[1] Gagik Bagratuni ruled as king over the land of the Armenians during the reign in Byzantium (Greece) of Emperor Romanus [II, c. 950-959], son of Constantine [VII, 944-959], during the reign as patriarch of the Armenians of Lord Anania, during the reign of Sultan Mahmud over the Persians, and in the year 400 of the Armenian Era [951]. [Gagik] was the son of Ashot, who was the son of Abas, who was the son of Smbat. This monarch was valiant, handsome, and awe-inspiring, merciful and mild toward all, and endowed with every virtue, like the blessed kings of the past, and he was victorious in battle against the enemies of Christ. Fortified with God's help, he brought peace to the land in every manner, to the clerics, princes, commoners, and to whomever was in his realm. The churches, which had been darkened and ruined by the Muslims [g1], shone forth and everyone gave thanks to the Lord God.

In the year 410 of the Armenian Era [961] Gagik, pressured by the blessed patriarch and all the princes, sent an envoy to the kat'oghikos of the Aghuanians, Lord Yovhanne's, and to their king, P'ilippe', calling them to come to the anointing [ceremony] of King Gagik. They came with forty bishops and numerous princes, and together they anointed Gagik as king of the Armenians. Although [Gagik] had held the authority, up to this point he had not placed the crown of the kingdom on his head. There was joy and a great pageant that day in the city of Ani. When the days of celebration had ended, the kat'oghikos and the [Aghuanian] king with his grandees returned to their land with great honor.

After two years Romanus, emperor of the Byzantines, died leaving two sons, Basil and Constantine. Nicephorus [II, Phocas, 963-969] ruled after him. He cared for [Romanus'] sons honorably and solicitously. [Nicephorus] was a blessed, virtuous, and attractive man, valiant and victorious in battle, and extremely merciful. Calling a muster of troops, he came to the land of Cilicia, against the forces of the Tachiks. He took the capital city Tarsus, as well as Adana, Mamistra, and Anawarza and killed troops as far as the great city of Antioch. Then, in grand triumph, he returned to Constantinople.

[2] In 413 A.E. [964] the forces of the Armenians massed in the district of Taro'n. They attacked and crushed the forces of the Tachiks, capturing numerous princes. Thereafter that district was freed from the rule of the loathesome nation of Muhammad. During this period, Ghewond, vardapet [doctor of the church] of the Armenians, went to Constantinople. Discussing [theological matters] with the Byzantine vardapets, [Ghewond] appeared invincible in their midst. Receiving gifts from the emperor, he returned [g2] to the land of Armenia. [Ghewond] translated the history of the finger of the blessed Apostle Peter, which he brought to the Armenians.

In that period some loathesome eunuchs approached Emperor Nicephorus and slandered the Armenians [saying that] the Armenians lacked orthodox beliefs and did not celebrate the day of the birth of Christ or the feast-days of the saints [on their correct days]. Despite the fact that the emperor greatly loved Gagik, he became extremely angry since he had been deceived by the slanderous and inhuman accusations. Massing a large force, he went to the land of the Armenians [intending] generally to destroy the population. When Gagik [Ashot] heard about this, he was astounded that such a Christian monarch would come against the churches of Christ, prideful and angry. But he called up and assembled the forces of the Armenians, in preparation for war. Meanwhile Emperor Nicephous and his troops were moving East. When he had reached the city of Nicaea in Bithynia, the patriarch of the city asked the reason for his arrival; and the emperor told him, in order. The blessed patriarch then acquainted the emperor with the orthodox faith of the Armenian Church and its complete views on the Holy Trinity, the one Divinity and Christ's corporealization. When the emperor had become acquainted with the truth and informed about the bravery of Gagik [Ashot] and [the strength of] the Armenian troops by the blessed patriarch, he drew back from his vain anger like someone who has just awakened, and he thanked God for preventing an unjust war. Then he ordered the patriarch to write to Gagik [Ashot] about the reasons for his arrival, and to establish friendship and unity between the two monarchs. And this, in fact, was done. Then each [ruler] returned to his place.

[3] In the year 418 A.E. [969] [Theophano], the wife of Nicephorus, hatched an evil plan. She secretly sent and had removed from confinement a man named John Tzimisces [g3] (who had been condemned to death and exiled to an island), as though this were the emperor's order. She had him brought to Constantinople without the emperor's knowledge, and made a secret plan with [Tzimisces] to kill the emperor, promising to become his wife and to seat him on the imperial throne. [Tzimisces] agreed to do the will of the wicked empress. The evil woman had done this to satisfy her lascivious desires. For the emperor was a decent and modest man as regards the desires of the flesh, and did not permit her unbridled and evil lust to go unchecked. Now it happened that the emperor had a custom of isolating himself in a room of his dwelling at a peaceful hour of the evening to read the Bible. [One night] the emperor, after completing his customary prayers, stretched out on the bed and slept. Now the empress had come into the dim room while the emperor was still reading, had come and sat near him and embraced him. [While doing this] she [secretly] tightened the cords that held the emperor's sword, so that [the sword] could not be drawn out. [Theophano] then went out to her co-conspirator. Then Tzimisces, having come [into the palace] clandestinely, ran into the room where the emperor was. When the emperor saw him he was dumbfounded and said: "What do you want here, you mad dog?" [The emperor] put his hand on his sword, but was unable to remove it [from its sheath]. Then Tzimisces attacked like a wild animal and stabbed the body of the blessed emperor with his sword [and it was revealed that the emperor] was wearing a shirt made of goat's hair underneath the imperial purple [garments]. And thus did his spirit depart, [with his body] spattered in blood. They took and buried [the emperor] in the blessed [burial] place, with fitting honor and great lamentation.

The unworthy Tzimisces was seated as emperor [John I, Tzimisces 969-976], and he subdued the entire land of the Byzantines. As for the sons of Romanus, [Tzimisces] saw to it that they escaped from the impious empress, [sending them] to Vasakawan in the district of Handzit' [in Armenia], so that she could not poison them [g4]. However, due to the unjust murder of Nicephorus, Emperor Tzimisces experienced great sorrow all the days of his life.

In 420 A.E. [971] Gagik, king of the Armenians, died a peaceful death. But there was discord between his sons, Yovhanne's and Ashot, since Yovhanne's, though the senior son and a wise man, nonetheless was irresolute, cowardly, and inexperienced in warfare, while Ashot, on the other hand, was a valiant man, unbeatable and triumphant in battle. Yovhanne's seized the throne, while Ashot circulated around with his troops, looting many places and harassing the city of Ani. [Ashot] went to Senek'erim, king of Vaspurakan, who was second [to rule] after Apusahl, son of Gagik, of the Artsruni clan. Taking troops from him, he passed on to Mount Varag, where he entered the monastery of the Holy Cross to revere the blessed cross and icon of the holy Mother of God. And he gave many gifts [to the monastery] and had a repository made for the saints from the gold of the Arabs, which the king of the Babylonians [the caliph] had given to him. Then [Ashot] arrived at the city of Ani with numerous troops. When Yovhanne's learned about this he sent his own forces out to fight, while he himself remained seated on the throne, since he was incompetent in matters of warfare. With the city aroused, [Yovhanne's' troops] went out to fight against Ashot.

[4] Meanwhile a certain prince came to Yovhanne's as an envoy from the king of the Georgians, and was present there on that particular day. He promised the king: "Your majesty, order them to point out Ashot to me, and I will forcibly bring him before you." The [prince] said this because of his personal bravery and because he was a military man. The king replied: "Do not despise the lion's cub before you have seen it." Now when the troops had begun fighting, the Georgian prince shouted out, demanding Ashot [for combat]. When Ashot heard this, he was infuriated, and the two faced off against each other. Ashot struck [g5] the man's helmet with his sword, splitting him in two, and [his body] fell to the ground. An extremely fierce battle ensued in which the troops of the king were put to flight. Ashot pursued, harrying them and not letting them get into the city. Instead, he herded them all into the river.

Then the Pahlawunik' and Bagratunik' [families] decided to make peace between the two brothers. The blessed patriarch, Anania, and the princes of the city went before Ashot and effected a peace, by which Yovhanne's would sit as king in Ani, and Ashot would be king [in the areas] outside the city. [Furthermore they arranged that] should Yovhanne's die first, Ashot would be king over all the Armenians. When Ashot agreed [to this], Abas was seated in Kars with royal authority, by order of Yovhanne's and Ashot, and Ge'org [ruled] over the land of the Aghvanians for they were of the royal line. And both of them obeyed kings Yovhanne's and Ashot. But Ashot was unable to enter Ani all the days of his life.

There was a certain prince named Apirat, the son of Hasan, who was of two minds about going to Yovhanne's, because of his friendship with Ashot. He fled with 12,000 cavalry and went to the Iranian general, Apusahl, who received him with honor. However [Apusahl] had Apirat killed secretly by his troops, since he had been incited by his princes and feared [Apirat's] valor. Prince Sabi took Apirat's wife and sons and came to Yovhanne's in Ani in great mourning. Yovhanne's deeply regretted [Apirat's] unjust murder. He gave districts and authority to his sons and all the troops.

In that period the military head of the Daylamites (Delmanats') came through the Armenian districts to the fortress of Bjni. Now it happened that at that moment the sparapet [commander-in-chief] of the Armenians, Vasak Pahlawuni, lord of Bjni, with his son Grigor and other illustrious knights, were reclining on couches, joyfully getting drunk [g6]. [Vasak] looked out at the mountain road and when he saw someone coming along quickly, he said that the man was a bearer of bad news. The man arrived at the gate of the fortress and loudly shouted out: "The entire district has been enslaved!" Then the valiant Vasak entrusted his home and the fortress to Grigor, his son. He took communion and then armed himself for war, together with the knights who happened to be nearby. He did not assemble his entire force of about five thousand men. With P'ilippe', Gorg Ch'ortoanel, and brave Mihran, he wanted to battle with only one hundred troops. Arising, they went against the foreigners. They encountered many troops who had surrounded, and were slaughtering like lambs, those folk who had fled from the village into the church. Then valiant Vasak roared like a lion and attacked the foreigners, killing about three thousand of them. Those who were able to escape fled back to their army. Then the entire [Daylamite] army came against the Christians. Ready for death, they fell upon them, dividing the army into sections; and they wrought an astonishing slaughter.

[5] From among the troops of the foreigners there arose an awesome man who was a Qipchaq, and who was called "Seven Wolves" because of his bravery. In a loud voice he shouted out for Vasak, and came against him thundering. Vasak moved forward and struck his head with his sword. [The body of "Seven Wolves"] was split in two and fell to the ground. But Vasak's troops had become separated from each other and, because of the multitude of the foreigners, were unable to come together. On that day brave Mihran was killed in battle. Vasak cut through the troops of the [Daylamite] army and withdrew, because he wanted some respite from the enemy since he was greatly fatigued from fighting. Reaching [g7] a cave, he went to sleep. Now someone came and discovered him, and realizing that he was one of their enemies, forcefully struck and threw him down. Thus did this valiant warrior of Christ die.

In the year 421 A.E. [972] the Byzantine general, the domesticus (Demesklos), came against the city of Melitene with many troops and made it surrender after greatly afflicting it with hunger and thirst. Then [the general] went against the city of Tigranakert, which is called Amida (Amit'). The forces of the Tachiks arose before them in battle and were severely defeated by the gates of the city. The defeated Tachik troops turned in flight and entered the city while the Byzantine troops returned, with great victory, and encamped by the shores of the river called Awsl.

After a few days they were struck by divine wrath from On High. For the wind blew so violently that the day was darkened [by the debris] and the eye could not see, and because of the force of the wind, the army's armor and equippage ended up in the river. As soon as the infidels saw this they went against them, mercilessly cutting them down and capturing the domesticus and forty princes. Few of the Christians were able to free themselves.

[6] The princes of the foreigners, considering the great damage they had inflicted on the Christian troops, became frightened of the might of Emperor Nicephorus, since the news of his murder had not yet reached them. They considered kindly freeing [their captives] with an oath. While they were so deliberating, the news of Nicephorus' murder reached them and they relaxed and rejoiced. They transported the bound princes to Baghdad where all of them were to die. Now the domesticus wrote pitiful curses to Tzimisces to the effect that "We shed our blood at the gates of Tigranakert, even though our bodies were found unworthy of a blessed grave. On the Day of Judgement [g8] God will demand our blood from you if you do not seek vengeance for our blood from the race of Muhammad." When Tzimisces heard this he flew into a rage. He assembled all the Byzantine troops, taking along Frankish auxiliaries, planning first to master [the areas known as] First Armenia; and then he came and encamped in Cilicia, blanketing the Tarsus area with troops. News of his arrival reached the land of the Armenians.

[The following dignitaries] assembled by King Ashot: P'ilippe', king of Kapan, Georg, king of the Aghvank', Abas, lord of Kars, Senek'erim, lord of Vaspurakan, Gurge'n, lord of Andzewats'ik', as well as all the Houses of the Armenians and the royal troops. Valiant King Ashot took them and all the braves and encamped in the district of Hark'. When they tallied the troops, the military commanders recorded 300,600 cavalrymen. Emperor Tzimisces' envoy came to King Ashot and saw their great preparedness for battle; then returned and reported to the emperor. With the returning Byzantine envoys, King Ashot sent his own envoys to Emperor Tzimisces, bishops and vardapets, and they made peace between the two monarchs.

John Tzimisces quit Cilicia with a great host and arrived at the district of Taro'n. King Ashot went before him with many soldiers. [The two] met each other with salutations and affection. For assistance, Ashot gave [Tzimisces] 80,000 horsemen and 20,000 infantry, as well as the valiant military commander, Ge'org, and numerous provisions and stipends, and sent along the bishop, Lord Sargis, the vardapet Ghewond, and prince Iwane'. Then he returned to his own land.

Emperor Tzimisces went to fight against the Tachik troops. And he dyed the ground with their blood, razing to the foundations many fortresses and cities, and capturing three hundred cities right up to the gates of Babylon, which is called [g9] Baghdad. He crushed the forces of the caliph, seized 100,000 of his horses and mules, and turned against Amida. The ruler of Amida was a woman, the sister of the Tachik emir Haman. She went onto the [city] walls and cried out: "Oh Tzmisces, are you not ashamed to come to fight against a woman?" Tzimisces responded: "I have vowed to demolish the city's walls." Then the woman retorted: "Go demolish the bridge over the Tigris River and you can fulfill your oath with that." That is just what [Tzmisces] did, and then departed. However, they say that previously the emperor had indulged in sin[ful behavior with the woman] since Tzimisces was from [the town of] Ch'mshkatsakk' in Xozan, and so was that woman. He also wanted to demolish Edessa (Ur'ha), but because of the monasteries, he spared it and departed, going through the interior of the country down to Jerusalem and freeing all the Christians from servitude to the infidels. Then he came to Cilicia again and dispatched to King Ashot the prince of the Armenians, the troops and the bishops with many troops and gifts. The king's gifts [included] huge treasures of gold, silver, plus a letter with the following import.

[7] "To Ashot, king of Greater Armenia, my spiritual son, rejoice in the Lord. Realize just how great is God's mercy upon us, for he gave us victory over our enemies. None of them was able to resist, and so we dulled our swords [killing] the Tachik forces, while we made the rest tributary to ourselves. Taking much spoil and many of [the Tachiks] as captives, we turned to the interior of the land, taking the relics of St. James from the city of Nisibis (Mtsbin) along with us. Coming to the interior [parts] of our [former] realm, we totally destroyed our enemy, and then turned aside and wintered out in the open, giving stipends to our troops. Then we went to the city of Antioch and took it, and also took captive all the surrounding villages. We reached Hams and Hamah which accepted us and obediently [g10] became tributary to us. Then we proceeded to the impregnable Aleppo, which came out in battle against us. Our troops destroyed them and took from them a large amount of gold treasure and girls. [Our troops] also took [the district of] Anatolya. We went to Damascus and wanted to besiege it, but the chief of the city, who was a wise and white-haired man, came before us with many gifts, beseeching us to let him be tributary to us. They accepted one of our generals [as overseer] and gave us a document of submission. We went to Tiberias, where our Lord Jesus Christ walked, and we took the Divine Cross from there. They also gave us many treasures, took one of our generals [as overseer] and gave us a document of submission. Then we went to Nazareth, [the town] where the blessed Virgin Mary received glad tidings from the angel. We went up holy Mt. Tabor and worshipped. And behold, while we were there, [officials] came to us from Ramla (R'amele') and Jerusalem, greatly entreating us to accept their tribute and requesting a general [as overseer]. Then we wished to liberate the Holy Sepulcher of Christ from service to the Tachiks. We established many cavalrymen and generals in all the districts which were tributary to us. We captured Acre, Tripoli, and all the fortresses and cities by the shore—Jabala (Jebela), Saone (Sehun), and Burzuya (Burzaw)— and placed men and generals in all of them. Then we moved on to Gabawo, taking the holy sandals of Jesus [g11], from Biwriton [we took] the icon of Christ which the Jews had subsequently pierced, as well as some hairs from [the head of] John the Baptist. We took [these relics] and brought them [to Constantinople] for the protection of our own city. Now, having heard all this, be joyful and praise God Who, by means of our kingdom, has increased and broadened the glorify of the name of Christ. For [territories] from the great [city of] Caesarea to the great [city of] Baghdad (Babylon) together with the coastal areas I have made to submit and have placed under my command. Give thanks to Christ God now and forever, amen." [The emperor] also wrote to the protospatharius and to the general in Taro'n for them to send to King Ashot a chrysobull, 30,000 dahekans, 2,000 servants, and 10,000 horses and mules for the affection and unity which [Ashot] had displayed. He also wrote to the vardapet Pantaleo'n for him and [Smbat] T'or'nets'i and the protospatharius to quickly [g12] come to Constantinople with many bishops to participate in a great and renowned ceremony for the icon of Christ, the sandals, the hair of John the Baptist—and to hold a discussion with the Byzantine vardapets in the monarch's presence. The patriarch sent them without delay. They went [to Constantinople] and returned to Shirak with great honors and gifts. Then fear of death and of the judgement of God entered the emperor's heart, because of the unjust killing of Nicephorus. After the fifth year of his reign, [John Tzimisces] sent to [the village of] Vaskawan and had Romanus' sons, Basil and Constantine, fetched. Then he held a great assembly and placed the crown on Basil's head, while he himself, Tzimisces, prostrated himself before him. He also gave all his belongings to Emperor Basil [II, Bulgaroctonus, 976-1025], while he himself withdrew to a monastery to atone for [his wicked deeds] and to cleanse his person of sin.

[8] In the year 424 A.E. [975] during the reign of Basil, the forces of the Armenians were crushed in the district of Andzewats'ik', through the treachery of Aplgharip, who formerly was the military chief of the king of Andzewats'ik', Derenik. [King Derenik] had removed [Aplgharip] from the position of stratelate and had appointed [g13] in his place a certain Sargis. As a result Aplgharip was extremely insulted, since he was a valiant and warlike man, and thus he became an informer to the army of the foreigners. He told them: "I will not fight against you, but as a signal [to you, I] will place my standard (which is red) on the hill where you can see it." The king, meanwhile, sat disporting himself in great joy, without a care, together with his knights. Suddenly the army of the foreigners came upon them at night, wrought great destruction, seized the king, and took him as a captive to Her. They did not dare to cross into the territories of Aplgharip. On that day, [the monastery of] Varag and all the monasteries placed heavy curses on Aplgharip and expelled him from the Christian faith. When Aplgharip came to his senses, he wept bitterly and repented the damage he had done to the servants of God. Then he investigated which prison [or fortress] the king was being kept in. Aplgharip learned to his delight that Emir Aplhach had freed [King Derenik] and always kept him with him for playing polo. Aplgharip secretly sent word to the king: "At such and such an hour and at such and such a place my troops and I will wait in ambush. Be ready on that day and, mounted on a swift horse, leave the playing-field, come to me, and do not worry about a thing." [King Derenik] did as instructed, prepared a fast horse [g14] and went with it to play polo. He took the ball and placed it at some distance, and then left them and raced off to Aplgharip, trusting in God's assistance. When the emir observed this, in a rage he had his troops pursue him, but the king had bravely reached Aplgharip. A Qipchaq fighter, a mighty man from the foreigners' troops, went against Aplgharip. [Aplgharip] struck him with his sword, splitting him in two down to the groin. When the foreigners saw this they turned in flight, with Aplgharip and his troops in pursuit. He pursued the emir up to the city gates [through which the emir] entered, then [Aplgharip] valiantly struck the iron gate with a steel axe which penetrated and remained stuck in place for quite some time thereafter. And thus, bravely, he turned back and brought the king to his own place, freeing him from servitude to the foreigners, and being blessed by the monastics and everyone else. This took place in the Armenian district of Chuaysh, at the village called Bak, which borders Vaspurakan.

In 427 A.E. [978] the blessed patriarch Anania passed from this world [Anania I Mokats'i, 946-968]. By order of Yovhane's and Ashot, the two kings of the Armenians, a holy man named Vahan [Vahan I Siwnets'i, 968-969] was ordained in his place [as kat'oghikos]. In this period a certain man named Scelerus (Siklar'os) rebelled from [g15] the Byzantine emperor Basil. Assembling an army of wicked folk, [Scelerus] did great harm to the Byzantine lands and then came and entered the land of the Armenians where he wrought much destruction. But then the forces of the Armenians came upon him and valiantly defeated him, causing his troops to flee while he himself went to Baghdad. After three years he returned to Byzantine territory where he perished.