But they were unable to discover the church door, since the Lord hid it from them. They started to strike about with mallets, [15] but did not find the door. Then terrified by dews ("supernatural spirits", "demons"), they fled the place, for it was nighttime. The bodies of the fallen saints remained unburied where they had fallen for 3 days, since everyone had fled. After 3 days the church attendants and abbot T'odik came and saw those who had died. They were overcome with grief and wept. Then they took the remains and buried them in the garden [i mej draxtin] on the south side, by the graves of Anton and Kronides who had come from Caesarea, following St. Gregory. They then erected a cross over them, and many healings were associated with that spot.

Now some people had come from prince Mushegh in order to learn about the [Iranian] troops. When they saw the destruction which had been wrought, they were stunned and swiftly went and informed prince Mushegh. When he heard about it, he remained silent as a corpse for 3 days. The troops gave him a letter [containing] the Christian laws and consolation, and they said:

"Oh blessed asparapet, righteous offspring of blessed hope, do not grieve for them. For their prayers will be a secure fortress for the land, intercessors and aid for us to God. You should thank God the more that in your lifetime those men achieved such virtue, and were peacefully translated to God with martyrs' deaths—from labor to tranquility, from a llfe of eating plants to the softness of Paradise. They shall always be intercessors [16] for us. But now be consoled and dispatch Mihran who has come against us."

"My son [g21] Vahan, you know that throughout the 120 years of my life I have been waglng war, wiping blood rather than sweat from my forehead with the blade, and [you know] that I personally have arranged and waged 83 battles. Now I am old and quavering. My helpers are God and you, and no one else. For my own son died at 12 years of age. Now, my son, remember this: if you die for the sake of Christianity and for the Church you will be a martyr, and if you fall in battle over material things, do it bravely. For I have no other heir. My country belongs to you and to your descendants after you. Now go and hunt [Mihran] wisely and may St. Karapet be your aid and buttress and may the prayers of the holy clerics be on all sides of you."

Now the soldiers who had slain the clerics went against Astghon stronghold and remained there for 2 days, but since they were unable to take it, they went to Mihran and revealed to him all the details regarding the lay of the stronghold. As soon as Vahan arrived [g22], Mihran requested Astghon from him, but Vahan replied:

"It should not be done that way, lord. Instead, give me 4,000 men so that I may go against the secure fortresses where [Mushegh's] close ones and treasures are kept. Perhaps if I am forceful, they will not surrender to me thinking me a rebel. Now let us first go to Oj ("Snake") city, then elsewhere."

Now when they had come to the gates of Morac', Vahan gave the citizens the Iranians' horses and clothing, summoned the people to the gates and advised them that as soon as the Iranians caught sight of them, they should head into the city together, sounding the trumpets of victory and leaving the gates open so that the Iranians would think that [their own side] had taken the city. And they did just that. When the Iranians saw people entering the city in a body they were delighted and they too began to enter. Now Vahan hastily came before the [Iranian] soldiers and gave them glad tidings, and sent 20 of the Iranian troops to take Mihran the good news that they had seized the city. Then he himself returned [to the city] with the Iranian troops. As soon as many of them had entered the city and [19] others were stlll entering, they began to get suspicious and wanted to turn back. Now Vahan followed and started to cut them down and throw them into the marsh. Vahan on one side, and the city's inhabitants on the other side, caused 40 men to drown in the marsh. Other [Iranians], trapped inside the city, were beheaded and their severed heads were ranged on the wall. And that day a count was made: 6,000 less 2 heads were discovered. [Vahan] ordered that all the noses and foreskins of the slain be cut off and thrown into pouch(es).

Then [Vahan] took his 700 men and came to Mush awan. He left 300 men at Meghu pass and 200 lancers at Ccmak in Sanasun [Two mss.: erku hariwr ayr ashtenawors i Sasanay c'eghen t'oghoyr i Cmakn. One ms.: i Sarasanay], while he came to Mihran with 200 men. He entered [Mihran's] chamber and spoke with him as follows: "I have come to you as a fugitive from your troops for they neither let me into the city nor would they give us our share of the booty. Instead, they detained my men in the city and I have come as a refugee." Now Mihran resolved to send 1,000 men against them, but Vahan said: "They have even rebelled against you, for after taking the booty and plunder from the city, they plan to pass over to the Byzantine side." At this Mihran became all the more angry and ordered that 2,000 men be sent against them. Vahan advised the troops not to ford Meghti river at night, but to encamp and cross the next day. "Perhaps," he said, "some enemy may [20] attack and you are unfamiliar with the terrain. Let 1,000 men go by way of Ccmak, and 1,000 by the plain." Giving them guide(s), and taking leave of Mihran, he went to put them on their way. As soon as they reached the spot where he had ordered them to separate [g24] he sent 100 men with the body going via Ccmak and he with 100 men went after them.

As soon as they reached the bank of the Meghti river, [Vahan] encamped his men so that they might sleep. Then he, preparing his trap, ordered [his] servant(s) to loose the horses for pasturing, and not to pay further attention to them. Then suddenly they sounded the trumpets before and behind [the Iranians], trapping them in the middle. In a few hours they had their heads, which they threw into the river. No one was able to escape. Then with the [slain Iranians'] horses before them, they passed on to Ccmak. While they had fought and won this battle and were advancing, yet before they had come to Ccmak, [Iranian troops] remained there encamped without a thought until [Vahan's men] came, for Vahan had so advised them. Seizing the bridgehead, a loud sound was given around them and [the Vahaneans] began to cut [the Iranians] down mercilessly. Now one [of the Iranians who] had hidden himself in the marsh, mounted a horse and fled toward Mush. Two men took off after him, and crushed his head on the other side of the river. His brains spilled out of his nostrils. The other man took up some [21] sand and, offerlng it [to the corpse] said: "Take this salt, Iranian cook." And thereafter that spot was called Arhaghe ("take the salt") until today. An awan was even built there. As for those whom Vahan had driven into the marsh, some were unable to get out, while others fell into the water and drowned. [Vahan's men] cut off and kept the noses and foreskins of those who fell on the land, throwing the heads into the marsh and onto the field. Then, rounding up 2,000 horses, [Vahan] had them led to Eghanc' fortress (which is still called Eghnut) [3 mss. Oghnuberd, Oghnut].

The next day, once again he came to Mihran. Vahan ordered his servants to prepare a meal and to call Mihran. Now the latter [g25] because of illness, had taken to his room and allowed only Vahan to come to him. Vahan was [pretending to be] the door man and he turned away those princes who arrived, saying: "The marzpan of Armenia was unable to attend dinner." So these men gathered in a tachar ("banquet", "hall") and soon were in their cups. Vahan took the pouch containing the noses and foreskins and brought it before [Mihran]. Now [Mihran] was horrified and exclaimed: "What is this? Tell me!" And [Vahan] accurately narrated the whole story, step by step, not concealing a single thing from him. [Mihran] became enraged, seized [22] a spear from his servant's hands and wanted to strike Vahan. But [Vahan] took the sword which was before him, cut off [Mihran's] foreskin, put it in [Mihran's] mouth and said: "So you're the one who insulted God and who had the pillars of the land, my clerics, slaughtered." Then he cut off [Mihran's] nose and showed it before his very eyes. He tore open [Mihran's] stomach, had the servant remove the liver and stick it in [Mihran's] mouth. Plunging the knife into the stomach, he left it in there, standing upright.

When he had only cut off the foreskin, he said: "Give me the password respected [banic' nish ew patuer] by the Iranians at Apahunik', and I shall let you live." [Mihran] gave him the respected password, said with numerous oaths which only the two men knew. As soon as he said it, taking the knife [Vahan] plunged it into his heart and he died there. [Vahan's] servants took and kept his bloody clothes, cleaned the floor of blood and positioned him in bed and covered him as though he were asleep. Then [Vahan] himself summoned to the room Mihran's Iranian secretary [dpir] and bade him write greetings and the password [to the general at Apahunik', to the effect that] after 3 days the latter should mount the hill above Kot' valley with only [23] 1,000 men so that they might see each other. The secretary wrote as Vahan said. He stamped the letter with Mihran's seal-ring and called out 10 of Mihran's loyal servants, giving them the letter [g26] to take to Varshir who had 1,000 men with him, and was in Apahunik'. Taking the letter, [the messengers] departed. Now Vahan called [Mihran's] nuncio and told him: "Go summon such and such prince." And he did so. When the prince came and entered the darkened street, there were only 6 men about here and there. While he wished to enter Mihran's room, they quickly seized the trumpets so that no sound would be broadcast to the others. They stabbed a knife into his heart and threw the corpse into the other room where the nuncio and the secretary had been put in jail on pretexts.

[Vahan] himself began to summon the princes to council, and so took them by deceit. On that day he killed 86 princes. As soon as he had finished with the princes he went into the tachar where the [Iranian] troops were. He assembled these men inside, taking outside his own people and people from other districts. Then he started to expose them saying: "Was it proper for you to rob the pearl-adorned crown of the marzpan?" Then he ordered them all to strip to see [24] [whether they had stolen anything]. Removing all the clothes, he shut [the Iranians] up inside the tachar. In another [tachar he detained] 1,903 men. Shutting the doors of the tachars, he had the head of Mihran brought and hung in front of the open window. Showing it to them he said: "Here is the head which thought to demolish the blessed [church of] Karapet and to burn the clerics to death." Then he ordered both tachars burned and said to [the Iranians]: "You bother me for forcing [me] to have the tachars burned. But if God and St. Karapet wish it, I shall leave this wood to atone. But I will behead you and your king. For I labor to build, and you are naked and chilled. But burn for the remission of my [g27] sins and for those of my fathers, and be not ashamed; and let these houses be your tombs, thanks to the Iranian king."

The flame was whipped up with oil until the city was intoxicated with the smell of their burning flesh. Then [Vahan], gathering up [the Iranians'] loot and treasures had them taken to secure Oghkan. And he had prince Mushegh conducted to the city. [Vahan], taking along 3,000 men, went before Vashir. He went up on a mountain, laid traps in 3 places , and then sent to Vashir the secretary and the [25] nuncio. They went and called him, for he had encamped on the bank of Ciay Sea. However, the nuncio and the secretary did not know what had transpired since Vahan had not allowed them to approach the troops but they had come along afterwards, separately. When he burned the tachar(s), on a pretext he had sent them elsewhere so that they would not know what had happened. When [Vashir] saw the clothing worn by the princes, he thought that the troops were Mihran's. Now when [the emissaries] went and related Vahan's words as if from Mihran, Vashir took along 1,100 soldiers and came onto the mountain. When they neared the spot, Vashir left 100 men in a remote place, should other enemies appear. He then came to Vahan and entered his tent, thinking he would see Mihran. As soon as Vahan saw him he said: "Vashir, whatever were you planning? You wanted to change the land of Armenia to the faith of the Iranians. And [Vahan] ordered the doorman to keep the troops detained far off, and he beat Vashir severely until he got from him the password for summoning the troops. [Vashir], compelled by his pains, gave the password to the troop commander and the princes to come to where he was immediately. [Vahan] had the Iranian secretary write a letter and he bribed him to write it in such a way that the troops would come the next day. "For," [he claimed],"the Byzantines are coming against us." He also used the seal-ring of Vashir and [sent] a letter to that detachment encamped [26] at a distance. He ordered the troops to return, had the princes [g28] summoned one at a time, and cut off their heads. And the other soldiers did not know what was happening until a certain prince fled and returned to his camp.

When Vahan learned that his activities had become known, he informed those men who were waiting in the ambuscade. They came up from the rear and made [the Iranians] flee to the fortress side of Kot' valley. Those at the back of the ambuscade rose up. Then the men of the fortress came out against [the enemy] with rocks and stones and mercilessly cut them down. One hundred men fled to Apahunik'. When the ambushers saw this, they fell on them and seized them. The next day, the other Iranian force started to arrive on the hill at the same place. Vahan went before them and had them encamp, saying: "Leave your horses to pasture until evening and in the evening we shall descend upon the Byzantine troops in the plain." [The Iranians] consented and did as he urged. Suddenly the ambushers came and cut loose the troops' horses. They made them flee across the Aracani and brought them out to K'ark'e. When the Iranian soldiers saw what had happened, they cried out in unison: "Vay, woe to us, we are lost." And the name of that place was called K'ori ("Lost").

[27] Now Vahan took troops and sent them down into the valley itself [or: "made them encamp in the valley]. The ambushers sprang out here and there, and trapping [the enemy] in their midst cut them down, not pitying anyone. And [Vahan] ordered that 40 men be spared to inform the Iranian king of what had happened. He had the head of Mihran taken to the Iranian king with this message: "As soon as this marzpan came to our country and when, with the troops at odds, they sought to raise a brigade, they were unable to do it. Now since the Byzantines are our enemies, we did not dare to go to them and we scowled at you, while there was no brigade of your soldiers. So [g29] we cut off that head and played with it. Now we have heard that you have come from Sahastan to Bostr city where the land is flat and like a meadow. I know that you play polo. Take then the head of your nephew (sister's son) and let it serve as a [polo] ball from generation to generation." When the 40 men took Mihran's head to king Xosrov, he became agitated and unsettled and flushed with eternal shame. Yet the next year, swaggering once again, [Xosrov] sent other troops.

That very year the [church of] St. Karapet, which was located at Innakneann collapsed because there was a very severe earthquake causing the houses below/south of [the church] to crumble. Now the [28] church (since its foundation was on the [earthquake line]) moved and cracked. The prince of Taron, Mushegh, gave much treasure and ordered stone masons to [re]build it. However, they were unable to build it in a fitting manner, since the Iranian troops were harassing them. That very year Mushegh [re]built St. Karapet and then died. He is buried by the Arcrunid prince on the eastern side.

After the passing of Mushegh, Vahan sat on the throne of his principality as prince of the Mamikonean tun. With many priests and 20 bishops they held a feast of rejoicing at the places which had been spared which were hallowed to the faith, at [the church of] St. Karapet and in the monastery of the bishop of Glak. [Vahan] liberated and gave to the Church 18 villages, erasing their names from the royal diwan.

That same year the abbot of Glak monastery, the venerable T'odik, died. He is buried in the same place, called Hayrblur, to the right of the church on the northeastern side. On the abbot's throne [as successor] sat the lad Step'annos, son of the Arcrunid prince, whose mother had been struck down. [Step'annos'] parents are buried at the same monastery. [Step'annos] effected many improvements in the district of Taron [g30]. For they held him superior to a bishop, since he was abbot of [29] a monastery and had under his control 398 clerics. He was so virtuous that everyone considered him to resemble Yovannes Karapet (John the Baptist).

[Step'annos] requested of St. Karapet that the mouths of beasts which were attacking the Church's luminaries be sealed. By his very modest conduct he reprimanded the prince of Hark' who had [for a wife] his brother's wife. [Step'annos] induced [the prince] to separate from the woman, to become a cleric, and to construct a church in T'il awan, Ekegheac' district.

Once again king Xosrov (bearing in mind the death of his sister's son Mihran) held a muster of soldiers to go against the Byzantines a second time. He sent his father's brother, Vaxtang, with 30,000 select men and horse. Now when the latter arrived in Apahunik district, he sent tax-collectcrs to Hark', Hasteank' and Taron. The gawarhapets then wrote [to Vaxtang], saying: "If Vahan will pay [taxes], we shall too. If not, you will leave here empty-handed." When Vaxtang heard this reply, he grew arrogant and insolent. He left a lieutenant [koghmnapet] in Apahunik', and all puffed up he came to the border of [30] Taron. He [re]built the great ruined city of Jiwnakert and changed the city's name to that of his wife (whom he brought with him) Porpes—that is, "savory'' [hamegh]. He planted vineyards and orchards and converted to an atrushan the cathedral which was founded by St. Sahak. On the Tawros mountain he built a stronghold and named it Garhar [g31], since some people had fallen off the mountain there, onto animals, thinking they were [being pursued] by cavalry. He changed the name of Gorhoz mountain to Grhgurh after his son, Grhegurh, and passed the summer days on it. He sent many gifts to Vahan and a letter with this import: