram's sway: Terunakan, Ergevank', Matsnaberd (which belonged [205] to Kiwrike Bagratuni, Aghsart'an's son), Gardman, and other regions, Ch'arenk'; and another chief named Ghataghan-noyin went to Getabak. Now Vahram who was then in Gardman secretly fled at night to wherever he was able. Meanwhile the army of foreigners battled with the fortresses. Those inside unwillingly provided the Mongols with horses, livestock, and whatever else they demanded. [The Mongols] placed taxes over them and left them in their name.

But those who took Shamk'or had come with all their bags and baggage to Tawush, Katsaret', Norberd, Gag and the surrounding areas. Placing these regions in great straits, they besieged them.


24. Concerning the capture of vardapet Vanakan and those with him.


At that time the great vardapet called Vanakan was dwelling in a cave he himself had hollowed out, near the top of a very high rock which stood opposite the village called Lorut, south of Tawush fortress. He had built a [g243] small church in that grotto and stayed there secretly once his first monastery (opposite Ergevank' fortress) had been ruinedby the raiding of sultan Jalal al-Din. Here he [206] had gathered many books, for he was an extremely studious man and especially God-loving. Many people came to him and studied doctrine with him. When the people multiplied, he was obliged to descend from the cave, and he built a church and rooms at the base of the rock, remaining there.

As soon as the land was destroyed by the T'at'ars and Molar-noyin had come to their borders, the inhabitants of that village applied to Vanakan's cave. It became filled with men, women, and children. Then the T'at'ars came and besieged them in the cave, while those folk inside had neither provisions nor water. It was summertime and extremely hot and they were scorched by the sun, as if in a prison. The children were parched with thirst and close to death. From outside the enemies shouted. "Why do you want to die"? Come out to us, we shall give you overseers and leave you in your places". They repeated this a second and third time with pledges. Those who were in the cave fell before the [g244] vardapet's feet, entreating: "Go and save all of our lives descend to them and make friends with them". Now [Vanakan] replied: "For your sakes I will not preserve my own life if there is any possibility of [your] salvation. For Christ gave Himself up to death for us to save us from satan's [207] tyranny. Thus we are obliged to show the same concern for our brothers".

So vardapet Vanakan selected two priests from among them, one named Markos and the other Sost'enes, who later were ordained vardapets by him. We too were present there studying Scripture in those days. [Vanakan] descended to them. Molar-noyin stood across from the cave on a hill, with a parasol over his head because of the heat. They had blocked us off during the feast of the Transfiguration. As soon as they came near the commander, those leading them commanded them to bow to the ground three times (like camels when they sit), for such is their custom. When they came before him, he ordered them to bow to the east, to their Khan, their king. Molar-noyin then upbraided Vanakan, saying; "I have heard that you are a learned and venerable man, and your appearance reveals you as such"--for he was a fine-looking composed man with a glorious beard and white hair. "When you heard the news of our coming to your borders, why did you [g245] not come before us in peaceful friendship, so that I could command that all that is yours be left unharmed, great and small"?

[208] The vardapet replied: "We knew not of your good intentions, but out of dread of you we were seized with fear and trepidation. We did not know your languages, and no one came from you to summon us. Now when you called, we came before you. We are neither soldiers nor lords of goods, but exiles and foreigners assembled from many lands for studying our religion. Behold we stand now before you. Do with us what you will, granting either life or death".

The prince then said to hirn: "Fear not"; and he commanded them to sit before him. [Molar-noyin] asked him numerous questions about fortresses and about prince Vahram--where he was, for he thought that Vanakan was a worldly prince ruling the country. Once the vardapet had told what he knew and that he was not a worldly prince, [Molar-noyin] ordered him to bring down the people of the fortress fearlessly and he promised that each would be left in his place with his overseers, and that he would build villages and fields in his name. [g246]

Then the priests who had gone with the vardapet called to us: "Come down at once, and bring what you have with you". [209] We descended, quaking, like lambs among the wolves, frightened, terrified, thinking we were about to die, each person in his mind repeating the confession of faith in the Holy Trinity; prior to leaving the cave we had communed in the revered Body and Blood of the Son of God.

The T'at'ars took us to a small fountain in the monastery and gave us water to drink, for we were very thirsty for three days. They then put us in some place of confinement and put the laymen in the portico of the church. They themselves stayed about guarding us during the night, for it was evening. The next morning they removed us to the head of the monastery, to an elevated spot, and searched to see who had anything they needed. As for what was in the cave, the vessels and vest- ments in the church, the furniture, silver crosses and two gospels worked in silver, these things they gave to the vardapet, but later took from us. Then they selected [g247] from among us men who could go about with them. The rest they ordered taken to the monastery and to the village and left their overseers there so that no one else would search them. They ordered the vardapet to remain in the monastery.

[Vanakan's] brother's son, the priest Poghos, was ordered to come along with us, following Molar-noyin. But the blessed vardapet saved his nephew for he was a youth and he himself [210] came after [Molar-noyin] hoping that it might be possible to free us as well. And [Molar-noyin] made us travel around with him for many days, harassed and harried, on foot and even barefoot. The men appointed to guard us were Iranians, thirsty for Christian blood. They made our lives yet more difficult by all sorts of torments along the way, forcing us along so stringently, like horses on a raid. And if it happened that someone out of bodily weakness or lameness paused a little, they would mercilessly strike his skull and beat his body with sticks, so much so that we could not remove thorns from our feet or someone would attack. Nor could anyone drink water because of those forcing us on.

Upon encamping, they took and crammed us into narrow houses while they surrounded them and guarded, not letting anyone outside to perform his bodily functions. [g248] Instead, [the captives] relieved themselves in the houses, staying inside for many days. Therefore I cannot record all the discomforts which they forced us to endure. Nor did they let the vardapet stay with us, but entrusted him to others to guard carefully, far away.



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