History of the Armenians
[161] Then Dmawund Vsemakan of the Kawosakan
tohm came with 900,000 troops, sent by king Shapuh of Iran
to come to the country of Armenia and make war. But
the troops of the country of Armenia were organized and prepared.
With Vasak as their general, they arose to war against [the Iranians].
The Iranian troops were defeated before them and turned to flight.
Vasak caught up, struck, destroyed and killed them such that no
one was spared. He killed Vsemakan among the troops, while the
dregs [of the fugitives] were chased beyond their boundaries
[g154].
Then came Vahrich [son of] Vahrich with
4,000,000 Iranian troops sent by king Shapuh to loot and destroy
the country of the troops of the Armenian kingdoms.
They arrived at a place called Maxazean. But then general Vasak,
with 40,000 [troops] rose against him. He struck and killed his
troops, killed Vahrich, destroying the Iranian troops and leaving
none of them alive. And he protected the borders of his country. [162]
Next came Gumand Shapuh, sent by Shapuh,
king of Iran (before whom he had boasted), with 900,000 [troops].
He reached the land of Armenia, having as a guide the notorious
Meruzhan of the Arcrunik' tohm, who was from the country
of Armenia. Finding the border-guards who protected Armenia's
boundaries negligent, [the Iranians] filled up and spread throughout
the entire country of Armenia, looting, demolishing, and ruining
the entire realm of Armenia. Then the general of
Armenia, Vasak, organized and prepared, reached and fell upon
the royal brigade. First he killed Gumand Shapuh. After this the Armenians spread
around, exterminating all the Iranian troops.
Only the malefactor, Meruzhan, escaped by a hairsbreadth, fleeing
on a horse to the country of Iran.
After all this Shapuh, the king of
Iran, mustered troops assembling countless, numberless troops,
resembling the sand by the seashore—well-armed men with spears
in hand, many troops, 4,000,000 of them. And the Iranian king
Shapuh sent Dehkan nahapet who was a tohm-member
by azg of the tohm of the generals of Armenia, [163]
that is, of the Mamikoneans to the country of Armenia against king Arshak of Armenia.
He arrived at the borders of the country
of Armenia. But [this time] the Armenians were in no way caught
napping; rather, they were organized and ready to wage war. General Vasak arose
before them with 70,000 [troops]. He struck and killed all the
Iranian trcops, including his own relative Dehkan nahapet, and expelled
before them all the fugitives on horseback. However, Meruzhan
Arcruni, who guided them, fled and survived [g156].
But once again Shapuh, the king of Iran,
mustered troops, arranging and preparing many troops of select
martial men, and countless elephants [and entrusted them to] Suren
Pahlaw who, in fact, was a relative of Arshak, the king of Armenia. Meruzhan
was their [164] guide. [Shapuh] dispatched [them] against [the Armenians].
But the general of Armenia, Vasak, came up before them with 30,000
troops, struck and killed Suren who was across from him, and destroyed
his troops. However, once again Meruzhan escaped.
After Suren, it was Vsemakan who came,
sent by king Shapuh of Iran to war against the country of Armenia.
He arrived with an immeasurable host and countless troops, having
Meruzhan as a guide. However the sparapet general of Armenia,
Vasak, was sent before him. [Vasak] struck and killed Apakan
Vsemakan with the troops, not sparing a single one of them. Only the malefactor Meruzhan fled [g157].
After this king Shapuh of Iran sent
his chief nuncio, Zik, to wage war in Armenia. Meruzhan was their guide. He assembled
battalions which in their number resembled the sands of the sea, and they came and reached the country of Armenia. But the general of [165] Armenia, Vasak, arose and
opposed him. He killed Zik and destroyed half of the troops, driving
the other half before him as fugitives. But on that occasion as
well they were unable to lay hold of Meruzhan.
After the death of Zik, the Iranian
Suren left king Shapuh of Iran with 600,000 [troops] to war against
king Arshak of Armenia. Meruzhan was his guide. Then Vasak, the
sparapet of Armenia, assembled all the troops of the naxarars.
At night he entered the entrenchment on foot with 10,000 very
select men bearing swords. They generally destroyed and killed the Iranian troops. They arrested the Iranian Suren and led him before king Arshak. [Arshak] ordered them to
slay him by lapidation. But Meruzhan survived, a fugitive [g158].
Then Hrewshoghum (who also was of the
same azg as the king of Armenia), a relative, came on king
Shapuh's word to war against Armenia, to fight the Armenians with
900,000 troops. But the [166] general of Arnenia, Vasak,
organized, arranged and prepared all the brigades of troops and
went against then in war. [The Armenians] drove then before themselves
as fugitives. Hrewshoghum and Meruzhan fled.
Then Aghanayozan who was a Pahlaw from
the Arsacid tohm boasted before king Shapuh of Iran, and came to the borders of
Armenia. But this was quickly learned by king Arshak of Armenia.
So he too organized his own troops [and] entrusted them to his
sparapet Vasak. Assembling all of the Armenian
naxarars with him, he came up in front of the Iranian troops.
He struck and destroyed generally, and drove the survivors as
fugitives to the country of Iran. And [the Armenians] guarded their borders
[g159].
After this the great Iranian naxarar
Boyekan reached Atrpatakan with 400,000 troops. They
wanted to raid the country of Armenia. But Vasak came before him
with his Hayastan brigade, and struck [167] all the Iranian troops, including
Boyekan, in T'awrezh. There [Vasak] burned down the king's mansion.
Finding there an image of the Iranian king, he used it as a target
and shot it full of arrows. Only Meruzhan, who had come with them, fled.
A certain one of the Iranian naxarars
named Vach'akan invaded the country of Armenia with 800,000 troops.
But the general of Armenia, Vasak, assembled all the Armenian
troops, left king Arshak in the secure fortress of Dariwnk', and
went with the Armenian troops to fall on Vach'akan's banak.
He killed Vach'akan and destroyed the Iranian banak. But
only Meruzhan, who had come as their guide, survived and fled,
with a few [others] [g160].
A certain one of the Iranian naxarars
named Mshkan came to fight king Arshak. But the general of Armenia,
Vasak, put the Armenian troops before him. With great ferocity
they fought each other. [168] The Hayastan brigade vanquished
the Iranian troops, sparing not a single one of them. They expressly
killed Mshkan, though Meruzhan fled.
Then a certain great naxarar
named Marichan [or, Mirichan/Maruchan, or Marich
anun] came to battle against the country of Armenia,
with 600,000 thousand troops which filled up the country. His guide was Meruzhan Arcruni.
Once again Vasak went off to fight, taking along all the troops of Armenia.
He struck and killed the Iranian troops, including Maruchan. Only
Meruzhan fled [g161].
A certain Zindakapet, a military commander
of the Iranian king's troops, reached the borders of Atrpatakan
with 900,000 troops. Anticipating it, the general of Armenia, Vasak, went in front of him. He fell on the Iranian entrenchment at night killing all of them in the banak,
including Zindakapet. Only the notorious Meruzhan slipped away
and survived.
Arshak's son, Pap, had been born of
P'aranjem Siwnik' (who had previously been Gnel's wife. King Arshak
killed him and took P'aranjem as his wife). When his mother bore
him, since she was an impious person and did not fear God, she gave
him to the dews as a gift. Many dews dwelled in the
lad and manipulated him according to their wishes. [Pap] was nourished
and grew up, and commited sins: adultery, the abomination of homosexuality,
sodomy, and disgusting lewdness, but especially homosexuality. Furthermore
he made others effeminate. Thus did he sully himself.
Now it happened that once his mother
realized his homosexuality and was unable to endure the infamous
pollution of his reputation, she told her son's chamberlain: "When
he seeks men for abomination, a practise he has fallen into, you
call me in." When the lad Pap had gotten into bed and requested
men for abomination, his mother [g162] entered and sat there in
front of her son. But the lad began to scream and lament, saying
to his mother: "Get up and get out, or if you do not go from
my house, I shall die, roast, be constricted, and [170] burst."
But the mother said: "I will not leave this house."
But [Pap] began to shout more and more and to multiply the laments.
Then the mother looked and saw with her own eyes that white snakes
had wrapped around the feet of the couch and were coiling around
the lad Pap while he was lying in bed lamenting and demanding
those lads with whom he used to have relations. Then the
mother knew and recalled that at birth she had dedicated her son
[to the dews] and she realized that it was they in the
appearance of snakes who were coiling around her son. She started
crying and said: "Woe is me, my little son, for you are in
anguish and I did not know it." She arose and left the place
so that he could fulfill the needs of his lust. So, manipulated
by dews, Pap the son of Arshak, committed such deeds all
the days of his life, while he reigned, and until his death.
After this king Shapuh of Iran assembled
his troops, some 400,000 [appointing] Sakstan anderjapet
as their military commander. [171] They went to the area of Armenia. They came
and fought with king Arshak of Armenia. Then all the grandee naxarars
of Armenia assembled in one place and consulted, for they would
never consent to permit king Arshak to enter battle along with
them. So Vasak the general, with all the grandees and naxarars
of all of Greater Armenia, [g163] struck at and killed all the
Iranian troops. He also killed Sakstan anderjapet. Only
Meruzhan Arcruni survived, as a fugitive.
Shapstan, the chief cup-bearer,
came against the land of Armenia with 500,000 [troops] and wanted
to enter the land. But the arranged and prepared brigade of troops
of the king of Armenia and Vasak, general of Armenia, came forth
and struck the Iranian troops. They struck and destroyed the Iranian
troops and killed Shapstan, the chief cup-bearer of the Iranians.
Only Meruzhan fled and survived.
Then the Mogac' [Mages'] anderjapet arrived
with 180,000 [troops] to war against king Arshak of Armenia. All
the troops of the country [172] assembled in one place, as did
Vasak, the general sparapet who was the dayeak of
Arshak, king of Armenia. Although they hurried as fast as they
could, they were barely able to reach [the Iranians] in Maghxazan.
There the two brigades clashed with each other. The Iranian troops
were defeated and went fleeing from the sight of general Vasak
and all the Armenian troops. There they killed the Mogac' anderjapet,
and exterminated the troops. However, only Meruzhan, mounted on
a tacik horse, fled [g164].
Then came the Iranian king's steward
(hambarakapet) with 900,000 [troops] to the district of
Korchek' to Saghamas. Having made an entrenchment in a secure
place, he wanted to fight with Arshak, king of Armenia. Then came
the general of Armenia with 10,000 select armed men. He laid an
ambuscade in the area of the banak and at night fell upon
the entrenchment, [The Armenians] fell upon them and did not spare
anyone. Only Meruzhan, who happened to be outside the brigade,
fled. [173]
A certain great military commander of
the Iranians [named] Mrhikan came with 400,000 [troops] to war
against king Arshak of Armenia. But the Armenian troops, together
with their general Vasak were defiant and attacked like ferocious lions. They killed the Iranian troops, including Mrhikan. But on this occasion too, Meruzhan fled [g165].
For thirty-four years the country of
Armenia did battle with the king of Iran, and after this both
sides grew weary, defeated, forsaken, and exhausted, And [the
naxarars] began to leave the banak of the Armenian
king; they abandoned their king, Arshak. The grandee nobility began this
departure. The first to rebell against king Arshak of Armenia
and to go before king Shapuh of Iran were:
the bdeashx of Aghjnik',
the Noshirakan bdeashx,
Mahkertan,
Nihorakan,
Dassentre',
and all the naxararut'iwn of
Aghjnik', and the force and the tun of [174] of the tohm
of the Aghjnik' area. They made a wall in a place called Joray,
they put in gates, and separated their land from the Armenians.
Then [the following individuals] and
those near and about them all rebelled from Arshak, king of Armenia,
and went before king Shapuh of Iran:
the bdeashx of Gugark',
the lord of the district of Koghb,
the lord of Gardmanajor.
[Also] rebelling from king Arshak of
Armenia were:
the secure district of Artsakh,
the secure district of Tmorik',
and the secure land of Korduk',
and then the lord of the district of
Korduk' went before the king of Iran.
[175] After this the personal principality
of the tun of the Armenian king, in the land of Atrpayakan
rebelled from the king of Armenia [g166], the Marac' land withdrew,
the Kazbic' land withdrew. Saghamut, lord of Anjit and with him the prince of Greater Cop'k', abandoned the king of Armenia and went to the Byzantine emperor.
Those remaining in the interior of the land wavered [in allegiance] to the king, did not want to heed him or do anything he wished. And the kingdom was greatly debased.
Vahan, brother of sparapet Vasak,
of the Mamikonean tohm, fell for the enticing words of
his nephew (sister's son), Meruzhan Arcruni. He too rebelled from
king Arshak of Armenia and went before Shapuh, king of Iran. He
complied with [Shapuh's] wishes and apostasized the Christianity
which he had held during his life, agreeing to revere the faith
of magianism, that is, to worship the fire, water, and sun, and
to apostasize the Christianity into which he had been born. He
complied with the king's wishes and furthermore increased the
accusational aggrevation against king Arshak of Armenia and against
his own tanuter Vasak. Recalling the death of Vardan, he
[176] remenbered: "He died because of you." Thereafter
Vahan became dear to king Shapuh who gave him his sister Ormizduxt
for a wife. He bestowed upon him barj and patiw
which had been theirs ancestrally, and the king made him his intimate son-in-law. He exalted him among his troops and promised to give him very great properties. After this, the number of Armenians began to decline.
Then people of all the land of the authority
of the Armenian kingdom assembled and came to the great archbishop
of Armenia, Nerses. [They were]:
the grandee naxarars,
lieutenants,
governors,
lords of districts,
officials,
and the dasapets of the shinakans.
[177] They assembled in one place and
began speaking with Nerses, saying: [g167] "You yourself
know, lord, that it is now thirty years that our king Arshak has
given us not one year's rest from warfare. We have wiped the sweat
from our brows with sword, sabre, dart, and lance tips. We are unable
to stand it anymore, nor are we able to fight anymore. It
is better that we leave [Arshak] and go to the king of Iran as
our comrades who are serving him, have done. We shall do this,
because we are unable to fight further. If king Arshak would fight
with Shapuh, let him fight with Vasak and with Andovk, his father-in-law.
But hereafter none of us from the land of Armenia will go to his
assistance. Let him fight or not as he feels the need; we are
leaving him and do not care."
Now the blessed Nerses spoke with them
as was necessary, saying: "Think well and remember the Lord's
commandment about unity, that servants should obey their lords.
You are all testifying that you will leave the Arsacid azg.
Because of them, some of you became lords of districts, some the
grandees of lands, some the lords of very senior awan villages
and treasures and of diverse dastakerts. Although the abominable azg
of the Arsacids is guilty [178] before God the Creator, nonetheless
they supported all of you and removed you from the garbage-heap
giving some work , some patiw, some authority, some office.
For although king Arshak is guilty before God and will have to pay interest [for his sins]
to his creator, and suffer vengance, nonetheless because
of God's abundant and unlimited love of humanity, He has spared
him, and because of him, you.
"You, lo, want to go and serve
the pagans, to lose your life in God, to reject your bnik
lords whom God gave you, to serve foreign lords [g168], and you
long for their godless religion. But it would be better for you
to love [God], accept and consent to Him and not to reject your
God-loving king. For though Arshak is extremely wicked, nonetheless
he is pious; though he is guilty, nonetheless he is your king.
You yourselves have said in my presence how many years it has
been that you have been fighting for yourselves, your souls, your
land, your women and children, and, what is principal, for
your churches, for the covenant of the faith which you have through
the name of Jesus Christ, and [you said] that the Lord has always
granted you the victory for His name. But now, in place of Christ
your creator, you want to serve the godless impieties of magianism
and to follow their clerics, abandoning our Creator and His commandments
that one must remain faithful to one's temporal lords [179] whom
He created. Perhaps the Lord God too will get angry at you and
uproot you, and betray you to the hand of the pagans so that you slavishly
serve them for eternity, and [perhaps He] will never remove the
yoke of servitude from you. And if you protest to the Lord, He
will not hear you, because you yourselves entered into the service
of pagan lords and godless, ignorant men, and so will be delivered
over to pagans and hard-hearted lords. Many many evils will arise
before you and you will be unable to escape."
But those who were assembled there raised
a clamor, shouted to each other, creating commotion and crowding
and saying: "Come on, let's go each to his own place, for
we cannot heed such words." And they all dispersed to their
own tuns [g169].
Then with great entreaties, gifts and
hrovartaks, Shapuh, the king of Iran, summoned Arshak to
him with affection so that thereafter they could make peace, great
friendship and affection between themselves. Now although king
Arshak wanted to make war, all of the troops of the land of Armenia
did not consent. So, willy-nilly, he took heart to send a hrovartak
in humility to Shapuh, king of Iran, as suited a servant to his
lord. And he sent him gifts of reconciliation.
Subsequently Shapuh, king of Iran, once
more sent to king Arshak of Armenia, saying: "If we are in
agreement with each other, come so we may see each other, and
henceforth let us be as father and son. But if you do not come
to see me, you are asking for [more] war between us." Now Arshak
requested from him a reliable vow with an oath, so that after
that he might go to him without suspicion. In accordance with
the reliable vow[ing procedure] of the Iranian kingdom, [Shapuh]
had brought to him salt, to seal with a signet-ring bearing a
wild boar, and he sent this [to Arshak, saying]: "If, after receivng
this oath you still do not come, then be prepared for war"
[g170].
Table of Contents Page for P'awstos
Return to Historical Sources Menu
Return to History Workshop Menu