Chapter 37. (Continued from Previous Page)

[261] The Iranian king was greatly saddened because of the destruction of his troops. He was furious that of all his troops, only these two had survived. He got angry at them, dishonored and chased them from his boundaries, dispatching them to their own country. So they came to their country. Both brothers were on foot, both were fantastically large, having the aspects of offspring of a giant. As they were travelling it happened that Manuel was unable to proceed because his feet hurt. His brother Koms picked him up and carried him one hundred xrasax distance, carrying such a fantastically enormous man to the country of Armenia. When Manuel and his brother Koms reached the country of Armenia and when Vach'e saw the one who previously was the nahapet, even before he arrived [Vach'e] gave him the patiw of the principality which he had received from king Varazdat, since he was the senior of the azg. Manuel had the patiw of the nahapetut'iwn of the azg's tanuterut'iwn, while Vach'e was second.

Once Manuel had come into the glory of his tanuterut'iwn, first he seized for himself the generalship-sparapetut'iwn without the order of king Varazdat. Manuel took the authority for himself [262] [in an office] which had been held naturally by his ancestors from the start, which king Varazdat had bestowed on his dayeak, Bat. Then the sparapet of Armenia, Manuel, sent a letter to king Varazdat, saying: "All the labors our azg had performed from the time of our ancestors in ancient times onward were loyally done for you Arsacids. We gave our lives, living and dying for you. All of our first ancestors fell in battle for you. Mushegh's father, Vasak, died in battle for king Arshak, and we have always labored and worked for the kingdom of your azg. Instead of giving rewards in exchange for the labor, you Arsacids destroyed those [Mamikoneans] not killed by the enemies [g243]. Now that brave man Mushegh, my brother, from his childhood onward labored with his life for you. He defeated and destroyed your enemies, and the enemies were unable to kill him. But you seized him on his couch and strangled him. In fact, you are not even an Arsacid, but a bastard. Therefore you do not recognize those who labor for the Arsacids. We are not your servants but your peers, and we are above you. For our ancestors were kings of the land of Chenk'. Because of a quarrel among brothers, [to avoid] bloodshed, we left that [land] and to find rest we stopped here [in Armenia]. The first Arsacid kings knew who we were and where we came from. But you, since you are not an Arsacid, begone from this land and do not perish at my hands."

[263] King Varazdat sent a reply to general Manuel, saying: "If I am not an Arsacid, how did I put on the crown of my Arsacid ancestors, or take the land of my forbears or seek vengeance for my uncle (father's brother) Pap from your evil-doing brother Mushegh? Since as you yourself said, you are not from this land, but from the country of the Chenac' land (where you were kings naturally) and since you came here as exiles, do not die as your brother did. Because of my benevolence I am releasing you. Go to the Chenac' country, stay there, and rule your country there as king. But if you do not want to go, you will die by my hand, just as Mushegh died.

Now when messengers had gone and come many times, with the messages becoming increasingly severe, the two [antagonists] made a date to confront each other in battle. When that time arrived, they came forth to fight. King Varazdat took the troops of his banak and [g244] went to the place designated for battle armed, arranged, and prepared, with Varazdat himself more prepared than the others. The sparapet Manuel went to the same place with his brigade. The place where the two brigades clashed was in the plain of Karin.

King Varazdat and sparapet Manuel took spears and went against each other as champions. When king Varazeat raised his eyes, he saw sparapet Manuel coming at him, so enormous, grand, securely armored [264] from head to toe in impenetrable iron armor, personally strong, on a steady horse covered with horse armor. [Varazdat] regarded him as a tall inaccessible mountain. Nonetheless, with death on his mind, he attacked, not thinking about living. King Varazdat was a young man and uninformed about fighting. When he saw [Manuel so armored], he realized that the spear would not work because of the armor. So he took the spear and forcefully thrust it into general Manuel's mouth. Now Manuel grabbed the spear, removing the tip from himself, from his cheek. He lost many teeth removing the king's spear.

King Varazdat fled from the sight of general Manuel. [As he chased him] Manuel took the tip of the spear and beat the head of king Varazdat. He did this as he chased him over a distance of four asparez. Then Manuel's sons, Hmayeak and Artashes, each with spear in hand, attacked the king. But Manuel himself shouted after his sons: "Do not be killers of [your] lord." They heeded their father's words and swiftly turned from [Varazdat]. On that day the ark'unakan [royal] brigade was defeated by the Manuelean brigade.

There was no more fighting after that. A few dead men lay [g245] across the face of the plain, as did many who had been pierced and the [265] seriously wounded. Many naxarars had perished. Many of those fleeing were pursued. While the Manuelean brigade was going after the fugitives, Hamazaspean, a sepuh of the Mamikonean tohm went over the fallen corpses and [the bodies of] those who were wounded in the battle. Among the fallen was Garegin, lord of the district of Rhshtunik'—but he was alive, neither wounded nor injured. This Garegin had been the brother-in-law [p'esa] of Hamazaspe, having been married to the latter's sister, Hamazaspuhi. But when king Shapuh had come to the country of Armenia, [Garegin] left his wife and fled. So they took Hamazaspuhi to the country of Tosp, to the city of Van where the Iranians hanged her from a lofty tower over a cave. They killed her on the gallows.

The day that Garegin landed among the fallen, his brother-in-law [aner], Hamazasp, was going over them. Garegin cried out; "Lord Hamazaspean, look after me. Command that a steed be brought so that I mount." Hamazaspean said to him: "Who are you?" He replied: "I am Garegin Rhshtuni. Hamazaspean ordered the shield-bearers who were with him: "Get down and cover him with your shields." Then he went. The shield-bearers got down, put their shields over him and remained there guarding [him] in accordance with the order given.

[266] After this a certain Danun, the gumapet of the shield-bearing soldiers of the Manuelean brigade came by and saw that the shield-bearers had dismounted and were guarding Garegin. He asked them: "Who is that and why have you dismounted here?" They replied: "This is Garegin, lord of Rhshtunik'. Hamazaspean ordered us to dismount and guard him." Danun became furiously angry and said: "So, Hamazaspean wants to make him his p'esa again, and to give [Garegin] his sister Hamazaspuhi in marriage. For that reason he [g246] spared him and ordered him guarded." Then [Danun] dismounted, took out his sword and cut [Garegin] to pieces.

All the other troops were still coming from the battle, bringing along the many [men] they had arrested, They seized Bat (the one who had slandered Mushegh to king Varazdat, Mushegh's killer) with his son into the presence of sparapet Manuel. Also they seized others who supported these acts and brought all of them to him. Sparapet Manuel judged the impious Bat with great examination. First he ordered that [Bat's] son be slain in his presence, then he had [Bat] beheaded. He had others destroyed in a similar fashion. They chased Varazdat outside the boundaries of the country of Armenia. He went to the country of the Byzantines where he lived his life and died.

[267] The sparapet general of Armenia, Manuel, subdued the land and gathered all the grandees and naxarars of Armenia. He was their guide and head, ruling his principality [or: exerting his authority] and giving the commands of the land in place of the king. He kept the land in cultivation. He took king Pap's wife, tikin Zarmanduxt, with [her] Arsacid sons, keeping [them] in the king's place [and] causing them to circulate around in honor. As long as [Manuel] lived he led the land of Armenia with great wisdom and much success. Of the two Arsacid lads, the senior one was named Arshak, and the junior one, Vagharshak. Sparapet Manuel nourished them as sans and honored their mother, Zarmanduxt, in the great glory of the tiknut'iwn. But when Manuel saw that what was being done ran contrary to the orders of the Byzantine emperor, he reasoned that he should have at least someone to support him. They took counsel with the tikin; he wanted to support the Iranian king [g247].

Now after this, Zarmanduxt, the tikin of Armenia, and sparapet Manuel sent Garjoyl Maghxaz and many of the Armenian naxarars with him to the king of Iran, bearing hrovartaks, presents and gifts. This [268] was to show support for him and to defend him, to [offer to] serve him loyally, and to give him the land of Armenia. Garjoyl and those with him arrived at the court of the Iranian king. They gave him the hrovartaks of the tikin and the sparapet of Armenia as well as the messages of obedience which had been sent. As soon as the Iranian king saw them, he received them with delight, honoring them with great exaltation. He gave Garjoyl great pargew.

[The king] sent to the country of Armenia along with [Garjoyl] one of his wealthy naxarars, an Iranian named Suren. He also sent 10,000 armed cavalrymen, so that Suren could go to the land of Armenia, help general Manuel and protect tikin Zarmanduxt from enemies. The Iranian king had Suren take a crown, a robe, and the emblem of kings to tikin Zarmanduxt and crowns to the two young Arsacids, Arshak and Vagharshak. He also sent to sparapet Manuel a royal robe, a sable, a patiw for the head with a gold and silver gargmanak and the figure of an eagle held to the crown with an ashxarawand clasp; an apizak brooch of honor for the chest, which by law only kings have; a tent of red leather and on it the figure of an eagle; very great hangings, and skyblue parasols [g248]. He sent sparapet Manuel gold tachar vessels, and by his own hand gave [269] him great authority over the land of Armenia.

Garjoyl Xorxorhuni came to the country of Armenia bringing along the Iranian Suren with 10,000 [troops]. They brought the pargews for the tikin and her children as well as for sparapet Manuel. They also had pargews for each of the nobles, tanuters, and grandees of Armenia. When tikin Zarmanduxt and the sparapet general of Armenia, Manuel, saw the exaltation and affection of the Iranian king, with great delight they exalted Suren. They entrusted the land of Armenia to Suren and were obedient to the commands of the Iranian king. From the land of Armenia they set up taxes for the king of Iran, giving presents and gifts, and also [providing] has, shoes, and the necessary stipends for the marzpan Suren and victuals and necessary food for the 10,000 [troops]. They sincerely supported them, considering the king of Iran as their lord whom they served. Ambassadors of the Iranian king were constantly coming and going to the country of Armenia. They greatly displayed to the king the intimacy of the alliance which existed, and [the king] was constantly sending pargews to tikin Zarmanduxt and to Manuel, the general of Armenia. Manuel was very intimate with the king of Iran, beloved by him, and he was greatly glorified by him. [270] When Meruzhan Arcruni saw all the glory of seniority with which the Iranian king glorified Manuel (for he honored him as a brother or a son), he became very jealous of Manuel's glory, and sought some means of removing him from his favored position with the Iranian king, in order to be himself the beloved one. But when [Meruzhan] was unable to find any ruse except treachery toward the Iranians he plotted some wicked treachery and advanced his work with hypocrisy. He pretended to enter into intimacy with general Manuel [g249], [trying] first to win him over through [acts of ] subordination, to please him with intimacy. Then he gave himself out to appear as [Manuel's] trustee and guardian. Next he came to deliver this false and capricious information: "Know, oh Manuel, that an emissary has come from the king of Iran to Suren with an order to seize and bind you and either to kill you here, or to bind you with great care, foot, hand, and neck, and to take you to the king of Iran. So be advised and think what you will do." When Manuel heard this he was astonished inwardly and said: "I have committed no transgressions against the Iranians, so why are they doing this to us?" Meruzhan said to Manuel: "I have verified and confirmed it, and it is so." When Manuel believed what Meruzhan had told him as accurate, the general of Armenia organized a brigade and assembled many troops. Thus, while Suren was peacefully encamped with his banak in unconcerned peace without a [271] suspicion of duplicity (since in fact there was no treachery being planned as the gossiping malefactor Meruzhan had said) suddenly the general of Armenia, Manuel, fell upon Suren's banak unexpectedly, killing the 10,000 Iranian soldiers. However, [Manuel] granted the marzpan Suren his life as a pargew and let him go on a horse. Suren was surprised at what had happened, and wanted to know why. Manuel said to Suren: "Because of the affection of friendship, I am releasing you to go on your way in health. But I will not fall into the Iranian trap again." Then Manuel organized the Armenian brigade and prepared the men. Thereafter he knew that he had aroused great hostility and aggrevation of the Iranian king. Then the general of Armenia, Manuel [g250], and the entire brigade taking king Pap's wife, Zarmanduxt, at their head caused them to circulate around in the place of kings. They themselves were waging war for the cultivation of the land of Armenia on all sides against the enemies and neighbors around them, and especially against the Iranian troops. [Manuel did this] all the days of his life. But Meruzhan went to the king of Iran and made accusation against Manuel.

Then the Iranian king dispatched Gumand Shapuh with 48,000 [troops] to go to Armenia, take, and ruin the country. They came to the border of Armenia which is on the Atrpayakan side. As soon as [272] Armenia's general, Manuel, heard about this, he assembled as many troops as he could lay hands on in those troubled times, some 20,000 men, and hastened against that brigade. [Manuel] put the Iranian troops to the sword, killed Gumand Shapuh, and again emerged with great triumph.

Then a certain Varaz, general of the king of Iran, came to the country of Armenia with 180,000 [troops] to war with sparapet Manuel and with the entire Armenian brigade. Armenia's sparapet general Manuel organized and prepared 10,000 armed cavalrymen and [g251] came to war against Varaz. He struck and killed, exterminating, and killing the principal, Varaz. He took a huge amount of loot, the ornaments and weapons of the troops, and returned in great peace.

After all this, the Iranian king sent Mrhkan with 400,000 [troops] against the country of Armenia. He arrived and took a part of the country of Armenia encamping on the Artandan plain. Manuel fell upon the banak at night, put all in the entrenchment to the sword, [273] killed Mrhkan, and took much booty. He did not spare a single one of them.

After this for seven years the Iranian troops did not dare enter the borders of Armenia. There was peace in the country. All the dispersed [people] of the country assembled near general Manuel, coming together and encamping without a care. General Manuel directed them. Then three surviving lads from the tun of Siwnik' who had survived the Iranian destruction came to Armenia's general, Manuel. They were named Babik, Sam, and Vaghinak. Manuel [g252], Armenia's general, received them. He helped them, returning them to their country. He made Babik the ter and the two [others], each according to his measure. Babik was the comrade-in-arms [of Manuel] all the days of his life. Similarly, Armenia's sparapet, Manuel, set up nahapets and lords in all the districts. He directed everyone in peace. All the days of his life the entire country of Armenia was at peace under Manuel's protection. All the people in the country enjoyed their days eating and drinking and making merry those seven years of Manuel's lordship—until the division of the country of Armenia and the destruction of the kingdom. [274]

Already in the days of king Arshak, Meruzhan Arcruni had rebelled from the king of Armenia, had voluntarily extended his hand to the king of Iran, accepted the Mazdean faith and apostatized Christianity. Many times he guided the Iranian troops, inflicting very great evils upon the country of Armenia. [Meruzhan] was still with the king of Iran. But this Meruzhan greatly provoked the king of Iran, taking many troops from him, and coming to the country of Armenia. He had greatly boasted before the Iranian king that he would either seize, bind and bring Manuel to the Iranian king, or else he would behead him and bring his head to the king.

[Meruzhan] with the entire multitude of the Iranian troops reached the country of Armenia. He left a banak in the Korchek' district, then with his own personal brigade of assembled bandits he separated from the Aryan brigade. He wanted to come and spring [g253] upon Manuel unawares and he wanted to do this himself so that he could boast that he, personally, had concluded the war. To accomplish this he spoke to the generals of the Aryan brigade as follows: "I will go first and spy and then will take you upon them. In this fashion it will be easy to grab [Manuel]." [Meruzhan], taking his brigade, came [275] to the country of Kog district. He stopped somewhere and spied on Manuel's banak.

The spies went and observed Manuel['s army] which was in Bagrewand district, in the awan of Baguan, close to the ruins of the city of Zarehawand. The observers came and examined Manuel's banak and the herd of horses of the banak which were at liberty. They went back and gave this information. [Meruzhan] thought to get hold of the banak herd because it would bring attention to himself. He delightedly boasted to his troops that: "Tomorrow I will seize Manuel and his wife, Vardanoysh, will be disgraced in his presence." He went off to accomplish the deed, anxious to attain his end. In the place through which the brigade had travelled were some mountains called Eghjerk' ["Horns"] by the inhabitants. While Meruzhan was on the road with his brigade, he encountered travellers whom he asked: "Which way does the road to Bagrewand pass?" The travellers responded: "The road is through Eghjerk'." Meruzhan took augury by this greatly inwardly, and was saddened by these words. He ordered that the travellers be wickedly dragged and beaten. Then as he went along the route, he turned to Chaldean magic to consult the lots. But the witchcraft he consulted did not give him a favorable reading.

[276] So in great anger [Meruzhan] sent his spies ahead to find some way of seizing the herd. But when he reached the place where the horses [had been kept], he did not find the herd. For God so had it that according to the preparedness of the Armenian brigade, the sparapet Manuel had designated a time [g254] for the entire brigade to go hunting. Consequently it happened that the whole herd had been driven to the shen and were ready to be mounted for the hunt. Then a news-bearer came to Armenia's general, Manuel, saying: "Be advised that Meruzhan Arcruni is coming against you with a large brigade."

All the troops of the Armenian brigade organized and prepared, as did sparapet Manuel. They went before the blessed bones of John [the Baptist, whose chapel] was in that village, to make a covenant and beseech God, to call upon the aid of the righteous judge, to assist them with a visitation. Then they went outside. They accompanied the Arsacid tikin, with the youths Arshak and Vagharsak and their women to a stronghold on the great mountain called Varaz. Manuel ordered Vache's son, the youth Artawazd, to go along with the women. But [Artawazd] refused. He was a small boy. In the fashion of children, in accordance with the religion and rule of Armenia, the youth Artawazd's head was shaven with a long braid left free. Now [277] when [Artawazd] refused to go with the women, Manuel raised his whip and beat upon his bare head. He forced him not to go into battle because of his youthful age. So [Artawazd] went with [the women] while [Manuel] was looking, but afterwards he armed, organized, and readied to go to fight.

When they had accompanied the tikin and all their baggage to the stronghold, [the soldiers] themselves armed, arranged and prepared for battle. They gathered in one place with emblems and banners fluttering free, coming out of the western side of Gewgh awan. Meruzhan came before them with his brigade. The sinful malefactor Meruzhan had placed his own weapon, ornament and helmet emblem on many [men] in his brigade [g255], causing many to resemble him. But he himself did not use his own emblem. As soon as Manuel saw their brigade, with his own brigade he fell upon them, resembling a lion or a wild boar. Observing those [men] who bore Meruzhan's emblems, he thought to kill Meruzhan. They beheaded many champions who had Meruzhan's emblem, but saw that they were not Meruzhan.

Then sparapet Manuel began to speak with his comrade-in-arms, Babik, saying: "Do you see how that sorcerer Meruzhan has tricked us? I recognize a sign of him from the many times during peace between us that we were in one place together. For when he is mounted on a horse, his thighs do not hug the horse but fly free of the horse. Come now, [278] and look at these identical emblems. Perhaps we can discover the sorcerer of the lots." Both of them put their minds to it and looked for Meruzhan. They recognized him disguised, not wearing his own emblem. Then Manuel called Meruzhan forward, saying to him: "Hey, sorcerer, how long are you going to deceive us and permit others to be killed because of you? We have spotted you and today you will not survive our hands. For today the Lord God has visited your evil upon your own head. The Lord has betrayed you into our hands." Now when Meruzhan heard that, he immediately took his spear and went forward to be Manuel's axoyean. But when they struck each other with the spears (since both of them were huge men) both fell off their horses onto the ground. Then Manuel's comrade-in-arms, Babik, lord of the district of Siwnik', arrived and pinned [Meruzhan] to the ground with his spear by thrusting it into his side, such that [Meruzhan] was unable to arise. Sparapet Manuel was put on a horse by his grooms, and they cut off Meruzhan's head. All the troops fled when they saw that Meruzhan had died.

Then the Manuelean brigade, urging each other on, went in pursuit of the [g256] Meruzhanean brigade. They struck and killed them, not allowing a single one to live. The youth Artawazd, unbeknownst to Manuel, had come to the battle. He had armed, organized and entered [279] [the fight] separately from the Manuelean brigade, and he [halted] by the banks of the Euphrates river. He struck and killed a countless multitude of armed men from the Meruzhanean brigade. When one of Meruzhan's emblem-bearers saw Artawazd he ridiculed him. For he saw a handsome, robust, beardless youth. With emblem on spear, he attacked him. Entering the encounter, he struck the man with an arrow. The arrow passed right through him and the corpse fell to the ground. Taking the spear, [Artawazd] pursued the fugitives. Artawazd the youth, son of Vach'e, put to the sword more of Meruzhan's troops than all of them. And [Artawazd returned] with a great renown and much loot, which they had taken from the enemy troops.

But on that day there was an unbelievably great loss, for the horse of Manuel's second, Vach'e, fell and killed [Vach'e]. Garjoyl Maghxaz was also killed as a result of his horse, for both of them had mounted untrained horses.

Manuel then went to the tikin's banak. They took Meruzhan's head with them. Samuel, Vahan's son, did not happen to be with Manuel then, since he returned to the banak. When the women of Manuel's banak saw Meruzhan's head they started to shriek loudly, since they thought it was the head of Vahan's son Samuel (because Meruzhan and Samuel resembled each other). But after looking at Meruzhan's head, which was impaled on a long spike, they realized that it belonged not [280] to Samuel but to Meruzhan Arcruni. But they said: "He is, nonetheless, our brother." Then they brought to the banak the bodies of Vach'e [g257] (Artawazd's father) and of Garjoyl Maxaz Xorhxorhuni for whom they lamented greatly and wept. Then they brought [the body of] the man who had been Meruzhan's emblem-bearer, whom Artawazd had felled with an arrow. Everyone was amazed at this, since the arrow had passed right through him. When they saw him, he was saved from death. Now when the Iranian troops which Meruzhan had left in the Korchek' district learned that Meruzhan had perished and that the brigade with him had been lost, they themselves fled to the country of Iran. There was much peace in the land of Armenia.

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