[35] In the year 519 A.E. [1070] a comet appeared in the heavens. Observing it, many said that it was the same omen that had appeared previously and had been followed by bloodshed. Once again it appeared in the night and it seemed as though all the stars were streaming to the earth. [People] thought that it was the command of the Lord that the end of the world [would be accompanied by portents which] involved the sun, moon and stars. That same year Sultan Alp-Arslan moved forth with many troops and reached Mantskert. And since [the city] had no protector, [the Saljuqs] took it in one day and slaughtered everyone for the earlier insult done [by the inhabitants] to his brother, Sultan Tughril. Leaving there, he came to Amida and encamped before its gates, peacefully. His wife bore him a son in the camp [g71], whom he named Tutush (Ddush). He left [Amida] and came to the district of T'lxum where he besieged [its fortress], putting it into great straits. He fought against it with every strategem, but was unable to take the fortress of Tlxum for many days. So first he spoke affectionately [to the inhabitants, saying] that he [merely] wanted taxes. Thus the inhabitants relaxed and were negligent and left the walls unguarded. When the troops of the foreigners saw their unpreparedness, the entire army went against [the city], against the sultan's wishes, and enveloped it in fierce warfare. They took the city and wrought much slaughter and took many captives. When the sultan heard about this, he was surprised and regretted the killings, since he had made an oath with [the residents]. Then the sultan arose from there with his innumerable multitude and came to the district of Edessa, subjecting the entire land to looting, right up to the city gates. His troops attacked the renowned fortress called T'lt'ovraw near Sewerak, and after a fierce battle they took the fortress[es] of T'lt'ovraw and Ar'iwtsat'il, making a frightful slaughter and filling all its borders with blood. Then with much booty and captives, he went against the city of Edessa, completely surrounding it, and encamping everywhere [near the city]. This was during the winter, on the tenth day of the month of Marer, when the duke of the city of Edessa was Basil, son of Alusianus (Alo'sian) the Bulghar king. When the citizens saw the incalculable host of the foreigners' troops, all the multitude of the believers in the city of Edessa were terrified, since the multitude of the sultan's troops covered the plains and the peaks of mountains. [36] The city trembled from the evil breath of the dragon and from that foul beast, for [the sultan] was a bloodthirsty man. [The Saljuqs] waited for eight days without fighting, while the city remained crazed and unprepared. Then one of the sultan's soldiers saw the carelessness of the citizens and contacted them [g72] secretly, saying: "Why are you acting like madmen? Strengthen your wall and saddle your horses!" Hearing this, they quickly began to strengthen the wall and fortified it with all security, and every man encouraged his fellow to war. Basil was the duke of the city, a valiant fighting man who began to fortify the entire city. When the sultan saw this he became enraged, ordered the war trumpets to sound, and ferociously turned to battle. Thus all the troops of the foreigners were stirred up, and completely surrounded the entire city of Edessa. That day a great and horrific battle occurred and the entire city filled up with arrows, while the ranks of the believers wept and lamented in prayers to God to free them from the wicked beast. The entire army of the House of Persia spent most of that day warring against Edessa, but they were unable to accomplish anything since the Lord had vanquished and disgraced them. After this [the sultan] erected catapults and other war machines and cut down all the [adjacent] gardens and vineyards using [this material] to fill in the city's moat. He also erected a wooden tower on ten carts to take the city of Edessa. But as soon as they moved the carts close to wall, suddenly the wooden tower collapsed. Meanwhile [the residents] had dug [a tunnel] beneath the river and emerged into the moat on the eastern side where they gathered up all the wood and took it back into the city, burning the remainder. Then the foreigners also began to dig seven tunnels under the moat to wreck the wall. But then the citizens dug opposite [the Saljuqs], capturing and killing the foreigners. The Lord strengthened the city against the foreigners. The sultan remained making ferocious battle against Edessa for fifty days, but was unable to accomplish anything. The sultan promised to give treasure and authority to whomever could remove a rock from [g73] the wall, so that he could take it back to Persia as a souvenier. Apusuar, the emir of Dwin, said to him: "Nearby is the altar of a church which no one has attacked." They tried but were unable to remove [a single] rock from the altar [of the church] of St. Sargis which stood to the east [of the city]. When the sultan saw this, he was mortified. Then Xore'sh, the senior emir of the Arabs, took the sultan and his troops and went against Aleppo, and the Edessans rejoiced. When Emperor Diogenes heard the news of this calamity, he roared like a lion and assembled all the Western troops: Bulghars, Patsinaks, Cappadocians, Bithynians, Cilicians, [and men from] Trapezond, Antioch and many other places. The next year 520 A.E. [1071] Diogenes came to Sebastia with an astonishingly large host, and Atom and Apusahl, sons of [the] kings [of Vaspurakan], came out before him. At that point the Byzantines began to slander the Armenian people and the residents of Sebastia in front of Emperor Diogenes, saying: "When Emir Ktrich attacked us, the Armenians slaughtered us more than the Turks did." And the emperor believed these lying words, claiming that when he returned [from fighting in] Persia, he would eliminate the Armenian people. [37] He then gave the city [of Sebastia] over to his troops for looting, and many died during this pillaging. [Diogenes] expelled the sons of the kings of the Armenians from his presence, and brought great mourning upon the city of Sebastia and all the Armenian people. Then King Gagik and the grandees of the city and Emir Ktrich, who [g74] had seized the curopalate, said to the emperor: "Don't listen to the lies of your own people. Those who have survived the war escaped through their aid." When the emperor heard this he made peace, but he still threatened to eliminate the Armenians. When all the [Armenian] monastics heard about this they invoked grievous curses upon him, as though [he were] Julian [the Apostate] so that he would not manage to return [from Persia]. Then Diogenes arose and went to Mantskert in the land of the Armenians and took it. He made fugitives of the troops of the sultan who were there, and slaughtered those he came upon. Now the sultan who had gone against [Aleppo] had managed to pierce the wall of Aleppo by hurling rocks at it, but was unable to accomplish anything [else]. When he heard about the coming of Diogenes to the East, he [started to go] back to his own land. He arrived at Edessa, where the duke [of that city] provided him with supplies. Taking these, [Alp-Arslan] went peacefully to Mt. Lesun, though in his haste to depart many of his horses perished. At this point a letter arrived for him from [Byzantine troops who were] traitors to Diogenes, asking: "Why are you fleeing? Most of the troops are on your side." When the sultan heard this he halted and sent to Diogenes requesting that they establish peace and harmony with each other. But the proud Diogenes did not agree. Quite the contrary, he became even more boastful. The traitors came to him and said: "Oh Emperor, there is no one who can withstand you. Yet your troops are now bothered by lack of victuals. Release them, brigade by brigade, so that they can survive [by foraging] until the battle begins." [Diogenes] heeded the wicked advice and sent Emir Ktrich [g75] to Constantinople, while he dispatched Tarxaniat with 30,000 men to go against Xlat', and sent 10,000 [troops] to Abkhazia. So, by such treachery, all his troops were scattered. The sultan was informed about all this and prepared his troops to battle against [Diogenes]. When Diogenes heard about this he organized his [remaining] troops and designated as their military commanders Xatap and Vasilak, valiant princes of the Armenians, and the battle began. In the ferocious combat which ensued, Xatap and Vasilak were killed, and the defeated Byzantine troops took to flight. Seeing this, Diogenes ordered all his troops to assemble, but no one heeded his summons, since those who had left him had already gone to Constantinople. And then Diogenes understood the treachery of his own people. The next day they prepared to battle at a place called Toghutap', close to Mantskert. Diogenes arranged the [Turkic] Uz and Pecheneg troops on his right and left flanks and arranged other troops in front and behind him. But once the battle had been joined, the Uz and Pecheneg troops passed to the sultan's side, and there was a frightful destruction of the Byzantine troops. [38] [The Saljuqs] also seized the emperor and numerous princes and led them before the sultan in fetters, and they loaded up with their spoil. But the sultan displayed affection and made an oath [of peace] between Persia and Byzantium, making the sultan and the emperor blood-brothers. Then he freed [g76] the emperor to return to his own land. [Diogenes] reached Sebastia where he heard that Ducas' son, Michael, had become emperor. At this, [some of] his troops fled while the remainder turned upon him. In terror [Diogenes] donned a monk's garb and went to see the military commander, who was Ducas' brother. He said: "Lo, I have become a cleric and will reside with the monks. Let Michael be your emperor, and may the Lord be with him." But Diogenes' impious people godlessly blinded him. When the sultan heard about this he wept and regretted it, and realized that God was not with that people. "Hereafter," he reasoned, "I will nullify that agreement which I made with them, and I will put all the Christians to the sword, showing them no mercy." Then again Sultan Alp-Arslan mustered troops and entered the land of Samarkand (Smrghnd), encamping near the fortress called Hama. The lord of the fortress [g77] was a brave, courageous man of Gut' nationality, but he had a cruel nature. The sultan summoned him to come forth in submission, but [the lord of Hama] requested patience for three days, after which he would do the sultan's bidding. For three days he ate and drank with his sons and wife in great joy, [accompanied by] minstrels and songs. At the end of the third day he arose in the night and killed his wife and sons with his own hand. Then he went to the sultan, having concealed a knife in his cloak. When he came near the sultan, he prostrated himself, then took out the knife and attacked him, striking him in three places. The sultan's attendants slew him at once, but the sultan died after five days [after] putting his son Malik-Shah (Melek'shah) in his office. Malik-Shah [1072-1092] was a good man, and kindly toward the Christians. He went to [sit on] the throne of his patrimony and made peace with the land of the Armenians.

In the year 521 A.E. [1072] an assembly was convened to end the conflict between the patriarchs of the Armenians, Lord Grigoris Vkayase'r and Lord Ge'org. Lord Grigoris had sent and taken the veil from the head of Lord Ge'org and deposed him from the throne of the kat'oghikosate. Hurt by this, Lord Ge'org went to Tarsus in Cilicia, to Gagik, son of Gurge'n, where he died and was buried by the gate of [the church of] the blessed Mother of God in that city. In the same year the impious prince Philaretus (Filar'tos) forcefully appeared, and began to war with [g78] the believers in Christ. For he was not confirmed in the true faith, neither Armenian nor Byzantine. He was of Armenian nationality and from the district of Hisn-Mansur where he grew up in a monastery [under the care of] a coarse monk. When he left the retreat [Philaretus] ruled over many fortresses and districts, and mercilessly ruined numerous princes. He came and encamped at Mshar and sent to T'or'nik, the lord of Sasun, summoning him to come to him in submission. [39] When T'or'nik, the son of Mushegh, heard about this he laughed at his stupidity and said: "Let me not see his filthy face." [Philaretus'] envoys replied: "If you do not come, he will come against you with many troops and ruin your district." T'or'nik responded: "I only have 1000 cavalrymen, but they do not resemble the cavalrymen of that impious [Philaretus], rather my forces are always taking communion. I will fight using them." As soon as [g79] Philaretus heard this he summoned the blessed patriarch Lord Grigoris Vkayase'r and said: "Go and summon your son-in-law, T'or'nik, so that he comes to me obediently. That blessed man of God, out of fear of the impious [Philaretus], went and related the reasons for his visit. T'or'nik was astonished at the insolence of that loathesome [Philaretus], that he was not ashamed to send as an envoy to him such a blessed man of God. As for [Lord Grigoris] he never returned [to Philaretus]. When the impious Philaretus confirmed that Tor'nik would not be responding to his summons, he went against T'or'nik with many troops. T'or'nik assembled 6000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry and descended to Chape"ghjur. Subsequently he sent back the infantry and went to Ashmushat with the others, since he did not believe that the impious [Philaretus] would in fact come. [The two sides] encountered one another in the plain of Aleluats'. There was a Frank count with 800 horsemen accompanying Philaretus. When T'or'nik saw them, he was sorry that he had sent back the infantry. But he commenced fighting and God aided T'or'nik. They seized the count and killed his troops and made Philaretus flee in disgrace to Kharberd (Xartberd). That same year T'or'nik came to a certain fortress called Ashmushat with few troops and [g80] unexpectedly, at Philaretus' command, a certain emir named Amr-P'ak'r (Amirfafr) came against him. [He came] not in battle, but instead treacherously started to establish friendship with him through deceptive oaths. Through many gifts he won over T'or'nik's servants and with three of them was able to trick T'or'nik into a false alliance. While they were drinking, the emir ran and flung himself like a beast on T'or'nik in order to kill him. Now T'or'nik had only a small dagger with him, and used it to slit the emir's stomach. He grabbed and cracked together the heads of the other [traitors] present there. In this way, without a weapon, he destroyed them, while he himself went off to his fortress unharmed. But a certain one of the foreigners had concealed himself on the road, and as soon as T'or'nik went by, he pierced his heart [with a spear]. T'or'nik fell down dead immediately. Taking his head they brought it to Philaretus who had it fashioned into a cup for drinking wine. As for the body, he had it burned in fire. [T'or'nik's friends] gathered the remains and buried them at the monastery of Glak, by the door of [the church of] St. Karapet [John the Baptist]. [T'or'nik] left two sons, Ch'ortuane'l and Vasak, who were still boys. Then the impious Philaretus sent to Grigorios Vkayase'r for him to come [and occupy] his [kat'oghikosal] throne. But he was afraid to go. [Philaretus] sent to him a second time, but Grigorios wrote to him to ordain in his place Lord Sargis, Lord Petros' sister's son. He sent the veil and [g81] the staff, but he himself did not go to him. When Philaretus realized that Grigoris would not return to his throne, he had Lord Sargis ordained as kat'oghikos of the Armenians in the district of Jahan, in the fortress called Honi. As for Lord Grigoris, he went to the capital city of Ani where he ordained as bishop his own sister's son, Lord Barsegh, son of Vasak, son of Apirat, son of Hasan. Subsequently [Barsegh] became kat'oghikos of the Armenians [Barsegh I Anets'i, 1105-1113].

[40] In the year 523 A.E. [1074] Lord Grigoris went to Constantinople and confirmed [in the faith] those Armenians he found there. Then he went to Rome and thence to Egypt where he visited the retreats where cenobites had isolated themselves in prayer [resembling] the blessed Fathers. Now the king of Egypt received him splendidly, as though an angel of God had come to him, and did not want him to leave his land, promising to increase the Armenian population there by 30,000. Lord Grigoris ordained as kat'oghikos of Egypt Lord Grigor, his sister's son who was adorned both with physical and spiritual beauty. Then he himself returned to the land of the Armenians, since his mother was living [there]. [These events] occurred [g82] during the reign over the Byzantines of Ducas' son, Michael. He was a good, merciful, God-loving man, who resembled the first emperors. At his order dahekans were minted which circulated throughout the land. He was emperor for four years, by the will of God. But the empress loathed him because of his saintly behavior, since he was reserved concerning physical desires. The empress was besotted with a prince named Botaniates (Vo'tianat) [Nicephorus III, Botaniates, 1078-1081], and incited him and all of Constantinople against Michael. But Michael did not oppose them. He merely publicly cursed the empress. Michael left the imperial throne and became a monk in a monastery, which had long been his desire.

In the year 525 A.E. [1076] Botaniates reigned, taking Michael's wife for himself in vile adultery. During this period the duke of the great [city of] Antioch was Prince Vasak Pahlawuni, son of Grigor Magistros. One day while passing down a street, two spearmen approached and prostrated themselves in front of him. They held out a letter for him, and as [Vasak] bent down to take it, they thrust a dagger into his eye and killed him. Thus was [g83] Vasak slain by these abominable men. All the troops assembled in the citadel of Antioch, summoned Philaretus, and gave Antioch into his hands. Then Philaretus assembled the traitors who were of Byzantine nationality, some 700 men, on the pretext of going somewhere [on a campaign]. Taking them to a village called Ap'shun, he put all of them to the sword, exacting vengeance on them for the blood of valiant Vasak. Then he tyrannized over Antioch. In the same period, the Armenian prince Pext, a brave man from the House of Shirak, was slain. The Byzantine emperor had tyrannized over him and had him baptized [according to the] Byzantine [confession], because of the great affection he had for him and because of his bravery. He had become ill in his fortress named Andriun. With him was a Byzantine monk who had been designated his father confessor by the emperor and who resided with him. But one day the impious monk went to Pexan who was alone and sleeping sweetly in his bed. Taking a pillow, [the monk] fell upon him and suffocated him. When his troops learned about his death, they took that monk and brutally tortured him and then hurled him down from the citadel where he died. Now Botaniates ruled as emperor for one year. He deeply regretted [his treatment of] Michael and was troubled in his mind about it. So he seated Melissenus (Melesianos) on the throne, and then he himself became a monk.

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