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Chapter
1
[1] Let us recall the fact that the Armenians, Georgians,
Aghbanians, Movkans, Herans, Leks, Kovkases and Egers had one father named
T'orgom, son of T'iras, son of Gamer, son of Japheth (Yabet'), son of Noah
[g7]. He was a brave, gigantic man. At the time of the destruction of the
Tower [of Babel]
and the division of tongues and the dispersion of mankind throughout the
world, [T'orgom] came and settled between the Masis and Aragats mountains. He
had many women; sons and daughters of his sons and daughters were born, and
he lived for six hundred years. But the country did not suffice for the
multitude of his folk. Therefore, they spread out and enlarged their
boundaries: from the Pontic sea to the sea
of Heret' and Kasp and by the mountains
of the Caucasus.
They selected eight of the bravest and most renowned of his
sons. First was Hayk, second K'art'los, third Bardos, fourth Movkan, fifth
Lekan, sixth Heros, seventh Kovkas, and eighth Egres. But Hayk was the
strongest and bravest. There was no one like him on earth, not
before the deluge nor after it, to the present. T'orgom divided his
land among them: half [2] [g8] he gave to Hayk and half to the sevens sons,
according to their merit. To K'art'los he gave the Tsmak land of the north,
[with borders] in the east by the Berdahoj river, in the west the Pontic sea
and from the Tsmak area by the Caucasus mountains,
by Klarj and Tayk' as far as Lexk' (Lixk'). To Bartos he gave [territory]
from the same Berdahoj river to the region of the Kur river to the sea where
the conjoined Erasx and Kur rivers enter it. First [Bartos] built the city
Partaw in his own name. [T'orgom] gave to Movkan [territory] from the Kur
river northward to the head of the Alazani [river] as far as the great sea.
And [Movkan] built Movkanet' city. He gave to Heros [land] from the head of
the Alazani as far as Lake
Mayroy which presently
is called Gaghgagha. He built a city at the confluence of the two rivers
calling it after his own name, Heret'. The place today is called Xorant'a.
[T'orgom] gave to Egros [territory extending] from the shore of the sea by
Lixk' as far as the western sea, by the Xazaret' river to where the sea
unites with the Caucasus. In his name he
built the city Egris, presently called Bedia. Now [lands extending] from mount Caucasus to the great Ghumek river
which were uninhabited, he gave to his two sons Kovkas and Lekan, by whose
names [these lands] have been called to the present. [3]
Hayk inherited half of the patrimony, with the stated
borders. He was prince of the seven brothers and stood in service to the
giant Nimrod (Nebrovt') who first ruled the entire world as king. Now after a
few years had passed, [g9] Hayk assembled his brothers and said to them:
"Hear me, my brothers. Behold, God has given us might and many people.
Now, for the mercy upon us, let us not serve a foreigner but rather the true
God." All consented. Rebelling, they did not provide the tax and brought
over to their side the surrounding peoples. When Nimrod heard about this he
was angered, assembled a multitude of many giants and rabble, set out against
them and came to the Atrpatakan land. Hayk was with his people by the foot of
[mount] Masis. Nimrod dispatched sixty giants with a great multitude. [The
two sides] clashed with each other with a fearsome intense crash like the
sound of thunder clouds. There were countless, incalculable numbers slain on
both sides. Hayk stood at the rear of his people encouraging steadfastness.
Like lightning, he himself raided around and felled the last of those sixty
giants and their troops. He and the seven brothers remained safe by the grace
of God, and they glorified their omnipotent savior. When Nimrod learned about
what had happened, he became extremely agitated and he himself went against
Hayk. But Hayk, not having as many soldiers as [Nimrod], fortified himself
into the rough places of the Masis valleys. Nimrod was heavily armored with
iron, from head to foot. He ascended the crest of a hill and summoned Hayk to
[return to] his former [4] obedience. But Hayk did not respond to him rather,
he said to his brothers: "Cover me from the rear and I shall descend to
Nimrod." He approached him and shot an arrow at
[Nimrod's] breast-plates, which went straight through to the other
side. Turning about he expired forthwith and his entire army fell; and the
House of T'orgom reposed without a care. Then Hayk ruled his brothers and all
the neighboring peoples as king. [g10] Now K'art'los went to the mountain
called Amraz and built there his home and fortress; and his entire land from
Xunan to the sea
of Sper was called
K'art'li after him. He constructed Orbet', now called Shamshoylte and the
brick-built fortress Ghunan. After living many years, he died leaving five
brave sons: Mts'xet'os, Gardbos, Kaxos, Koghk'is and Gajis. Mts'xet'os was
their senior. He buried his father at the head of K'art'l(i),
the mountain Armaz. The wife of K'art'los built Mayraberd [Mother-Fortress,
Dedats'ixe] and the city called Risha which is Partizak'aghak' [Garden City,
Postan-kalalki: Rust'aw] and divided the entire land among her five sons.
Gajeos built Gajen city, Kaxos built Ch'elt' and Kaxet', and Mts'xet'os built
the city of Mts'xet'a and ruled [his] four brothers. [Mts'xet'os] had three
[5] renowned sons: Op'los, Odzrxos and Jawaxos to whom he gave the country of
his inheritance. Odzrxos built two fortress-cities, Odzrxe and T'uxrsi.
Jawaxos built two towns with fortresses, Tsanda and Artahan, which was
formerly known as K'ajats' k'aghak' (City of Braves). Up'los built Up'lists'ixe, Urbnis
and Kasb. As far as the gate of Tayk' this lot was called Lower K'art'li. The
T'orgomeans built fortresses out of fear of the Nimrodians, who harassed them
to exact blood vengeance for their ancestor Nimrod. But until Mts'xet'os'
death they were unable to conquer them because of their unity.
However, when Mts'xet'os died, all the Houses of K'art'li
came into discord with each other, [g11] for they did not want Up'los (whom
his father K'art'los had set up over the entire land) to rule them. And the
battle continued for a long time. For as soon as wise men made some little
peace among them, once again agitation would break out. During this period
the city of Mts'xet'a
expanded and was styled the capital of K'art'li. The prince who resided there
was called the tanuter [Georg. mamasaxlisi] of the entire
country. They placed upon him neither [the title of] king nor naxarar
(lord) nor any other title of honor. After this they forgot God their
creator, worshipped the sun, moon and the seven other stars, and they swore
by the grave of their father K'art'los.[6] [g12]
Chapter
2
At this time the Khazar people, having grown powerful,
fought with the Lek and Kovkas people. In their affliction, [the attacked]
requested of the six peoples comprising the House of T'orgom (who were then
dwelling in joy and peace) that they come and aid them. This they did
willingly and in a state of preparedness. They crossed mount Caucasus
and captured the country of the Khazars, thanks to Dutsuk, son of Tirit'is,
who had called upon them for assistance. Subsequently the Khazars assembled
again, chose a king, formed into a large army, and came through the Darband
Gate against the T'orgomeans. [They came] as far as the plain of Ararat and
Masis, and killed and enslaved, for they were a countless host. Remaining
were solely the Tsmak fortress-cities, Moxraberd, Xunan, Shamshoylte, Dabi
and Egris. [g13] The Khazars also discovered yet another gate called the
Darial. They commenced coming to raid the T'orgomeans and placed them under
taxation. The Khazar king gave the first Armenian and Georgian captives to
his son Uovbos, together with part of the Caucasus,
from the Ghamek river to the end of the mountain by the west. With his people
Uovbos built up his country called Oset'. Now a certain Derdzuk, a prominent
man among Kovkas' sons, went and fortified himself into the mountain's
defiles and paid taxes to the Khazar king. And he named [7] the place
Durdzket'. Now the same Khazar king gave to his cousin (father's brother's
son) a part of Lekan, from the Darband sea in the east as far as the river
west of Ek, also giving him captives from Aghbania and Movkan. And there he
built his dwelling place. A son of Lekan, a certain Xuzun, went to the
mountain caves and built the city Xuzunis after his own name. After the
passage of much time, all the peoples of the north became tributary to the
Khazars.
After this the people of Nimrod grew in the East and a man
named Abriton appeared among them. They say about him that by using sorcery
he bound in irons on the uninhabited mountain Rayis the prince of the snakes,
called Biwraspi, as is written in the book of the Iranians. He made many
peoples tributary, [g14] ruled Iran,
and dispatched his military commander--a descendent of Nimrod--to the country
of Iberia.
He came, destroyed cities and fortresses, killed those Khazars he found, and
ruled the country. He built Daruband by the seashore. It means "Closed
Gate." This Adarmos built Mts'xet'a with stones
mortared with lime, and started [constructing] the wall [extending] from
Amraz mountain to the Kur river. And prior to this, Iberia, which
is K'art'li, did not know the art of lime and stone. Now when Abriton was
dividing among his three sons [8] [the peoples] he had subjugated, he gave
the Iranians and the Iberians to one son named Iarederax. Adarmos lived as
prince of Iberia
for many years. After him his place was occupied by four chiefs. After this,
discord appeared among the sons of Abriton, and two brothers allied and slew
Ariadarex. Finding the time opportune, the Iberians, aided by the Ossetians,
killed the chief of the Iranians while he was diverting himself in the
country. They also killed others from his army, and remained unconcerned
about the Iranians. However the country of Aghbania and Heret' remained with Iran. After
this the king of Iran,
named K'ekapos, once more grew powerful. He came to Movkan and Heret' and
planned to enter Leket'. But the chief of the Lek was a relation of Xuzanix
and a sorcerer. By enchantment he blinded K'ekapos and his soldiers. They
turned back and thereupon their eyes were opened. Placing Iberia under
taxation, they departed. [g15]
At this time wondrous stories spread about concerning
Moses, the friend of God, that he had crossed through the Red Sea with the
twelve tribes, 60,000 strong, and was living in the wilderness of Sinai where
they ate bread which fell from Heaven--mana. When all the pagans heard this
they praised and blessed the God of Israel.[9]
In this period all of the T'orgomean peoples, united with
the Armenians, stood off from Iran,
fortifying cities and keeps. The embittered K'ekapos sent his commander,
P'araborot, aqainst the T'orgomeans with many troops. The Armenians and
Iberians went before them in Atrpatakan, and striking forth killed many of
them. P'araborot fled with a few men. Angered, K'ekapos dispatched his
grandson named K'ue Xosrov, son of Biuab the Fair (who was killed by the
Turks). The Armenians and Iberians were unable to resist him and generally
were trampled beneath his feet. [K'ue Xosrov] designated his officials and
built in Atrpatakan a house of prayer, after their faith, then returned to
his own country. He commenced fighting the Turks, who had slain his father.
Some men of the Turks--twenty-eight houses fled from him and came to the tanuter
of Mts'xet'a requesting [g16] of him a cave on the eastern slde of the city.
They walled this dwelling place of theirs and named it Sarakine, which means
Iron Mine. Since K'ue Xosrov was too preoccupied to concern himself with the
Armenians and Iberians, [the latter] gathered strength and killed the Iranian
prince and built fortresses.
In the same period there came to the country of Iberia some
fugitives from the Greeks, Syrians, and Khazars who were harassed by their
enemies. [The Iberians] accepted them to [10] aid themselves against the
Iranians. Also at that time came Jews who had escaped from Nebuchadnezzar
(Nabugodonosor), who had captured Jerusalem.
And they requested a place for worship from the tanuter of Mts'xet'a;
and he gave them [an area by] a stream on the Arag river called Zanaw, now
called Xerk. Up to this point the language of Iberia was Armenian. But then
[the Iberians] started to be changed by the peoples dwelling among them, and
there occurred a mixing up of everything, leading to that which is presently
called Georgian. Subsequently they elected a religion and a conduct more
immodest and indecent than all people's. For in
marriage they made no differentiation among [the same and related] lines,
they ate every creeping reptile, insect, and carrion, and had no graves.
Now after this, once more still another Iranian king named
Spandiar, son of Vashdapish, came against Armenia
and Iberia.
But when he reached Atrpatakan, he heard the bad tidings that the nation of
the Turks had killed his father's brother. He departed thence to T'urk'astan,
while Armenia and Iberia
relaxed. Following this, Spandiar's son Vahram (also called Artashesh), [g17]
ruled Iran
as king. He was stronger than all the [previous] kings of Iran. He took
Babylon and placed under taxation Asorestan, Greece
and Iberia.
[11] At that time six languages were spoken in Iberia:
Armenian, Khazar, Syriac, Hebrew, Greek, and the result of their commingling,
Georgian. [g18]
Chapter
3
Then there arose in the land of Macedonia Alexander
the Great, son of Nek'taneb the Egyptian, who conquered the three corners of
the world. Coming from the northwest, he passed through the east, entering
the Tsmak country, crossing mount Caucasus into the land of Iberia.
He was shocked by their indecent life style. [g19] He saw numerous
fortresses, and worked his troops for six months in taking them: Tsunda,
Xerdis, Undzerxe (built of Ladas rock), T'ughars on the Sper river, called
the Chorox, Urbnis, Kasb, Up'lists'ixe (called Lord's fortress), Mts'xet'a,
T'aghk'n (called Sarakina), Ts'ixedid (that is, Great fortress), the Jewish
section (t'agh) of Zawan, Rhisha, Mayraberd, Shamshulte, and Xunan, a
fortress on the Kur river. He encountered powerful fighters. [Alexander]
divided his army among all of them and himself
settled at the spot called Astagi. However, he did not battle with the
fortresses of T'ughars and Xunan, for they were impregnable. He besieged the
Sarakinites for twelve months, since they had insulted Alexander. Nor did he
conclude peace with them, [12] until it happened that [the besieged] dug a
soft cave through to the other side and all fled in the night to the Caucasus. However [Alexander] killed many there,
capturing women and innocent children down to the age of twelve. Then he set
up over the country a patrician, that is, a senior (awag), a
Macedonian man named Azon. He gave him 100,000 troops who were front-liners (p'rotitosik),
experienced men and wrestlers who had severely harassed the Greeks in their
own land. For this reason he had taken them far from there, entrusting them
to Azon. From their number Azon set up rulers throughout the entire country
of Iberia.
Alexander commanded Azon to honor the sun, moon and five stars, and to serve
one unseen God, creator of heaven and earth, and he legislated
the same for the whole country. For at that time there was no preaching of
truth.
Now Azon pulled down all
fortresses in the land of Iberia, leaving four fortresses [standing] at the
gates of Iberia,
and filling them with soldiers. He made tributary [g20] the Leks, Ossetians,
and Khazars and ruled all of Iberia
from the Heret' region and Berdahoj as far as the sea of Sper.
King Alexander subdued the world in twelve years. In the twelveth year he
liberated those hostages who had been with him in service. He divided his
principality among his four [13] relatives: to Antiochus who built Antioch he gave Asorestan; to Hromos, who built a city
in his own name, he gave the western Greeks to Biwzandos, who built Biwzand,
he gave Thrace, Biwt'ania,
and Iberia.
He wrote to Azon that he was to serve Biwzandos. He sent Ptolemy (Pghaton) to
Egypt, giving Alexandria to him. And
then [Alexander] himself died. Now after this Azon forgot the faith given by
Alexander and fashioned two idols out of silver, naming them Gats'im and
Gayim; and he worshipped them. He was a tyrannical, bloodthirsty man, and
served Biwzandos. Azon legislated for his own [people] that should any
Iberian be found possessing property, maturity and success, he should be
slain and his property confiscated. He turned away from the Greeks, killing
many of them. At that time they selected a man named P'arnawaz belonging to
the sons of Mts'xit', the son of an Iranian mother from Isfahan (Spahan). He was the son of the
sister of Samaros who had been tanuter of Mts'xet'a upon Alexander's
arrival and who had been killed. P'arnawaz was intelligent and a skilled
hunter. He became known to Azon. P'arnawaz' mother told him: "Don't
reveal yourself to Azon, rather take me to Isfahan to my brothers, and you shall live
with me." [14] However, P'arnawaz did not relish leaving his patrimony.
He had a dream in which he saw himself in a very narrow house, unsuccessfully
thinking about getting out. Suddenly a ray of sunlight came through the
window, encircled his waist and pulled him to the door. Upon emerging, he saw
the sun near him. He wiped off his sweat and annointed his face. Waking up,
he was astonished. Then he thought: "I shall go to Isfahan and it will be good for me."
He planned to leave. That same day he went hunting, alone. He spied a deer in
the ravine of Tiflis and shot it with an
arrow, and the deer fell into a hollow of the rock. [P'arnawaz] went after
it. The sun set and he remained there that night. Rain fell, mixed with snow,
and P'arnawaz sought shelter. He discovered an entrance long ago stopped up
with rocks, which had become dislodged. Opening [the entrance] he saw a large
cave filled with gold and silver treasures. In joy he recalled the dream. He
went and called his mother and two sisters. For fifteen days they unearthed
treasure and kept it in their possession in secret places here and there.
P'arnawaz sent to K'ujis, saying: "I have troops. If you wish I shall
come to you and we shall make a pledge in opposition to Azon and in expectation
of our victory." When K'ajis heard this, he was delighted and said:
"Come to me and from your assemblage [15] we shall have troops [to
fight] against Azon, and make Iberia
joyful. Furthermore the Greeks will aid us, since Azon rebelled from
them." [g22] P'arnawaz went to K'ajis with his family. [K'ajis] received
him joyfully and said to them: "You are from [the line of] the former tanuters
of Iberia
and you are suited for [wielding] the authority. Now you are lord and I, your
servant." At the same time they informed the Leks and Ossetes, and they
were extremely happy as [people] wearied of paying taxes to Azon. Assembling
together they came to them with a great multitude of cavalry. Similarly they
came from Egeria. When Azon heard about this, he too assembled his troops.
But 1000 men of his army, Greeks, separated and went over to P'arnawaz. Azon,
feeling unsure of the remaining troops, fled to the fortresses of Klarchet'.
Now P'arnawaz went to Mts'xet'a, took it and the four fortresses nearby,
[and] all Iberia
in one year's time. He dispatched ambassadors with many gifts to Antiochus,
and sought aid against the Greeks, and promised to serve him. Antiochus
accepted this proposal with joy, called him his son, sent him a crown, and
ordered the princes of Armenia
to help P'arnawaz [Pharnabazus/P'arnavaz I, king 299-234 B.C.]. Now when the
next year came, Azon united with the Greeks and assembled a multitude of
cavalry to go against P'arnawaz. [16] The latter also assembled his own men,
and an army from Antiochus came to him. He anticipated Azon at the city and
country of Artahan, then called the City of Braves, K'ajats'-K'aghak'. They joined
battle, and Azon was defeated, dying on the spot. The Greek troops joined
them. Then P'arnawaz went to the area of the Greeks, captured Andzi, Andzura
and Elekats'is, returned to Klarchet', took it, and came to Mts'xet'a in great joy. He captured all of Azon's treasure
and became extremely great. He gave one of his sisters in marriage to the
king of the Ossetians, and the other [sister] to K'ujis. And he gave him
[lands] stretching from Gerojur to Ewrian, from midsea (mijatsoven) to
the great mountain below which are the Egerats'ik' and Sonk'. And [P'arnawaz]
was untroubled by enemies. And K'ujis built K'uji fortress. [g23]
P'arnawaz designated one sparapet
[commander-in-chief of the army] and eight officials: one in Lex where he
built two fortresses, Sharan and Dimots'; the second he sent to Kaxet'; the
third to [the area] stretching from Berdahaj to Tiflis, and K'ajenk' which is
Dardaban; the fourth he sent to Shamshoylte and gave him [territory] from
Skakuret' to Tashir and Apots'k'; the fifth he sent to Tsunda, from P'arawna
to the head of the Kur river, which is Jawaxet' and to Artahan; the sixth he
sent to Unjerxis giving him Tayk' [17] to Arsian and from the head of Ostan
to the sea; he sent the eighth to K'uchaet' and Eger. He set up a sparapet
at Tiflis and from Arago river to the border
of Tayk', which is Lower K'art'li. All paid taxes and were obedient to the
kingdom. They married P'arnawaz to Durtska from the line of Kovkas. The land
was patterned after regulations of the Iranian kingdom. The Greeks did not
oppose this since they were occupied with the Romans. P'arnawaz walled the
city of Mts'xet'a
as well as those fortresses destroyed by Alexander. [P'arnawaz] had fashioned
a large idol named after himself, that is, Armaz.
For in Persian they called P'arnawaz Armaz. He erected this idol at the head
of K'art'los and until today the mountain is called Armaz. He was twenty-seven
years old at his accession, he ruled sixty-five years peacefully and happily;
and he served king Antiochus. He spent fall and spring in Mts'xet'a city,
summer in Jawaxet', winter in Ganch'enk' and in season he entered Klarjk' and
Eger
concerned about the welfare of the lands, for he was a sagacious,
and learned man. He divided up among the districts of Iberia those
thousand men who had come to him from Azon, [g24] naming them
Azonians and doing well by them. All Iberia offered sacrifices to
[his] image: "[He is the] satisfaction of our hope, for we have a king
from the line of K'art'los our ancestor." P'arnawaz had a son whom he
named Sayurmak. P'arnawaz was [18] the first king from the line of K'art'los.
It was he who ordered the entire country to speak Georgian. He died and was
buried before his idol Armaz.
His son became king the same year. But the princes of Iberia
planned to kill Sayurmak [Sauromaces/ Saurmag I 234-159 B.C.] so that they
not serve one of their own people, rather a foreigner. [They planned] that
someone should cut off his head. However Saurmag found out about this. He
took his mother and went to her brothers at Durdzuket'. Now the troops called
Azonians went to him out of gratitude to his father. He called to him in aid
the Ossetian king and went and easily mastered the country. [Saurmag] killed
his enemies, pardoning some, and he elevated the Azonians and demoted the
Iberians. He then took half the people of Kovkas--who had multiplied--and
settled them at Mt'shulet', which is Suanet'. From their number he made naxarars
(lords), calling them loyal. He had four idols fashioned, Ardzinina and
Danana on the Mts'xet'a road. And he married the daughter of the prince of
Partaw, of Iranian nationality. Two daughters were born to him; one he gave
to his Iranian wife's cousin (mother's sister's son) Mruan and called him his
son; the other [daughter] he gave to K'ajis' son who was his father's
sister's son. Saurmag lived for many years and then died.[19] [g25]
Chapter
4
Mruan [Mirvan I, Meribanes 159-109
B.C.], a wise, brave and personally handsome man, ruled as king in
[Saurmag's] place. Now the Durtsukets'ik', having forgotten their oath , came forth united with the Ch'art'aghk' with
inhabitants of Kovkas, and they captured Kaxet' and Bazalet'. Then Mirvan
assembled the cavalry and infantry of those loyal to him and went against the
Durtske. A difficult battle ensued. The Durtsukets'ik' were defeated [with
the king]. Mirvan entered the country, took Durtsuk', Chart'al, the Krazm
gate which is there by Darbal, and happily [g26] came to Mts'xet'a.
Antiochus, the king of Syria
and Babylon, died; in Armenia,
Arbak ruled as king. Mirvan gave his daughter to the son of Arbak and then he
himself died.
[Mirvan's] son, P'aranjum [P'arnajom, 109-90 B.C.], then
ruled [Iberia]
as king. It was he who built the fortress Aden
and erected an image at Aden, and likewise
built the city of Nerkres
in Kaxet'ia. After this he elevated the mages of Iranian faith, built a place
for them, presently called Mogt'a (House of the Mages) and established a
fire-temple. The Iberians were angered. They asked Arbak (Varbak) [20] king
of Armenia,
to give them his son as king, "for," they said, "our king has
become an Iranian and forgotten the faith of our mothers and worships [his]
patrimonial religion." The king of Armenia happily sent the
emissaries back. But P'arnajom had heard about this. He got troops from the
Iranians and wherever else he was able, assembled them, and arose against the
king of Armenia.
With Armenians and Iberians [in his army], Varbak battled with P'arnajom in
the Tashir district, killing him and totally destroying his army. His
established his son Artak--who was married to Mirvan's daughter--as king of Iberia. His
reign was successful. He built numerous strongholds and fortified the walls
of the city of Tsunda
in Jawaxet'. Thus, having reigned with success, he died. [g27]
His son, Artak [Artoces/Artog, 78-63 B.C.], ruled over the
Iberians as king for two years. In his day the Iranians came to avenge the blood
of P'arnajom. However, because of their multitude, Artog was unable to
encounter them; rather, he secured himself against them. Whomever [the
Iranians] found in open places, they took, and departed.
After Artog his son, Barton [Pharnabazus II/Bartom, 63-30
B.C.], ruled. Now P'arnajom's son, who had been nourished in [21] Iran, took
[Iranian] auxiliaries and came against Bartom. He sent a message to the
Iberian princes to stand away from Bartom. But they did not heed him. Instead
they fought for a month under Mruan [Mirvan II] near Xunan. But they were
defeated and Bartom died in battle. He had no son, only one daughter whom he
had married to a descendant of K'ujis so that there would be an heir for his
kingdom. And he did this to please the Iberians who did not want the reign of
a foreign people but only of the Pharnabazids. However [the would-be heir],
named K'art'am, was likewise slain in the same battle. Now his wife, Bartom's
daughter, being pregnant, went to Armenia and bore a son, naming
him Adrik. Mirvan entered Iberia,
mastered the entire land, violently subdued those fortified in keeps, and
brought [resisters] out of impregnable places by oaths. He removed Bartom's
wife (the daughter of the Arbakunis) from Shamshute, and married her. He had
a son whom he named Arbak. After Mirvan lived a few years, he died and his
son Arbak [Artaxias/Arsaces/ Arshak II, 20B.C. - 1 A.D.] reigned.
Now Adrik, who had been nourished in Armenia, was a personable man, and one
successful in the wars [occurring] between Armenia
and Syria,
slaying many of the Mumberiz among them. Taking Armenian troops, he battled
with Arshak in the T'reghk' country, which is Tsaghikk'. Fighting for an [22]
[g28] entire day using swords, they crushed [the Iberians]; and none of them
turned back. They rested that night, but the next day they fought with iron
clubs, raining down blows like a blacksmith striking the anvil. But they did
not part from each other [content] with that. So taking up bows, they shot at
each other with arrows. Adrik struck the breast of Arshak with an arrow and
killed him, his mother's brother. The Iberians took to flight. Beseeching the
Armenians, Adrik prevented [them] from killing Iberians, saying: "From
now on, thanks to you, I am their king." All the Iberian troops fell to
the ground and revered Adrik [Pharasmanes I/Aderk, 1-58 A.D.] and placed
Arshak's crown on his head; and the Armenians, Iberians, and Aghbanians were
one. [Aderk] was thirty years of age at his accession and ruled the Iberians
as king for forty-five years, marrying the daughter of the Armenian king.
In the first year of [Aderk's] reign, Jesus Christ was born
in Bethlehem, Judea.
News came to the Jews of Mts'xet'a that kings had
come from Iran and
captured Jerusalem;
and the Jews mourned. But after two years they heard that [those kings] had
not come to capture Jerusalem
but to bring gifts to a child born of a virgin; and they rejoiced
exceedingly. Thirty years later emissaries came to the northeast [saying
that][23] the child to whom the mages had given gifts, having come to full
maturity, preached that he was the son of God. "Now," they said,
"whoever of our people are wise and learned in our faith, let them come
forth and go [to find out about] this matter." Having heard this, Elios
of Mts'xet'a [and] Lunkinos Karsnets'i went. They arrived on the day of the
great Friday of the Lord's torment. And they brought back to Mts'xet'a the Lord's robe. [g29]
In the days of this same king Aderk, two of the Twelve
Apostles, Andrew and Simon the Caananite, came to Abkhazia and Eger. Saint Simon was
martyred in the city of Nikop's
on the Greek border. Saint Andrew, having converted Eger, went on to Klarjk'. When Aderk heard
of this, he grew angry. He sent and turned Eger from that [faith] back to the idols.
And they hid the Cross and the image of the Cross. The ostikan of
Klarjk' was blamed for peacefully setting Andrew free.
In these times the Iranians rebelled from the Macedonians
and set up the learned Azhia as their king. Aderk crowned his two sons,
dividing the country between them: to Bartom (Bartos) he gave K'art'li with
many borders, and to K'art'am (K'art'aman) he gave [territories] from Xunan
to Klarjet'. Then he died. During the reign of these [two sons], Spasianos
Caesar [Vespasian, 69-79 A.D.] of Rome
captured Jerusalem.[24] Thence came Jews as
fugitives and they joined the first Jews of Mts'xet'a. Among them were the
sons of Barabbas the robber whom the Jews had requested from Pilate in place
of our Lord. Bartom and K'art'am were obedient to
the kings of Armenia,
[a practise which had] commenced with Aderk. Furthermore the kings of Armaz
aided the Armenians against their enemies, doing battle with them. [g30]
Chapter
5
Subsequently Eruand ruled Armenia
and took [territory] from the Iberians: Artahan to the Kur river and the city
of Tsonda.
And he settled devil-speaking (diwaxos) men there, and named it
K'ajatun [Home of the Braves]. The Iberian kings P'arsman and Kaos (Kayos)
died sadly. Now Smbat Biwrat killed Eruand and enthroned his brother Artaban.
[g31]
Then Azork (Azuk) and Armazel (Azmayer), the kings of Iberia,
called on the two brothers Bazuk and Anbazuk, kings of the Leks and
Ossetians, for aid. And they gathered with them the Pachanik', Jikk',
Durdzukk' and Didok'. The entire' Iberian army assembled at one place and
unexpectedly entered the land
of Armenia while it was
unprepared. They captured Shirak and Vanand as far as Basen, then turned to the plain [25] of Naxjawan taking much
booty. They passed through the P'arisos Gate and hurriedly crossed the Kur
river. Then, going to Kambech, they encamped on the Iori river. Smbat
assembled the Armenian army and went after them, as far as the Kur river. He
[g32] dispatched emissaries, saying to them: "You are forgiven for those
Armenians you have slain, and you may keep the loot and booty taken, but
return the living captives you have." However [the Iberians] having
grown arrogant, replied very sternly to him, saying that they were coming
against [the Armenians] to capture [Smbat] as well. When Smbat heard this he
crossed the Kur river and went against them like a lion. The Ossetian king
Bazuk wanted single combat with [Smbat], and died at his hands--the spear
penetrating through his breast a cubit's length. His brother Anbazuk went
against [Smbat], but he too was struck by the spear and fell dead. [Smbat]
said: "Let this be revenge for the Armenian women and innocent children
you killed." Then both armies clashed in a frightful way and until
evening countless [soldiers] fell on both sides. The defeated northerners
fled, and the Armenian army mercilessly cut them down until very few were
left; [the survivors] were saved by the night. Both Iberian kings, wounded,
escaped to Mts'xet'a. Smbat successfully entered K'art'li and destroyed the
country. He built the fortress of Samts'xe in the Undzerxe country and left
there auxiliary Tsunda troops which had submitted to him.
[26] Now the Iberian kings Azork and Armazel, taking the
Ossetians along, struck the Armenian country by the Nuste river and by the
Parxar [mountains], that is, Tayk', and also by the Ashots' road. Then
Artaban, king of Armenia,
went against Iberia
and besieged Mts'xet'a for five months, pulling the
land apart until they beseeched him for reconciliation so that the Iberians
and Ossetians would serve them [the Armenians]. [Artaban] heeded them, set taxes, and then the Armenian king departed and
assaulted the Greeks and Iranians. [g33] Left alone, the Iberians and
Ossetians commenced raiding Armenia.
Artaban sent his son Zareh against them with few troops. Having gone, [Zareh]
was captured by them like a child, at a place called lake Ts'ilx.
The Ossetians wanted to kill him to avenge the blood of their kings, but the
Iberians prevented this so that by means of [Zareh] they might regain the their territories which the Armenians had taken. So
they imprisoned him at Dalara. Now the Armenians did nothing for three years,
but then Smbat went to the T'reghk' country with the king's sons, Artawaz and
Tigran, and the entire Armenian army. The Iberian kings fortified themselves
and left the country and requested peace, giving them the king's son as a
surety. They promised the following service: "to use money struck in the
language and name of [your] Armenian king, and should an enemy come against you,
both of us Iberian kings will live [27] and die [aiding] you; and should you
go to war against another people, ten thousand armed Iberians shall accompany
you." The Armenians agreed to this and returned to the Iberians those
territories they had taken: Tsunda, Dmuis, Jawaxet' and Artahan. And the
Armenians, Iberians and Ossetians became one nation. [g34]
Chapter
6
The above-mentioned kings died. Hamazasp ruled at Armaz and
Derok in K'art'li. After them P'arsman [Pharasmanes/ P'arsman II the Good,
116-132] and Mihrdat [ruled]. This Mihrdat married an Iranian woman of the
royal line. At the urging of the Iranians, he grew to hate P'arsman of Armaz
and plotted to kill him while in his cups in his own home. When P'arsman
learned about this he did not go to [answer Mihrdat's] summons. The affair
was exposed and the two became enemies. P'arsman was a good man, handsome of
looks and stature, merciful, wise and as brave a warrior as an incorporeal
[hero]. All the Iberians liked him and loathed Mihrdat. As a result of this,
the latter fled to Iran
and P'arsman set up in his place an intrepid man, named P'arnawaz, his own sparapet,
milk-brother, and age-peer. Mihrdat took Iranian [troops] and came against
P'arsman. P'arsman, taking Armenian troops, went before him at Hrinsi Xeri,
which is [28] Iron
Valley. Iranian
single-combatants requested [combat with] P'arsman and his sparapet.
P'arsman killed seventeen men and the sparapet, [g35] twenty-three.
Then a truly gigantic Iranian, named Jiwansher, sought [combat with] P'arsman;
the latter went against him, delightedly. The battle between them lasted for
many hours and resembled the thundering of clouds. But the handsome, mighty
P'arsman struck, felled, and killed that monstrous giant. Then he shouted to
the army: "Oh braves, oh sleeping lions, approach these sheep beaten by
the hail." Then the Armenian and Iberian troops mercilessly made carnage
of all the Iranians throughout the country. Mihrdat escaped to Iran. The
next year he came against P'arsman with an army twice as large, coming to
Mts'xet'a, which he besieged. Once again the Iranian champions sought [combat
with] P'arsman and his sparapet. P'arsman killed twelve of them, while
his sparapet killed sixteen men; attacking with sword, he crushed and
destroyed the multitude of them. Mihrdat fled to Iran. Then the brave P'arsman
himself, with Armenian power, destroyed and demolished Iran. [The
Iranians] made a stratagem and sent a destructive man (to whom they had given
poison) as an emigrant so that he would kill P'arsman unawares. He did so,
treacherously slaying the all-triumphant brave; and he made all of Iberia weep,
from the lowly to the grandees. P'arsman's sparapet, P'arnawaz, took
P'arsman's wife and son and went to Armenia. With their aid he set up
a district chief [29] [g36] at Armaz and in all of his
sector, people who remained loyal to P'arsman. Now Mihrdat, taking Iranian
[forces] came to Iberia
and took his sector. The king of Armenia, having been reconciled
with the Greeks, went against the Iranians and Mihrdat. He encountered them
on the Lex river, killed Mihrdat and the Iranian prince, and enthroned in
Iberia P'arsman's son, Admi [Radamistus/Adam, 132-35]. Radamistus lived for
three years and then died leaving an infant son. Through him P'arsman's wife
ruled Iberia.
After him, his grandson Hamazasp [Amazaspus/Amazasp II,
185-89] reigned, a brave and martial man. In his day
an Ossetian multitude very unexpectedly came through the Dualet'. For eight
days they encamped by the Lex river and rested. Then they went and besieged
the city of Mts'xet'a.
Now Amazasp, with 16,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry arose and battled them
from afar with arrows. He himself by the strength of [his] bow shot fifteen
of [their] select champions. The next day he felled an Ossetian man named
Xonaxwa and broke his back. The third day, since the Iberian army had grown,
[the two sides] fought each other. The Ossetians were defeated, their king
was killed, and the rest of them fled back to their own land. The second year
Amazasp took Armenian troops, crossed to the other side of the mountain,
against the Ossetians, captured the whole land and returned to his home.
[g37]
[30]After this, Amazasp grew arrogant and rebelled from Armenia. He
killed his notables and took refuge in the Iranians. For this reason the
Iberians hated him and requested as king Vroy [Rev I the Just, 189-216], son
of the Armenian king [Vologases II, 180-191] and Amazasp's sister's son. The
king of Armenia acceded to
their request and came to Iberia.
The five princes of the western region, the prince of Undzrxe and the prince
of Tsunda came to him. They also summoned the Ossetian army and came
delightedly because of the blood-feud which Amazasp had obligated them to.
Amazasp called on Iran
for aid. There ensued a severe battle in which Amazasp was defeated and
killed in war, and the Iranian army was beaten.
Rev ruled Iberia. He
was married to Sep'elia, daughter of Loghot'ats'i from the country of Greece. She
brought an image of Aphrodite and erected it at the head of Mts'xet'a. The
king was merciful and an avenger of the oppressed. Having been somewhat
informed about the dispensation of our Lord, he loved Christ. He prohibited
human sacrifice in Iberia.
Nonetheless, he worshipped the idols and had cows and sheep sacrificed. He
was called Rev which means Triumphant. His son, Vach'e [
A.D. 216-234], succeeded him. [g38] [31]
Chapter
7
At that time Iran
was ruled by K'arse-Sharvan [Artashir, c.221-241], son of Sasan, who did away
with the Arshakunis, presently called Biwroyk'. Xosrov, king of Armenia,
fought with him aided by Asparagur [Aspacures/Asp'agur I, 265-84] who sent
the Lexs, Leks, Ossetians and Khazars via the Caucasus Gate to great king
Xosrov. [Xosrov] entered Iran
with a motley band, struck the Iranian army, and put the king of Iran,
Karseshar--Artashir himself--to flight. Following this, Artashir consulted
with his grandees regarding what they should do about the Armenian king who
had harassed them for ten years. Then a certain relation of Xosrov's, named
Anak, came forward and said in the presence of everyone: "You should
serve Xosrov by paying taxes, to preserve the Iranians from his evil."
[g39] Secretly approaching [Artashir's] ear, he said: "I shall go to him
[filled] with family affection, as someone having
rebelled from you, and I shall slay him treacherously." Which is just what he did. [Anak] came to [Xosrov]
together with his brother, and at the onset of the following year he killed
him during a hunt. [Anak] then wanted to escape to Iran,
but he and all his people died, excepting two boys whom their dayeaks
took and ran off with--one fleeing to the Byzantine area, and one to Iran.
[32]When the king of Iran heard about this, he came to
Mts'xet'a ... [lines missing]. He swore an oath to them and enthroned the five
year old lad Mihran [Meribanes/Mirian III, 284-361], and designated his dayeak
Mirvanos [Mirvanoz] [g40] as district-chief and the boy's nourisher.
[Artashir] left with him 40,000 select Iranian cavalry and stated that 5,000
of them should remain with the king while the rest should camp in Heret' and
fight the Khazars. [Furthermore he said] that his son should worship fire as
well as the idols of Iberia,
since the Iberians had requested that they not be removed from their
religion. "For," they said, "it is better that we die than
abandon the precepts of our fathers." The Iranian king arose and went to
his own land via the base of [mt.] Caucasus,
capturing the mountain valley. Now Mirian, who had grown up and reached
manhood, loved the Iberians. He used their language and worshipped the five
images near the fire-temple. In his fifteenth year, his wife died, so they
brought him a woman from Pontus,
Anna [Nana], daughter of Ulitos [?Olympus].
Mirian was always fighting the Khazars, because the latter were trying
to take Darband, to open that gate and descend on Iran. But Mirian did not allow
them to do so.
In the fortieth year of [Mirian's] reign, his father [33]
Artashir died and his younger brother, Bartam, reigned. When Mirian heard
this he went to Baghdad with a multitude of troops and he himself attempted
to take the Iranian kingdom, as the senior brother, "Because," he
said, "I am abroad, [g41] and uneasy because of fighting the Khazars, to
prevent them from crossing over into Iran." But his brother insulted him
as the son of a concubine, and said that it was fitting that he himself
should have the kingdom since his father had placed the crown on his head
with his own hands and had established him on the throne in writing. Then he
gave to Mirian Jozret' and half of Syria,
Atrpatakan, Armenia, Movkan and Heret' and
confirmed that which he had held previously. Mirian turned to the Ossetian
area and conquered [the people] for he had heard that they were raiding Iberia (knowing that it was a passageway to Iran). Mirian
reached as far as Xazaret' [i.e., to the Khazars] turned through the Dualet'
region and came to Mts'xet'a. After this the Khazars invaded Darband and
Mirian went against them and was occupied for many days.
At that time Xosrov's son, Trdates, demonstrated great valor in Greece. There
he had seized the king of the Goths who had been harassing the Greeks. As a
result of this he [34] was crowned by them, returned to his patrimony, and
killed all the foreign troops he found there [including] Mirian's forces. Now
Mirian brought to his aid his relative Peroz, giving him his daughter in
marriage so that he might have [more] power, since a grave threat had come to
Iberian land and to all Iran.
In those days Mirian's third brother ruled in Iran. He sent [a messaqe] to
Mirian that he should take his troops and go aqainst Armenia and Greece. He went before him with
all his strength and crushed a great host, beyond calculation. They entered Armenia and
took many captives, for Trdat was unable to challenge them because of their
multitude. [g42] Instead, he remained in the land's fortified places. Taking
the Armenians with them, they crossed over to the land of Greece,
demolishing, killing and plundering without a care. There [the Byzantine]
king, Constantine (Kostandianos), was unable to fight with them and was in a
great crisis. Then a vision in a dream informed him that if he would worship
God Who was crucified, he would vanquish their incalculable army by the power
of the Cross. He so moved. Having the sign of the Cross as a guide, he came
against them, struck them through the might of Christ, killing with the sword
until only very few survivors [remained, who] escaped by a hairsbreadth to
the kings of Iran and Iberia.
Mirian then entered the stronghold of Mts'xet'a. [35] Knowing that all the
select [warriors] of Iberia
and Iran
had been lost, he felt deep sorrow, and was perturbed. Coming to his senses,
he sent envoys to Constantine the Great requesting peace from him so that he
would serve him. Similarly he dispatched [envoys] to Trdates the Great. They
heeded him and made peace. Constantine
took Mirian's son, Bahk'ar [Bak'ar/Bakur], as a hostage. Trdat gave his
daughter, Soghome, to Mirian's son, named Rev, and resided at Och'ormi. [g43]
Chapter
8
At that time the venerable Nune [Nino], Mother of Iberia,
came to Mts'xet'a and was there for three months.
The queen of Iberia,
Soghome Salome], inquired of her whence she had come. Nino replied:
"Hear from the beginning [information] about me. Once it happened that
the Frankish (Branjats') people fought with Rome, and a man named Zaboghon, a
Cappadocian, triumphed over them through the power of Christ, and seized the
king and his army. Astounded, they requested the grace of baptism, and it was
administered to them. [The victors] sent to their land [men] illuminated in
Christ. Zaboghon himself went along with them, and converted the Frankish
people to Christianity. Going to the king, [Zaboghon] received [36] numerous
gifts from him and then went to Jerusalem
to revere the holy places. There he discovered two orphans who had come from
Klastrat following the death of their Christian parents. One was Yubnaz; his
sister was Susan, [g44] who served the Bethlehemite Niop'or. Zaboghon married
Susan and went to the city of Klastrat.
I am their daughter. When I was twelve years old, they went to Jerusalem, and my
father went to a retreat, entrusting me to God and to the grace of Christ, so
that I be dedicated as a virgin to the Heavenly Bridegroom. I entered the
home of Niap'or, an Armenian man from the city of Dwin, and served him for two years. Daily I
learned about the dispensation of Christ our God, about how He was martyred
and regarding where the winding-sheets of our Lord were. And they taught me
that what had been written in prophecies had been fulfilled in the Lord--that
He was crucified, resurrected, had ascended to Heaven, and would come again.
Pilate's wife had requested the grave shroud and believed in Christ. She went
to her home in Pontus.
After some time it fell to the evangelist Luke, who knew what she had done.
They say that Peter had taken with him the veil (varshamak), and that
the cloak [of Christ] had reached the Tsmakayin country and was in the city
of Mts'xet'a; and that the Cross of the Lord
lay buried at Jerusalem
and would become manifest when It chose. I [37] heard all this and went to
the Patriarch, and he blessed me. Then I went to Rome, that perchance I would find there a
portion of Christ's grace. With my sight fixed on the Living Hope, I found the
monastery of Paul wherein three hundred virgins were dwelling. Temptations
were visited upon us there, and we came to Armenia. But the emperor wrote a
letter to Trdat who sought after and found us by the wine-presses of the
vineyards. [g45] Despite the king's efforts, he was unable to wed the bride
of Christ, Hrip'sime. He killed thirty-seven of us by sword. The others were
dispersed. I remained under a rose bush which had not blossomed. Raising my
eyes, I saw the souls of the saints moving through the sky. A clerical
commander with a fiery army came before them, having a censer in his hand.
Censing at the saints, he turned thence with them and they passed behind a
curtain. Then I protested to the Lord, saying: 'Jesus my Lord, why did you
leave me here?' Then [a voice] said to me: 'Fear not, for you too shall
ascend to your sisters. But now go to the northern region, where the harvest
is abundant, but where there is no cultivator.' In this short time, that
thorny bush had blossomed with flowering roses. Arising, I went to Armenian
Urbanis, wintered there, and in the month of June I came to the mountain of Chawaxet'. I came to lake P'arwana
where I saw fishermen fishing, and shepherds by the shore. And I heard them
swearing by Aramazd and Zade--for [38] I knew the Armenian language, having
studied it at the home of Niop'or Dwinets'i. Asking them where they were
from, they replied: 'From Darb, Lrbin, Sap'ursl, K'intser, Rhapat
of Mts'xet'a where the false gods are glorified and where the kings rule. The
river which flows from this lake goes there.' Isolating myself, I lay my head
down and slept. I had been given a document in Latin, sealed with a ring, and
the writing on the seal was in the name of Jesus Christ. The man who had
given me the letter said: 'Arise, go and preach what is written here.' But I
said to him: 'Who am I, but an ignorant, weak woman?' He replied: 'In the
grace of Christianity and in the Land
of Life, which is
Heavenly Jerusalem, there is neither male no female.
Speak not of weakness and ignorance, [g46] for Christ is the might of God,
and the wisdom of God. Furthermore, Mary Magdalen preached the resurrection
of Christ to the Apostles and to many others, yet there was no shame either
for the speaker or for the listeners.' Opening the document, I found there
concisely written the entire power of the Gospel, comprised in ten
statements. When I read this and learned from it, I awoke. As requested by
the Lord I came, following the river from the west until the water turned
eastward. I reached Urbnis and remained there for a month. Then, following
some merchants, I came to Mts'xet'a. On the day of the festival of Aramazd,
[I followed] the king and the entire public. There I saw [39] a man, in
copper armor, wearing a gold helmet adorned with two emeralds and one
crystal. In his hand he held a sword like lightning. He moved, terrifying the
people who trembled and said: 'Woe to us, for we erred in sacrificing, or
sinned by deed with the Jews or mages, and Aramazd will kill us.' To the
right [of Aramazd] was a golden image named Gats'a, to his left, a silver
image named Gayim. Then I recalled what Yubnagh, the patriarch of Jerusalem had said to
me: 'You shall reach the country of warriors against the true God.'
Distraught, I wept and beseeched God for mercy on those gone astray, and I
said: 'God of my father and mother, silence these diabolical images and
destroy them so that they recognize you as the sole true God.' Suddenly a
very strong wind arose, there was the rumbling of
thunder, a storm of lightning, hail stones weighing a lter each, a
foul, loathsome odor, a heavy darkness, and the images became undiscernible.
The crowd scattered and hid. The next day the king and all the people went
forth seeking to discover the cause of these events. Then some said: 'T'rujan
the Chaldean god and our Aramazd [g47] have been enemies from the beginning.
Once our god ruined [T'rujan] with water, and now he is taking revenge.' But
others spoke the truth, saying: 'God the Great Who struck the king of Armenia and then cured him again together with
all Armenia, worked this miracle.' I found the crystal gem [40] and
went to the Banch'i tree which they call the Shielder of king Bartom, and for
six days I prayed there. On the day of the great Transfiguration of the Lord,
when the Lord displayed the image of the Father to the principal Apostles and
prophets, a maid-servant of the king, named Shushan, came to me and seeing me
was astonished. Bringing a Latin translator, [she] questioned me, taking pity
on me as a foreigner. She wanted to take me to court. But I did not go with
her. Instead, I went thence and found a woman named Anastu, the wife of the
man who tended the royal garden; and she received me with delight. I was at
their home for nine months. It happened that they had no child, and were
therefore very sad. Then a luminous man said to me: 'Enter the garden, take
soil from the base of the fir bush by the roses, give it to them to eat in
the name of the Lord, and I shall give them a child.' I did so, and gave them
[the soil] in the name of Jesus Christ God of Sabayovt', Who came in humility
and shall come in His glory and judge the world equitably. Hearing this, they
believed in Christ and received the promised child. I left their home and
dwelled for three months outside the wall in a tamarisk grove. Having
fashioned a cross, I worshipped the Holy Trinity before it, day and night.
Day after day I went to the Jews because of the language, and for information
about the Lord's robe. The priest Abiathar (Abiat'ar) and his daughter
Sidonia (Sidona) [g48] and six Jewish women additionally believed in the [41][second] coming of Christ. Asking Abiathar, they learned
the truth."
Now when the wise queen heard all of this, she was
astounded and believed what she had heard. When she learned about the great
miracle which had happened to her father Trdatios, she became yet more
confirmed in the faith, and glorified God in His ineffable glory.
Chapter
9
The priest Abiathar gave an account something like the
following in everyone's presence: "In the year when blessed Nino came to
Mts'xet'a, I was a priest with the diocese of my people. A document was
brought to me from the Jews of Antioch saying: 'Our kingdom has been split
into three parts--the Romans, Greeks, and Armenians rule us. Our prophets
became silent and our temple was demolished. We know from Scripture that when
our fathers sinned, God grew angry and gave them into captivity. But when,
having experienced tribulation, they repented and prayed to the Lord, God was
reconciled, returned them, and had pity on them. This happened seven times in
times past. However, after our fathers crucified the son of a poor miserable
woman, named Christ, it has been three hundred years that the anger of the
Lord is visited upon us. [42] We cry out to Him day and night, but He neither
answers us nor is reconciled with us. Consequently it is worth finding out if
He is the Son of God described by the laws and the prophets. With your wisdom
derived from familiarity with Scripture, look and examine whether all that
had been writen came to pass, [g50] and whether that man was actually from
Heaven.' Now I was in great sadness for many days. Then, looking in
Scripture, I found the time designated, commencing with Daniel and concluding
with Augustus, emperor of the Romans. While I was so doing, I saw the blessed
Nino and was informed by her of the words of Scripture of our prophets and
the nature of His dispensation in order, everything from His birth to His
ascension to Heaven. And I believed genuinely that He was the hope of the
pagans and the salvation of my people of Israel. Then lo, my son and I
became worthy of the water of Niebaz which is Bethlehem, which David had desired but had
not achieved. The Lord rememberd us in pleasure with His people and He visited
us in His salvation, and we dwelled in the house of the Lord, so that we
bless the Lord for all eternity, for blessed David made us joyous. God made
me see other wonders and good things in this city, under the direction of the
blessed Nino."
The listeners were delighted and said to Abiathar:
"Tell us what you know about this matter." He replied to them:
"We [43] heard from our fathers who had heard from their fathers that in
the days of king Herod, news came to the Jews of Mts'xet'a that the kings of
Iran had come and taken Jerusalem and that the priests of Bodbe (Budayoy) and
Kodi and the Tsgharats'i scribes and the Canaanite translators had fled to
the East. All the Jews mourned. However, after a short while glad tidings
were heard that the Iranians had come to Jerusalem not in war but to adore the Son
of a Virgin born of the son of David. They had as a guide a sentient and wise
star of Heaven. When they found [Jesus] in the desert, they glorified Him as
God. Amongst themselves instead of weapons, they had as gifts royal gold,
healing myrrh and frankincense, as gifts for God. Having offered these things
to the child, they departed. When the Jewish people heard this they rejoiced
with great happiness. Thirty years later a letter came from Jerusalem, from the priest Annas [g51] to
my mother's father Elioz [stating] that the child Jesus who had received
gifts from the mages, having grown to manhood, claimed that he was the Son of
God. Come, those of you who are able, so that we may implement the laws of Moses
regarding him, and kill him. Elioz the priest from the house of Heghi, from
the clan of Eghiazar, sagacious in the laws, went there. He had a mother from
the same line who entreated him, saying: 'My son, do not partake of the Jews'
counsel, for [Jesus is] the [44] message of the prophets, the proverb of the
laws, and the word of the living God.' Along with [Elioz] went Ghunkianos
(Longinos) of Karsani. They arrived on the day of crucifixion. And as they
were nailing [Jesus] to the Cross, the mother of Elioz started and cried out
in prophecy: 'Thrice woe to you, killers of your creator, for the peace of
pagans, killers of your king of Israel, Savior of the world.
Spare us, God our Lord.' At that same moment she expired. Now by lot the
cloak [of Jesus] fell to the Jews of Mts'xet'a. Taking it, Elioz brought it
to his home. He took it before his sister who kissed [the robe], placed it on
her breast, and died in Christ. This was caused by three factors: the death
of the Lord, the death of her mother, and the brother's complicity with the
Jews. Now when Aderk [Pharasmanes I, A.D. 1-58] who was the king of Iberia heard
about this, he marvelled. Yet he did not want to keep the dead man's robe
himself. They buried it under a cypress tree, which had been brought as a
plant from Lebanon.
[g52] And behold, it was [near] the home of Elioz, west of the Mogt'a bridge.
When the Jews heard all of this they were ashamed of
themselves and planned to slay [Elioz] by lapidation, since by reason of his
deep knowledge of the Old Testament he had verified the divinity of Christ,
glorifying [Him] with the [45] Father and the Spirit. When the king heard the
Jews' clamor, he rebuked them and commanded that that [Christian] preaching
not be impeded in his land, for he had heard about the miracles which had
occurred in Armenia and Rome. [g53]
Chapter
10
Then saint Nino together with her believing disciples,
dared to propagate the faith of Christ by various signs which she effected through the drawn cross. Sleeping kneeling on her
knees, she saw this same vision three times: a flock of black-colored birds
descended into the river and emerged white. They went to the garden and
grazed on its flowers. Taking a little thence, they gave it to the lord of
the garden. [Nino] related this vision to Abiathar's daughter, and she said:
"You who came as an exile are made an heir of paradise and of the tree
of life. That is the glad tidings of our fathers, and the work of the
heavenly man Jesus and of his innocent blood. But you Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
spread your wing and gather up those whose lot is heavenly, among whom we too
are gathered by this woman saint who makes this place [resemble] a paradise
of ease." Now saint Nino grew in asceticism and constant prayer. The
pagans were amazed at her constancy.
[46] In those days a certain woman went around with a sick child [suffering from] incurable pains, in the
hopes that she might find someone who couId save the boy with drugs. [g54]
She herself was ill-disposed toward, and a curser of, Christ and had prevented
many [from attending] Nino's preaching. But when all else failed, she took
her son and laid him down before saint Nino. The blessed [Nino] said to her:
"I do not have [the ability] to cure humanity, although my Christ,
creator of the visible and invisible [does have this power]." Placing
the boy on her bed, she made the sign of the cross and said: "Jesus, my
God, King of eternity, heal this lad in the name of Your might, so that the
pagans know that You are the sustainer of humankind which is Your flock, and
that You are due worship, honor, and glory forever, amen." Having said
this, she returned to the woman her lad -- healed, beautified, and full of
joy. And [the woman] said: "There is no other God besides your Christ,
Lord and Prince of life and death." She departed in delight and told
everyone what had happened. Then she returned to Nino and did not leave her
side.
In those days queen Nana was afflicted with an incurable
illness. All those skilled in the art of healing admitted defeat, saying that
no one could cure that ailment. They [47] told the queen about Nino and she
sent to have her brought. They went and found [Nino] praying in the thicket
of a tamarisk grove, in front of a cross. They related to her their mistress'
words. But [Nino] said to them: 'At this hour I shall not withdraw my heart
from my Lord. But should she wish, let her come to us.' When the queen (tikin)
heard this she said: "Raise me up and take me to her." A great
multitude of men and women went with her. They took and placed her on Nino's
bed. [Nino] prayed for a long while, and placed the cross on four sides of
her, and immediately she sat up, cured. Arising from her place, [the queen]
went to her home, glorifying Christ God, together with the entire multitude.
Thereafter she studied the truth, learning the precepts of Christ from saint
Nino and from the priest Abiathar, who was called Paul in the faith. [g55]
King Mirian was amazed and asked Paul how it happened that God became man, what those teachings were,
and what Christianity meant. And [Paul] related to him, as he was able,
everything in order. Mirian had a book which told about the line of Nimrod
and the construction of K'asheni. He had this brought before him, and reading
it discovered there something to the effect that when they started building
the tower and [48] the city of K'agheni, a voice came from On High saying:
"I am Mik'ayel, prince of the eastern regions. Cease what you are
building, for God will destroy it. But in later times there shall come a heavenly king who shall accomplish what you desire.
And they would see [him] scorned among the people [but that] his love would
consume the beauty of the world. For kings would leave their kingdoms and
love poverty, not the glory which you seek, oh Nimrod". [The text is
confused here.] Reading this, the king became lost in thought, astounded that
both secular and clerical writings testified to Christ. But he was unable to
abandon his patrimonial, customary religion [worship of] the sun, fire,
Aramaz and other images.
At this time a mage, a relative of the king, became ill.
Mirian said to saint Nino: "You are the daughter of Aramazd or the child
of Zade who brought you here as a foreigner and granted you competence in
healing, to glorify you. Now heal those of my family [who are sick] and do
not be a spreader of the deviant faith of the Greeks. For, although the
Iranian god T'rujan expelled and took them by cloud and hail, [g56] it is [or
they are] firm elsewhere, and such warfare is the custom of world-governors.
Yet we [still] have Gayim and Gats'im and ancient gods of our fathers--they
are the ones [49] who make the sun rise, who provide rain, and who make the
bounty of the world increase." The saint replied: "I am a slave
woman, a creation and worshipper of the unseen and unknown divinity, of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which is the creator of Heaven and earth; which,
because of its manifold mercy gives to those who scorn it life, sustenance
and honor as it will to you. For it gave you a mind and speech that you know
the height of the sky, the position of the stars, the depth of the sea, and
the breadth of the land, and that by these things they recognize the governor
and fashioner of such things. And I tell you that such an immeasurable
greatness which clothes the sky with clouds, with thunderous sounds of the
air, and shakes the entire world by the hand of the great Christos, descended
from on high with mercy and adopted our nature, and completed [His] lifetime
in thirty-three years. He was dishonored and crucified by a thoughtless
people --but by [His own] volition, not by necessity. In three days He
resurrected and went to Heaven. He dispatched preachers throughout the world
to [profess] belief in His name, and to live in piety, and to stay away from
the idols of superstition. I tell you this so that you believe that what I do
is in His name. Located here is a robe which covered Him. And, so they say,
the sheepskin coat of Elia, who saw God, is here too. Now in order for you to
accept fully what [I have] said, bring me the Khurasanean mage, the enemy of
the truth, and he shall deny his heresy and profess with faith whatever I
make him say." As soon as they brought [the mage] to that garden beneath
[50] the planted pines, [Nino] turned him to the west and had him say three
times: "I renounce thee, satan," then turning him eastward had him
say, "I fall before Thee, holy Trinity and appeal to Thee, Thou
crucified God." Nino wept and made the sign of the cross with the cross.
Like smoke, the evil spirit departed from [the mage] and that man became
healed of the dew and healed of his pains. He believed in Christ with
his entire family [g57] and those who beheld him glorified the Father and Son
and the Holy Spirit, time without end. Amen.
After this, the king went hunting through Muxnar, on the
twentieth day of July, a Saturday. While they were on the road, satan spoke
to the king's heart and [through the king] said to his four advisors:
"Why is it that we have become lazy in worshipping the gods, after that
witch arrived and preached Christianity? Now let us destroy her and those who
have been deceived by her, and remain in our patrimonial religion."
Hearing this, they were delighted and became even more eager. Accepting the
plan they passed through the borders of Muxnar, then ascended mt. T'xut
in order to see Kazbk' and Up'lists'ixe from that elevation. Lo, a mist and
fog arose, the sun was eclipsed at noon and it became night. Terror descended
upon them. They abandoned the king and dispersed. He, trembling, and fearful
for his life said:
[51] "Jesus Christ, God of Nino, take
me into Your service and remove me from hell, for my gods were unable to aid
me. I believe You can, and that day and night are Yours. Crucified Lord, save
us with Your Cross, for I believe that this darkness has descended not over
everyone, but solely upon those of us who, after the coming of Your light,
[still] love the darkness." As soon as he had said this the sun dawned
with fresh air. [The kings'] troops found him. Descending from their horses,
they fell on their faces, worshipping the Cross and saying: "You are the
God of Heaven above and upon the earth, light and
darkness belong to You. We bless You, Lord of lords and God of gods. And
since it was in this place that You took us to Yourself, here we shall erect
the sign of Your Cross, by which Your name is glorified by ineffable wonders
forever." They turned homeward, dispatching in advance [g58] messengers
to those who sat mourning because of the evil news they had heard [about the
king's disappearance]. As soon as [the mourners] heard about the peaceful
return, the entire multitude arose with great joy and went before the king.
King [Mirian] spoke: "Glorify in unison Christ God, creator of Heaven
and earth. But where is my mother, saint Nino? For her God is my God."
They informed him: "Behold she is praying for you with fifty people
among the blackberry bushes." They went to her, and prostrating
themselves, adored her. However, she put forth her hand and put them on [52]
their feet. Turning them eastward she advised them to worship their savior,
Christ, and to confess Him as the Son of the living God. The entire multitude
wept upon seeing the king and blessed the living God.
Then saint Nino wrote a letter to Helen, queen of Rome, and Mirian wrote to Constantine the Great,
[saying]: "The Lord has visited Iberia with great mercy. Send us
priests to give us life with water and the spirit." Saint Nino herself
did not cease preaching with the twelve [g59] women who were constantly with
her. Subsequently the king thought to build a church before the priests
arrived. They entered the garden, cut down the pine tree, fashioned six
columns from it, set the foundations and erected the six columns. But as for
the seventh column which was larger than all the others, they were unable to
lay it in place neither with the [strength] of the
multitude nor by machines, until sunset. So they left off and went away,
greatly surprised. Now saint Nino spent the night there with the twelve women
praying tearfully. During the night there were shocks, movements and
thundering as though the two mountains, Aramaz and Zade [were about to]
collapse, destroy the [channels of] the two rivers, Kur and Arag, and divert
them upon the city and the fortress. The women with Nino were terrified and
started to flee. But the saint said: [53] "Fear not, for this is an
illusion and not reality. The mountains stand firm, the rivers continue along
in their courses, and people in the city are sleeping peacefully. Rather,
unbelief, having become a mountain, has indeed crumbled, and the blood of
children who were sacrificed to the idols--which represents those rivers--has
turned thence, and the wailing sounds which lament their destruction are
those impure deceiving dews themselves." Having said this, she
exhorted [the women] to be courageous and [Nino] herself shed streams of
tears. Until cockcrow there was agitation and clamor as though a large army
had surrounded, taken, and destroyed the city, and [as though] an order had
been given in a loud voice saying: "Xora the Iranian king has commanded
you, and the king of kings Xoraxosrov orders the Jews to stand back,
separate, and not die, and behold, [g60] king Mirian has been slain."
But the blessed apostle stretched forth her arm saying: "Go to the outer
darkness, for lo, the Crucified One, your slayer has come. Begone to the
north!" They immediately disappeared. Close to dawn, a fiery youth clad
in unapproachable light appeared to saint Nino and told her three things.
Then [the angel, or Nino herself] went to the column
and raised it on high. Now a woman named Sidonia (Sidina) saw all of this.
She went to Nino and asked: "What is this, blessed queen?" The
latter replied: [54] "Remain silent and pray." And behold, they saw
the column move gently, lit by light, and descend upon its cut base. As it
grew liqht, the king arrived with a huge crowd. They saw that the column had
flown, untouched by any hand, and had settled itself upon its pedestal.
Raising their voices they glorified God. On that day numerous miracles
occurred there. For a Jew, who had been blind from birth, was taken near the
column and his/her eyes were immediately opened. Then one of the royal
offspring, Hamazaspuni, eight years old, who was paralyzed, was brought by
his mother and placed on a litter in front of the column. [The mother]
beseeched Nino for the salvation of her lad. [Nino] touched the column with
her hand, then placed her hand on the lad, saying: "Jesus Christ Who
came in the flesh for the salvation of the world, bless thls boy." The
lad arose immediately and stood upon his own feet. And seeing this, the whole
multitude blessed God; and awe descended upon them all. The king made a
covering for the column. And they completed the construction of the church,
to the glory of God. [g61]
Chapter
11
Now king Constantine, seeing
the envoy of Mirian, was overjoyed because of Iberia's
conversion to Christianity, for he believed that thereby [the Iberians] had
completely severed [55] their ties with Iran. Queen Helen likewise
rejoiced, and they glorified God. They sent [to Mirian] a bishop named
Yovhannes, two priests, three deacons, a cross, and an icon of the Savior.
After arriving, [the Byzantine clerics] illuminated with baptism the king,
his wife, and children, [g62]and prominent men at a place called Mokt'a, but
thereafter called "the place where the Chiefs were illuminated
[baptised]." All of Iberia
was baptised excepting [folk] in Mt'ewulik', in Caucasus
and among the Jews of Mts'xet'a. Fifty men of the Barabbayink' [descendants
of Barabbas] were baptised. The king loved them and gave them [the fortress
of] Didits'ixe. However Mirian's son-in-law, P'eroz (who held Aghbania as far
as Partaw), did not heed the Word of Life. Then Mirian sent bishop Yovhannes
and a senior man with him to Constantine
requesting many priests, a fragment of the Lord's Cross and masons for
building churches. [Constantine] sent all that he had requested plus the
tablet [which rested] at the Lord's feet, the nails [driven] into His hands,
other vessels of the church and expenses so that the church of the country of
K'art'li would be built in his name. The bishop came to the Erushet'i
(Ushet') country, laid the foundation of a church, deposited the nails there
and leaving the builders and expenses [for compensation]. He crossed over to
Manklis, laid the foundation of a church and deposited the blessed tablet
there. The king heard about this and was saddened that relics had not been
placed in the royal city but elsewhere, and because the [56] emissaries had
not come there first. Saint Nino said: "King, grieve not, for everyplace
is worthy of propagating the Lord's name. Here [in this city] great holiness
and a testimony of the Lord [is to be found]--[His] blessed robe." The
king heard from Abiathar all about the robe and he glorified Christ, saying:
"Blessed is the Lord God Who removed this from the Jews who hated Him
and bestowed it upon us distant ones by His mercy." Then upon the
arrival of the bishop, the masons commenced constructing a church outside the
city. This is presently a church with a bishop in residence. At the start of
the construction, saint Nino spoke: "Christ, [g63] Son of God, partaker
of glory, You came to the line of David with your renown and strength, born
the only-beqotten God of an only-begotten mother, a light to all, an image of
the Father, a powerful source baptised by water and the Spirit, crucified and
buried in the heart of the earth, resurrected in three days, ascended to
Heaven, future judge of the living and the dead, be Thou a protector and
buttress for all who depend upon Thee; and blessings on Thee forever,
amen."
At that same time some people told the bishop that at the
base of a small mountain there was a beautiful and fragrant tree which healed
deer, wounded by hunters, whenever they ate its fallen leaves or fruits. He
said to them: "Truly this [57] country has always been protected by the
Lord, even before it recognized Him." Taking the king's son, Rev, the
bishop went and cut down the tree at its base, and brought it to the city on
Friday, the twenty-fifth of March. It was covered with leaves. Erecting it at
the door of the church, for thirty-seven days it did not wilt, as if it were
still attached to its root. On the first of May, they fashioned three crosses
[from the tree]. One of these they erected, and in the sight of the entire
public a luminous cross crowned with stars descended from Heaven and covered
the wooden cross until morning. Then two stars arose from it, one flying
eastward and the other, westward. Saint Nino said: "Go up to a high
place and note where the stars go." They ascended and watched and said
that one star was glowing at the summit of mount T'xut'
which arises in Kasb, while the other one [went] to Dabi in the Raxet'i
country. They took the two crosses and erected them in the places pointed out
by the Lord by the twinkling stars. They erected the senior cross on a rock
[g64] which stands opposite the city, and they designated the day of Great
Easter, the Feast of the Cross for all Iberia, [lasting] eight days. Now
after [some] days, on a Wednesday, once more the cross flared forth light,
having at its top a halo of twelve stars. Seeing these wonders, many of the
pagans turned to the Lord and were baptised. The believers were yet more
confirmled in the faith and blessed God, worshipping the holy sign.
Resembling sparks from metal, the angels of [58] God encircled the cross and
lit upon it.
In these days, the son of Rev, who was the heir of the
kingdom, grew deathly ill. His father brought him and laid him before the
cross, and he became well at once, and they glorified God. The child's father
built a marble altar on the cross and each year came with gifts of offering
to adore the cross. A person blind in both eyes came and fell before the holy
symbol and seven days later the eyes were opened. On a litter they brought
and placed at the foot of the cross a woman who had been afflicted by dews
for eight years. Twelve days later she went home cured. A mother brought her
dead child and placed it near the cross. Many people said to her: "Take
it away and bury it, and be not so bold." But she did not lose hope. At
night the child arose and his mother took him home. When the people saw this
they blessed the crucified God. It was not only those who came near who
enjoyed the blessings of healing, but also those at a distance who [merely]
spoke the name of the holy cross of Nino. And many barren women received
children as a blessing of the cross.
In this period king Constantine sent a deacon who had a
letter from the Frank (Branjk') people who had been illuminated [g65] by
[Nino's] father [Zabulon]. For they had heard that the sun [59] of justice
had dawned in Armenia and Iberia with dazzling rays and that very great acts
of God had transpired among them. They sent a letter [expressing] the joy of
their hearts and wanted to learn from the Frank attendant; [they wanted him]
to write everything accurately regarding the events which occurred in Armenia and Iberia to the glory of God and to
give it to them. The deacon found out, wrote it down, and took it to his own
land, to the Franks.
Then king Mirian planned to militarily compel his
son-in-law P'eroz and the Mt'ewulik' to accept the faith. But saint Nino
stopped him, saying: "The Lord did not come with sword and bow, but with
the Cross and the Gospel." A bishop, together with Nino and a prince,
went to Tsrbin, Chart'al, T'xela, Tsilkas, and Goramaghr. But [the people]
did not accept the word of the Lord. They descended into Zhalet' and Ertsoyt'
and preached there. Those people listened and were baptised. The P'xats'ik'
left their country and went to T'oshet'i and to the present there are many
mountaineers who are idol-worshippers. Saint Nino went to the country of
Aghbania to preach to P'eroz. She stopped near the border of Kuxet'i and
became ill there. Rev, the king's son, and his wife, Salome, who were at
Ujarma, came to see [Nino]. They king heard [about her illness] and sent the
bishop to take her to Mts'xet'a, but she did not want to go. So the king and
his wife, and Peluzhavr Siwnik' and a [60] multitude of the people went to
her. Seated around her, they wept. [Nino] gazed up at heaven with unblinking
eyes, full of joy. Then the queens said to her: "Holy mother, as we
heard from you, hosts of prophets [prophesied the coming of] the Son of God.
He had twelve Apostles and seventy-two disciples, yet none of them was sent
to us, excepting your holiness. Now tell us the details of your birth and
upbringing. Saint [Nino] said to them: "Why do you want to learn about a
poor wretched maid-servant of Christ who is to be called to Him and to my
mother, forever? I have related to Salome, daughter of the Armenian king
[Trdat], a brief account of my coming here. Bring parchment and ink and write
down what she tells you. Furthermore, you yourselves know whatever else you
have heard and seen. May the Lord's peace be with you.
I entrust to you the priest Yakob who shall be bishop after Yohannes, by the
calling of the Spirit." Then she bade bishop Yohannes perform mass, and
she communed in the divine mystery. Entrusting herself to the Heavenly King,
she was perfected in Christ. [Nino] was buried at that spot in the three
hundred and thirty second year of the Resurrection of the Lord, in the year
5832 of Adam's expulsion [g67] from Paradise, and in the fifteenth year of
Nino's sojourn in K'art'li.
Now king Constantine
wrote a letter to Mirian, and freed his son Bak'ar (Bahk'ar) who had been his
hostage. He wrote: [61] "I, the emperor Constantine, a
new servant of Jesus Christ (by Whom I was freed from the captivity of
satan), have sent your son to you, Mirian king of Iberia, so that our Lord serve as
a pledge between us, [and] so that you obey us, [and] so that He drives the
deceiving dew from your borders." Now Mirian and the lad's
mother, Nana, and the entire land rejoiced in the glory of God. After this
[Mirian] completed the church of the bishop's see and filled it with
adornments. In these days his son Rev [II] died, having lived thirty-four
years. The same year king Mirian himself grew ill. He summoned his son,
placed the crown on the cross and thence on [his son's] head, recommending to
him the faith and habits of piety. And he said to his wife: "Go dwell at
the tomb of saint Nino and remain there. Build a church and honor the place.
Divide our belongings into two and distribute them to the poor. Now I am
going to the place I came from. I thank God Who turned my darkness into
light, death into life and failure into success. Endeavor to destroy the
remaining idols. May the almighty Lord be with you."
And with that, he went to sleep. The next year queen Nana reposed in the
Lord. [g68]
Chapter
12
The Armenians did not allow Bak'ar to rule, for they wanted
to enthrone the son of Trdat's daughter [Salome]. Bak'ar took [62] refuge in Iran, giving
the country to them. To P'eroz he gave from Shamshoylde to the head of
Ashots'k'. Similarly he sent protests to Byzantium
("Greece")
and mustered troops from all parts. He fought the Armenians in Jawaxet',
driving them out. [g69] Then Bak'ar reigned [Aspacures II/ Varaz-Bakur I,
363-365], through the might of the Byzantines and Iranians. He obtained a
document from Salome and her son stating that they would not seek the throne
unless Bak'ar's line was extinguished. He gave them Kuxet' and set him up as
prince of Risha. He himself remained firm in the faith and converted many of
the Caucasians to Christianity. He built a church at Tsilkan and increased
the clergy and deacons. He died in peace and was buried near his brother.
Then his son, Mirdat [Mithridates/Mihrdat III, 365-380, diarch 370-378],
ruled.
After Yohannes, Yakob became bishop, and after him the kat'oghikos
of Armenia, Nerses,
ordained his own deacon, Yakob, as bishop of Iberia and sent him there. King
Mihrdat, a man who believed in God, was a builder and embellisher of
churches. In his day they started to take fragments from the column which we
mentioned earlier, and the king did not stop this. Mihrdat died and his son
Varzabak'ar [Aspacures III/ Varaz-Bakur II, 380-394] ruled. The latter had
two wives: the daughter of Rev [II], who bore him Mihrdat and Trdat; and the
granddaughter of P'eroz [of Gugark'], [63] [g70] who bore him P'arsman.
Varaz-Bakur, an evil man lacking in faith, did nothing worthy of recall. Now
in his day [and] in the time of the king of Armenia,
brave Trdat's son Xosrov, the military commander of Iran came to the borders of Armenia and Iberia and demanded taxes from
them. Xosrov ordered the Iberian king to send inhabitants of Caucasus, Leks and Ossetians, to fight the Iranians.
But that coward Varaz-Bakur, filled with fear, hid himself in the valley of Kuxet'. The Iranians came and built a
fortress opposite Mts'xet'a at the gate of Tiflis. When the Iberians sought peace, [the Iranian
commander] demanded Aghbania and Movkan, "for it is Iranian," he
said, "and K'art'li where you were born should be sufficient for you,
sons of a maid-servant; furthermore, you must pay taxes to the
Xosrovunik." Which is in fact what [the Iberians] did, abandoning
Aghbania and Movkan to the Iranians and becoming tributary. The Iranian army
departed. In the same period the Byzantines raided, capturing T'oxark' and
Klarjk', from the sea to Arsion. Only K'art'li, Heret' and Egris remained
under Varaz-Bakur. After a short time he died, leaving small boys [as heirs].
[g71] The princes enthroned Trdat [Tiridates, 394-406], Trdat the Great's
daughter's son, from the land of the Armenian king. He was a good, devout,
and wise man who put an end to the Iranian assaults,
built churches, and increased all spiritual and physical benefits. He freed
Risha and built a church there. After the [64] repose of bishop Yakob, he
appointed Eghia in his place. He built Nekaria, and then died leaving a good
name. Then P'arsman [II, Pharasmanes II, 406-409] reigned. Finding aid from the
emperor he resisted Iran;
however, he died after a short while. Then Rev's grandson Mihrdat [IV,
Mithridates IV, 409-411] ruled, an insolent, senseless man who did not pay
taxes to Iran.
So the Iranian king dispatched the commander Up'rib against them. Mihrdat
went against them in Gardaban, was seized by them and the troops were beaten.
The Iranians entered K'art'li, pulled down the churches, and established
fire-temples everywhere.
Now after three years, when the Iranians were occupied
fighting their enemies in the East, the Iberians lifted their heads and
enthroned Mihrdat's son Arch'il as their king [A.D. 411-435]. He did away
with the fire-temples in the land, taking refuge in the holy Cross. They
expelled the Iranians and warred against them with Byzantine aid.
Consequently the Iranian lieutenant in charge of Aghbania, Movkan, and
Atrpatakan [g72] came against [Arch'il] with a great force. But Arch'il, also
taking along a great force, went before him to Berdahoj and expelled them
through the power of the holy Cross. Entering Aghbania, he captured them and
returned with great delight. He sent messengers to the entire country,
saying: "It was [65] not through our strength or wisdom that we
vanquished the Iranians, but in the name of the blessed Trinity and by the
might of the Cross of Christ our God. Now be firm in the faith and glorify
God the great." When all heard this they blessed the holy Trinity in Its
glory, and renovated the churches. Now since the Iranian king was warring
with India, the Sindians,
and Ethiopia, he was
unable to [fight] Iberia.
Arch'il's son, Mihrdat, a brave and successful [warrior] destroyed and
demolished the Iranian regions, but was unable to capture fortresses or
cities. The military commander of Aghbania, Barzabot', gave his daughter in
marriage to Mihrdat, and so they made peace between them. Arch'il gave
Shamshoylte and its entire theme to his son. And Mihrdat's wife believed in
Christ and was baptised. Her name was Sakduxt, and she built the [church] of
st. Sion in Shamshoylte.
As for the episcopacy, after Eghia it was held by Yunan,
followed by Grigor, Barsegh and then Mushid, who was an Iranian. The latter
was insufficiently pious of the Lord; quite the contrary, he secretly held
magianism. He neither preached nor encouraged the people to piety, but rather
wrote books on the study of magian doctrine. Arch'il and his son were unable
to find out about [his leaning] but subsequently the bishop Mik'ayel
discovered and wrote about it.[66]
Arch'il piously reposed in Christ, and his son Mirdat
[Mithridates/Mihrdat V, 435-447] ruled, a virtuous man like his father. He
had a daughter, named Xorandze, [g73] yet they requested a male child from
the Lord. After four years a son was born to him who was named
Varazxosrovt'ang in Iranian, or Vaxt'ang in Georgian. They rejoiced
exceedingly, gave to the poor, and thanked God. The lad grew and the spayapet
Sayurmak nourished him. Mihrdat died when Vaxt'ang was but seven years old.
The child's mother Sakduxt was terrified that her father would try to avenge
her apostasy from magianism and the destruction done to Iran by her
husband, Mihrdat. So she gave up the boy and went to her father, beseeching
him to forgive her for what had happened. And Barzabat' said to her:
"All the damage done is forgiven you. But now return to your home, and I
shall implant the Iranian faith in Iberia and I shall secure things
so that [people] may willingly choose what pleases them, either our [faith]
or the Iberian." He immediately dispatched a fire-attendant to Mts'xet'a and a chief priest, named Bink'aran. They came and
resided in Mogt'a. Then Sakduxt ruled the realm according to her father's
will until he died. His son, Varaz-Bakur, Sakduxt's brother, took his place.
The spayapet Sayurmak also died and his position was taken by
Jewansher. Now the chief-priest [67] tried to convert Iberia to his
own faith. But no one paid attention to him, excepting a few insignificant
people who ruined their own lives. In this period bishop Mushid died and his
place was taken by Mik'ayel who was from the Byzantines and who, by his
diligence, kept prominent people in the true faith.[g74]
Chapter
13
In this period the Ossetians came through the Darband gates
and captured all of K'art'li from the head of the Kur river to Xunan. They entered
Movkan and Aghbania and took captives [including] Mihranduxt, Vaxt'ang's
sister. The Byzantines also arose and took [territory] from below the Eger water to fort
J'uji. All Iberia
mourned unbelievably and said: "It is due to our sins that evils are
being visited upon us for we do not keep the Christian faith the way our
fathers did."
The lad Vaxt'ang was devout in the Christian religion. He
was wounded by the fact that a fire-temple had been placed in K'art'li and
that indeed such sorrows had beset us; [Vaxt'ang] was fifteen years old. He
assembled all the grandees and consoled them, saying: "It was with a
Paternal intent that God [68] [g75] advised us toward salvation and
sensibility. Hereafter if each of you turns away from evil, the Lord will
turn toward us with kindness. Perhaps you may see no goodness in me because I
am a lad, but remember the service of my fathers and do not despair of the
Lord because of my boyhood, for the Lord our God shall help us because of His
Name and the prayers of our fathers." He sent to his mother's brother,
Varaz-bakur, requesting aid against the Ossetians. The latter sent him 12,000
armed men. Then, notifying all Iberia, Vaxt'ang himself
assembled 160,000 cavalry and infantry and prayed for seven days, fasting and
keeping night vigils and giving alms to the needy. He entrusted the kingdom
to his mother and said: "Should I die in battle, let Trdat's grandson,
Mihran, take the throne and marry my sister, Xorandze." Then Vaxt'ang
went to T'ianet'. Fifty thousand inhabitants of Caucasus
came to him. He went through the Darial gates, entered the Ossetian plain and
encamped on the far side of the Aragoy river. Now the Ossetians had mustered
the Khazars and they came and encamped on the opposite bank of the river for
seven days. Single-combatants on both sides tested one another. On the
seventh day a Khazar named T'arxan arose and challenged someone from
Vaxt'ang's army. They selected an Iranian who had displayed much courage to
[Vaxt'ang]. When the two met, T'arxan struck him on the skull and split it in
two. The [Iranian's] name was P'arsman-P'axur. King Vaxt'ang [69] was deeply
saddened. He entered [his] tent and that night tearfully prayed to God. At
daybreak, T'arxan arose to insult and dishonor Vaxt'ang. He found no one willing
to [g76] fight with him. Then Vaxt'ang fell on his face and wept before the
Lord. He wanted to fight, and he crossed himself. He did not heed those who
would prevent him as an untried lad. Rather he said: "Help me with
prayers, for this battle belongs to the Lord. He is my hope, confidence and
dexterity." Then, attacking T'arxan, he struck him in the middle with a
spear which went right through the thick armor and the body and out the other
side. Falling from his horse, [T'arxan] died. Vaxt'ang prostrated himself
right there and exclaimed: "Blessed art Thou my Lord, Christ God, Who
sent Your angel and killed Your defamer." Cutting off [T'arxan's] head,
he took it back to his army, in the sixteenth year of his youth. Now the next
day a gigantic man crossed the river and requested Vaxt'ang [in combat]. By
the strength of Christ, [Vaxt'ang] downed him also. Then the troops attacked,
struck the Ossetians and Khazars, and put them to the sword. They entered
village and city of their land, took booty and captives. They entered
Bajanet' and Jik'et' which is below Abkhazia, taking them and making captives
of them. Then the Ossetian kings who had fled into strongholds, sent
emissaries to Vaxt'ang to make peace [under the terms that Vaxt'ang] return
the captured [70] Ossetians and receive back the K'art'velians. [Vaxt'ang]
agreed to this: he gave 30,000 Ossetians and received back 350,000 plus his
sister, Mihranduxt. He sent them over the Darial road and sent the Iranians
and Kovkas troops [g77] to their lands with much booty. He himself with his
own army warred for three years against the district of Abkhazia and captured
all the strongholds, for king Lewon was occupied with the Iranians. Then
[Vaxt'ang] returned to Mts'xet'a in happiness and
delight and held a feast of rejoicing to the glory of Christ our God, giving
gifts to the poor. He sent presents to the King of Iran--20,000 horses and
10,000 servants through the chief priest, and he requested his daughter in
marriage. [He sent] to his mother's brother 2,000 horses and 1,000 servants.
When the Iranian king saw [Vaxt'ang's] success he gave him his daughter,
Baleduxt, and placed mt.
Kovkas under his
command. He wrote the following prologue in his letter: "From Ormzd
Shahijan to Vaxt'ang Varnxosrovt'ang, champion of ten kings, rejoice! I have
done as you requested. Grow strong and remain brave. Go against the
Byzantines and take your uncle with you."
Vaxt'ang held a military review of 200,000 troops and went
through Armenia,
for they too had the same order. The Armenian naxarars came to them:
Trdat Arshakuni, Arew lord of Siwnik', Juanber Vaspurakani, Hamazasp of
Taron, Grigor and others besides. They went to Karaxpula--which is Karin
city--[g78] [71] and left two princes there with 12,000 cavalry to fight
against it. They then went through the middle country as far as Pontus and
took three cities. And Vaxt'ang ordered the troops not to kill any of the
impious folk needlessly [saying]: "They worship Christ the way we do.
For when my grandfather arose with the Iranian king [and went] to Byzantine
lands reaching as far as Andziandz--where the tomb of saint Grigor is--they
attacked the church clerics, and were then vanquished and but few of the many
returned home in shame. Having traversed a ten days' journey by that route we
have reached today as far as Constantinople (where king Constantine, believing in Christ, conquered
multitudes by the sign of the Cross). Trdat the Great, king of Armenia, was
punished by the Lord for torturing the blessed Illuminator and the holy women,
but when he recognized Christ no man could conquer him. You brave Armenians
yourselves know how Trdat, a giant renowned among all peoples, bore loads on
his own shoulders and built a house of God. You know how the loathsome Julian
was killed in Iran
and that Jovian (Yubianos) took the realm. And the Lord said to the Iranian
king: 'Do not fight with Jovian, for I shall not give him into your hand.'
You native Iberians and Iranians know what is written about Nimrod, the first
of all kings, that on foot he would seize the lion and mountain goat, all the
deer and [other] beasts. Consequently all peoples [72] submitted to him. He
built a tower of golden columns, placing a silver base at the foundation and
covering it with calk and brick. He put luminous gems in the windows, [g79]
hyacinths and emeralds, so that at night it would not be dark in the temples
and rooms which they built in it. And they say that its height required a
three-day journey upward from the first step to the entrance. So high did
they raise the summit that, passing through the life-giving air, they entered
the suffocating, harmful stations of the stars where, from the turning of the
ether, the place became heated and the gold and silver which they were
leading through it started to melt, and the builders burned. There they
learned the wisdom and mystery of the seven arcades of the stars [the zodiac]
and many brilliant things, so that they would not appeal to God in vain. Then
a voice spoke to Nimrod in Persian: 'I am Mik'ayel who speaks the Lord's
words with you. Arise and go thence, for behold that work of yours has come
up to Paradise. But this mountain I am on is
but the border of Paradise from whose base
the sun rises. From this arise the rivers Nile
and Phison. Gehon brings fragrant incense and herbs which people mix with
musk to tantalize the [sense of] smell and to create perfume. Now you who
rightly long to go to see God, [may not see Him; instead] go to the borders
of your realm and build and dwell between the Euphrates and Jilas [Tigris] rivers, and let your people go wherever they
will. But do not [73] let them [try to] go to God. At the proper time your
Lord shall come to you in humility and be found among scorners and mad people
and hated by them, He shall die. Coming He shall find you in
Hell--Tartaros--and He shall remove you thence and, resurrected from the
dead, He shall build you a tower and staircase to go to God upon.' Having
said this, [the archangel Michael] cast about them the fragrance of Paradise, and they were intoxicated, [g80] enraptured
and comforted. And they forgot their plans and the seven languages which they
previously knew, and they adopted foreign languages according to their
numbers. Abandoning the city and the tower which they were building, they
went to their own land: T'orgom to the T'orgomeans; Sidon
to Sidet', Berdzeank' to Berdzan; Yoynk' [the Greeks] to Yunet', Ag and Mag
to Agmaguzet'; Parsk' to Persia,
and others elsewhere. Such things were not openly spoken of but written down
and kept secretly as wisdom[lore]. I have told you
to be useful so that you Iranians also know that you are not strangers of our
Christ. Your ancestor Bel, Nimrod himself, also called Kronos, [will be]
freed from Hell by Christ our God. Spare all who carry His holy name aloft and
destroy not His blessed temple so that His wrath not engulf
us."
Having said this, [Vaxt'ang ("they")] ordered
everywhere that those in hiding come forth and that the Christians not [74]
fear the sword, that they be given back their belongings and take back their
captives. He himself clothed many of the captives and freed them, especially
the clergy, giving three dahekans to each one. He kept with him the
priest Peter and Samuel the monk, who were students of Gregory the
Theologian. [Vaxt'ang] said to Peter: "From the time of my entry into
Byzantine lands, I did not allow any attacks on the churches of God."
Peter replied: "The [real] church of God is His rational flock which,
after murder, neither you nor any other can lift up; but [destroying]
structures is easy for whomever desires to do so. Do you not know that all
sins were wiped away by the Flood and that Abel's blood still cries out
before the Lord? All the wickedness of the Jews forgotten, [g81] the blood of
Barek'a's son, Zak'aria, will be demanded from them. How much such innocent
blood has been shed by your hands!" Vaxt'ang
replied: "You have shown me to be guilty and I have sinned against the
Lord." The priest said: "If you adhere to what you have just said,
your sins will be forgiven you. But hereafter do not war against the sons of
God and you [should] extinguish the fire which you ignited." Vaxt'ang
said: "Beseech God that tonight I shall see His pleasure." But
Peter replied: "That is beyond me, but we shall recommend [you] to the
saints." Now Samuel grew angry and said: "Do you know not of
Christ's love which said to Polykarpos (Poghikarpos): 'If the angels did not
waver and grow angry, I would have been crucified in every city and village
so that [75] all might live.' And what did God say to the impious Ak'az:
'Seek a sign from your God in the depths or on the heights.' And Christ said:
'Whatever you seek in My name I shall give you.' Now king, pray with us and
it shall be as you wish." At night the king reposed, praying. Peter and
Samuel kept watch the entire night. The king saw saint Nino in a vision, and
she said to him: "Arise and come forth, for behold kings of Heaven and earth are coming to you." Opening his eyes and
looking up, Vaxt'ang saw the city of Byzantium
wherein were two chairs occupied by a lad and a grown man. The man was
Gregory the Theologian, and he spoke: "Wicked man, why do you strike the
Lord's army, why did you destroy His flock? If I did not respect saint Nino,
you would have born the same punishment as your fire-worshipping
fathers." Then Nino said to Vaxt'ang: "Go and fall before the
king's feet." He did so. [The king] seated [Vaxt'ang] near himself and
placed on his hand a ring made of a luminous gem. [g82] And Peter and Samuel
were guarantors for Vaxt'ang, that he would sin no
more. Also there was a glorious cross with a crown on it. Vaxt'ang watched
the emperor remove the crown from the cross and place it on his head, saying:
"Behold your second crown. He saw all of this in a dream as if he was
[actually] seeing it [in a waking state]. He awoke and glorified God. The
next day he returned by way of Armenia, and ordered that no one
be harmed.[76]
However the Byzantine emperor pursued him with 9,000 men
and caused [soldiers] to flee from the Iberian forces. When Vaxt'ang's
Iranian nephew (sister's son) saw this, he said: "Snake born of a viper,
what have you done? As I have heard, your father's mother was from Byzantine
lands ("Greece")
and pulled you, rotten seed, in the same direction. For the love of the dead
Jesus, lo, you destroy Iran.
That shall not remain to you." Vaxt'ang replied: "The crucified one
is my God and He saves me. Worship the fire and battle with the Greeks."
Then [Vaxt'ang] drew apart, with the Armenians and Iberians. And the Iranians
and Kovkasians warred against the emperor but were defeated. Vaxt'ang's uncle
(mother's brother) died as did 25,000 Iranians, the Lek king, Ajaj, and many
of his front-line fighters and the head of Aghbania. That was a terrible blow
against Iran.
Then [Vaxt'ang] descended from his vehicle and worshipped Christ, saying:
"The victory belongs to you, Lord, and not to fire-worshippers and the
impious." Then he said to Peter: "Bring the cross, place it over
there, and let all who are with me adore it. Those who do not obey will die."
The king of Movkan, Barzaw, scorned the cross and Vaxt'ang's words, and the sparapet
of Iberia,
Juanber, killed him. He said to the entire army: "This is our power and
strength." All were terrified and said: "If that cross gives us
power we shall then scorn all of our worship and worship Christ Who is in
it."[77]
Just then a Greek named Polykarpos (Poghikarpos), the
emperor's sister's son, arose and sought single-combat with [g83] any one of
Vaxt'ang's soldiers. But no one dared rise to this challenge, for he was the
slayer of the Iranian military commander. Vaxt'ang said: "The lion does
not fight with the fox; however, to show the strength of the cross of Christ
I shall battle with you." Making the sign of the cross, he adored and
kissed it and then went against Polykarpos saying: "Since you know that
the army has worshipped Christ's cross and yet you wish to fight us, let your
blood be on your own head." Approaching, [Vaxt'ang] struck at
[Polykarpos] and split him in two and then returned to his own people,
glorifying Christ. Once more the Byzantines started to mass, but Vaxt'ang
sent them fleeing to the sea. After this both sides held a review.
Seventy-two thousand had fallen on the Byzantine side. Assembling the
captured Greeks, and counting them, they found 780,000, all of whom they sent
to the emperor, under the direction of the princes Nerses and Atrnerseh. When
the emperor saw this he was delighted. He came to Vaxt'ang and they swore an
oath to each other. The emperor gave back T'ughars and Klarchet' which he had
taken from the Iberians and promised to give his daughter to Vaxt'ang. And
Vaxt'ang returned home in great joy.[78] [g84]
Chapter
14
Now the king of Iran heard about [Vaxt'ang's]
oath with the Byzantines. He became enraged and went in person to Byzantine
lands with a multitude of troops, and he died there. His son ruled. The
latter arose against Vaxt'ang and they fought each other for four months
until 80,000 troops arrived from the emperor, with gifts. When the Iranian
king heard about this he sought peace from Vaxt'ang, saying
: "Why are we fighting about religion? If God is fire, He Himself
will revenge Himself against the Crucified One." Vaxt'ang responded:
"Know that all kings pay you taxes [yet] they believe in the Crucified
One. Strengthened by Him they vanquish you who worship fire, [fire] which I
extinguished here in my land and [I] sent to you their [i.e. Zoroastrians']
chief-priest. Christ is my God: let fire be your god if you wish. I am of the
line [g85] of Nimrod, although you have his throne. I shall subdue you like
your father." This is what they did. They exchanged gifts and met
together. Vaxt'ang gave his sister Mihranduxt in marriage to Xosrov, the
Iranian king, for his other sister Xorazne was with the Armenian patiashx
as a pledge. Vaxt'ang became a mediator between the Byzantines and the
Iranians and made peace between them. Xosrov left Jerusalem to the Byzantines. Vaxt'ang's
wife bore twins--a boy and a girl--and then she [79] died. They called the
boy Dach'e [Dach'i]. Now Vaxt'ang made a helmet fashioned of gold and on it,
images of a wolf and a lion. During battle [the enemy] would see and
recognize [the helmet] and say: "Stay away from the wolf and the
lion." And they called him Gurgasal, that is
Wolf-Lion in Persian. However, his hope was in Christ God Whom he always
glorified. The emperor sent him great thanks and gifts through the military
commander, Lewon, and many presents to the Iranian king.
After this, motivated by the love of Christ, Vaxt'ang went
to Jerusalem,
taking his mother and sister with him. Having revered the holy places, they
returned with great joy. [Vaxt'ang] came to Andak [Antioch]. The Iranian king exalted [g86]
him so that he go with his mother and sister to Iran and hold the wedding of
the sister whom he had given to Xosrov. They went to Babylon, were received with great honor,
and celebrated for six months. With very great honors they sent Vaxt'ang's
mother [home]. Xosrov took Vaxt'ang and went to Jurjanet' the capital of
Gelan. They depopulated it of its inhabitants and settled Iranians there; and
to the present they are tributary to the Iranians. Thence they went to India and
looted large areas, excepting the coastal cities. There Vaxt'ang slew twelve
wrestlers, and they took as tribute musk and 100,000 lters of amber
and incenses, boats, gems, a boat full of emeralds and [80] hyacinths, 100
camel-loads of Sovp'er gold, and 500 loads of silver, because they had
remained there for three years. Then they went to Sndik. The Sindian king
arose against them and killed many Iranian troops. However, the Christian
troops put them to flight into the fortress and secure city of Sind. Every day the
Sindian king personally came out for single-combat. [g87] Whoever came
against him he quickly killed; and he tried to hunt out Vaxt'ang. At night,
secretly, he dug beneath the city gate and concealed ten select men there,
then he sent a certain single-combatant to challenge Vaxt'ang [and arrange
matters] such that the men [hiding in ambush] would jump out at the appropriate
time and seize Vaxt'ang. But Sayurmak, Vaxt'ang's hechup, went to the
[challenger] and killed him. However, as he was returning, those lying in
wait sprang out and killed him. Vaxt'ang grieved greatly and cried for
[Sayurmak] as for a dear brother because he was nourished with him. After
this the Sindian king went up onto the wall and said: "Hear me, king of Iberia, for I
shall tell you whom you resemble. You are like a crow that takes a hawk,
stripped of feathers by its other comrades, and heals it in its nest,
bringing it small animals and snakes [to eat]. Yet when the hawk recovered
somewhat it grabbed the crow and ate it, saying: 'I cannot grow strong on
such food, unless I eat a bird.' You [81] now, stripped of feathers by us and
others behave contrary to your Christian beliefs." Vaxt'ang replied to
him: "You are a fool, and a mole which, being
eyeless, lives underground and, not partaking of the beauty of sky and land
and the sun's rays, is happy with life. You, similarly, are mentally blind,
and do not see what I have done. You laugh, not seeing what I have
accomplished, implanting my faith in the fire-temple, establishing
Christianity in the Iranian district. Furthermore I have taken Jerusalem, where the
feet of my God [walked], the place of Christ's glory, from the Iranians. Nor
did I come seeking glory and goods worldly and
corrupting--the things you are mired in like a mole under the earth. For our
wisdom commands us to risk our lives for brothers. I have carefully [g88]
kept my land and blessed churches [in safety], putting my life into service
for the forgiveness of my sins. And should I die in this, I shall pass from
death to life." The Sindian king said to him: "If you believe that,
then come forth and I shall transfer you from death
to life as your prince who went as your precursor." Vaxt'ang replied:
"Come out, and I shall first dispatch you to the outer darkness through
the power of my Christ. He shall transfer me to life when He chooses."
They went and clashed with each other. Vaxt'ang struck the Sindian with a
spear and threw him from his horse, wounding, [and almost] killing him.
Taking him by the feet, [Vaxt'ang] [82] dragged him before the Iranian king.
There was great rejoicing and [Vaxt'ang] was praised before everyone. They brought
forth a skilled man to heal his wounds. When they had revived him somewhat,
they left him to his own people, took his two sons as hostages, and imposed
taxes double [those imposed] on the Indians. All of this plus many presents
besides were given to Vaxt'ang. Making peace they went on to Habashet', to
the Kushan country on the borders of Iran,
after spending four years in India
and Sindet'. Now the Habashik' dwelled in a reed swamp where neither animal
nor boat could penetrate. But by some strategem [the Iranian army] cut
through the water, took and defeated them. They took 1000 Houses with them
and dispersed them to various places. These are the Kurds and Kushans, varied
and diverse.
And they came to the borders of Armenia and Byzantine lands.
Because Leo, the Byzantine general, was with them with many troops, he went
to his own country, taking emissaries [g89] with him [requesting] that they
send the emperor's daughter as a wife for Vaxt'ang and that they ordain
Petros kat'oghikos of Iberia,
and Samuel as bishop. The emperor and the patriarch of Constantinople sent
the priest Petros and the cleric Samuel to Antioch to be ordained there,
"since", they said, "that is your diocese." Fulfilling
the request, they sent [83] them back to Iberia. Now king Vaxt'ang went to
K'art'li, and his son Dach'i and all the didebuIs ["glorious
lords", Arm. p'arawork'n "glorious ones"]
of Iberia
came before him and greatly rejoiced as he entered Mts'xet'a. But as soon as
bishop Mik'ayel learned that a kat'oghikos and a bishop were coming to
Iberia
against his will, he was vexed. On a pretext he rebuked Vaxt'ang [claiming]
that he had worshipped fire. The king swore [oaths] and beseeched him,
[saying]: "Christ is my true God. Do not condemn me falsely." But
the bishop would not listen, and he cursed and excommunicated [Vaxt'ang]. The
king said: "Although I am innocent of that thing, I have other sins
before the Lord and therefore it is fitting that I humble myself before
him." So he went and threw himself at the bishop's feet, kissed [them]
and requested pardon. But the latter drew back his foot, struck the king on
the mouth, and knocked out a tooth. Taking his tooth, the king said:
"This is the work of my sins and of satan who raised
you up against me, for you do not follow your commandment which says,
'Destroy not the broken reed' and 'Do not snuff out the wick which is almost
extinguished.' Rather, you envy Petros and share in the jealousy of
Judas." He sent him to the patriarch of Constantinopletogether with the
tooth so that he would try him without bias. Seeing Mik'ayel, the patriarch
said to him: "Like Judas, you greedily fought with the church and
spilled blood, and from the king's mouth with your foot at that, and you
pulled down the structure of God. Now you are unworthy of the priesthood, and
worthy of [84] the death of your lord. Why did you not heed Paul, who said:
[g90] 'Obey the king', and also 'Pray for the king, otherwise know that it is
not in vain that he puts the sword to work.'" [The patriarch] immediately
sent Mik'ayel into exile.
The patriarch of Antioch,
while ordaining Petros as kat'oghikos also gave him twelve bishops.
[Thereafter] they went first to Constantinople
where they received numerous gifts and the emperor's daughter, Helen
(Heghine), and thence they went to Vaxt'ang. And the country was gladdened.
The kat'oghikos sat at the church
of Sion, in Mts'xet'a, which
Vaxt'ang had built, and Samuel resided at the bishop's palace of Mts'xet'a.
One bishop was stationed in Klarchet', one in Artahan, one in Jawaxet', one
in Manklis, one in Bolnis (Bawghnis), one in Risha, one at the place named
Saint Nino above the gate of Ujarma, one in Jeram, one in Ch'elt', one for
two churches, Xornoyboj and at Agarak opposite Xunan. Vaxt'ang built a church
at Nik'oz over the martyrium of Razhden, the Iranian nourisher of Vaxt'ang's
first wife, [a man] who believed in Christ, was persecuted for the faith by
the Iranians, but did not renounce Christ. They killed him for his good
confession in the glory of Christ God, and the seat of a bishop was located
on the site of his martyrium. Now Vaxt'ang had three sons and one daughter
from [his wife] Helen. Then Vaxt'ang [85] dwelled at Ujarma, giving the
greater part of the country [g91] to his senior son, Dach'i, and he married Xorandze,
his senior sister, to the Armenian bdeshx, Bakur.
At that time Xosrov, the king of Iran, died and his homonymous son
sat on his throne. He sent to Vaxt'ang [telling] him to be his guide in going
to war in Byzantium.
Vaxt'ang laid the foundations for the city of Tiflis and vigorously built it. The king
replied [to the Iranian shah] , "There is a
proverb which says: 'Blacksmith, sharpen the sword so that I may cut off your
head'". He said [to the messenger]: "Go and say to the one who sent you to me, 'First fight with me, and then
with the Greeks,' for we spared and preserved you." In those days Dach'i
took his sister's son and went through Kuxet' to the Lawpat country to the
cliff-caves whose inhabitants were a great multitude of barbarous peoples who
worshipped fire and water. The entire country fortified itself, while
Vaxt'ang, his wife and sons went to the Ujarma valley, away from the Iranian
king since they had heard that he was coming against him. Soon he did arrive,
and destroyed the city of Kambech
and the fortress of Cheram. They reached Kuxet' and encamped by the Orin
river. Vaxt'ang arose with 240,000 troops against the Iranians' 740,000 on a
gloomy day, [86] and destroyed them until the king's entreaty, and killed
[the king's] son, Bartom (Bartam), although the Iranian king escaped. But an
Iranian fatally wounded that brave Vaxt'ang in the side. [Vaxt'ang], taking
heart, quit the battle triumphantly killing 130,000 of them, and then went to
Ujarma.
In that period the Byzantine emperor died and his son Zeno
reigned [474-91]. He came to aid Vaxt'ang, but when he reached Sper [g92] he
heard the sad tidings of Vaxt'ang's death from his wound, and he returned to
Karin city. Now Xosrov, the Iranian king, ruined Tiflis
and Armaz and the area around Mts'xet'a and then
went against the Byzantines. Iranians and Byzantines fought each other
inconclusively. The Iranians returned by way of K'art'li.
Vaxt'ang died [A.D. 522] giving many instructions to his
son, Dach'i, to whom he entrusted the kingdom, and [instructions] to all the
troops concerning the Christian faith and unity. He was buried in Mts'xet'a.
And the Iranian king returned to his own country.[87] [g93]
Chapter
15
Dach'i ruled Iberia as king [522-34], and
rebuilt all that had been destroyed by the Iranians. kat'oghikos
Petros died and was succeeded by Samuel, then T'ap'ejan, then Ch'imak'. King
Dach'i died, and his son [Bacurius/Bakur II, 534-47] succeeded, then the
latter's son, P'arsman reigned [Pharasmanes/ P'arsman V, 547-61]. In his day
the Ossetians arose and ravaged K'art'li. Now because the Byzantines were too
busy in the West to help P'arsman, he sought aid from the Iranians [saying
that] he would submit to them in matters of taxation but let them use no
force regarding the faith and the Church. The Iranians heeded him and in no
way harassed them regarding their faith. After P'arsman's death, his
brother's son, another P'arsman, [g94] reigned [Pharasmanes/P'arsman VI, 561-
?]. He was a benevolent man, a builder and adorner of churches. Kat'oghikos
Ch'imak' died and they seated Saba as kat'oghikos without [the
ordination of] Antioch,
for thereafter the Iberians themselves designated kat'oghikoi from the
line of the naxarars. After Saba,
Yelat'i served. In his day Yovhannes (John) came from Mesopotamia to Iberia, a
blessed man and a wonder-worker who wrought many miracles--both he and his
students. The deeds were written down and placed in the church of K'art'li.
From king Mirian to the second P'arsman, [88] two hundred years elapsed.
[P'arsman] left a good memory of himself.
In his day [Step'an Curopalate, ca. 590-627], Samuel died
and his office was occupied by Bart'ughomeos. [g95] In these days the emperor
Maurice [582-602] was killed by a soldier named Phocas, who himself ruled the
Byzantines [602-610]. Now when [Maurice's] wife's father, K'asre [Xosrov II]
king of Iran heard these sad tidings, he became angered, went to the country
of the Byzantines, destroyed many districts, captured Jerusalem and the
Lord's Cross. Step'ane, prince of Iberia,
turned submissively to the Iranians out of fear of them, and resided at Tiflis. Then Maurice's relative Heraclius killed Phocas
and ruled over the Byzantines [Heraclius I, 610-641]. He assembled a very
large army from the Turks of the west and went in search of the envivifying
Cross. [g96] Journeying through Armenia,
he came to Bznunik' and thence ascended to Tiflis.
But Step'anos did not forsake allegiance to the Iranians. Rather, he closed
the city and warred with the emperor, sallying forth each day. And many of
the Byzantine braves perished. After [Step'anos] was killed, they took the
city, excepting tbe citadel. From the citadel, the senior [commander] of the
fortress insulted the emperor, [89] shouting: "Depart, you goat! For you
do not resemble a king. Instead you have a goat's neck and beard." When
the emperor heard this he laughed inwardly, had the book of Daniel fetched,
opened it and sought the passage where it states: "The goat coming from
the West will grow strong and attack the ram in the East with great
force." And he said to the army: "Although the man dishonored me in
his heart, nonetheless he revealed this thing to me." [Heraclius]
summoned Adarnase [Atrnerseh, Adarnase I, 627-37/42] of Dach'i's line, who
was in Kuxet' and gave Tiflis to him. With
him he left the military commander Jibagh, and then went on to Iran. [The
Byzantines] took that citidel and Jibagh seized the man who had dishonored
the emperor. First he filled his mouth with gold, "For", he said,
"the emperor rejoiced at the words which issued from your mouth."
Then, removing his skin he sent the man to the emperor for insulting him. Now
K'asre's son killed him [i.e., Kawad killed his father Xosrov II], made peace
with the emperor and gave him the Lord's Cross. After five years Heraclius
returned and came to Mts'xet'a. He took Mankli and Erushet', the tablet
[placed] at the Lord's feet, [g97] as well as the nails which Constantine had
given to king Mirian. And he took them with him, not heeding the pleas of
Adarnase and the tears of all Iberia.[90]
After the death of kat'oghikos Bardoghomeos, the
[patriarchal] throne was occupied by Yovhannes, then Babelas, then Tap'or.
After Atrnerseh's death, authority in Iberia was exercised by his son
Step'anos [Stephen/Step'anoz I, ca. 591/602-627], a man firm in the faith and
a lover of [religious] festivals. It was he who convened a great assembly
before the blessed Cross on the day of Cross Friday and Holy Thursday at the kat'oghikosal
residence at [the church of] saint Sion and [on] Tuesday the festival of the
proto-martyr Step'anos and all the [other] martyrs. "And", he said,
"let Friday and Thursday not differ from Good Friday and Good
Thursday."
In this period Muhammad (Mahmet) the leader and legislator
of the Saracens and Arab people appeared and ruled many lands. After holding
sway for twenty years, he perished. His place was occupied by Abu Bakr
(Abubak'r) who entered Iran
with a great force. Now since [the Iranians'] kingdom had become weakened, he
brought it into submission. Entering Babylon,
[Abu Bakr] made it abandon fire-worship and converted it to the faith of the
Saracens. When he died, the authority was wielded by Omar. And they told
Heraclius that the Saracens wanted to enter the land of Mesopotamia, Syria
and Jaziret'. The emperor went to the Pghshtats'ik' country and saw here a
man of God, a monk, who said: "Flee from those who put Sarah to
flight," (for the Saracens are called Sarah's servants). [91] "For
the Lord gave to their people the south, east, and north. [g98] They are
wandering stars who rule over those who do not wander." And they found
prophecies about them in the writings of the philosophers Hermitron and
Ijintos, that in 5840 of the Great Era, there would appear the son of the
maidservant from the line of justice, and that [his rule] would last 240
years, that is 615 - (5 x 75) + 5. King Heraclius turned and came to
K'art'li, declaring: "Iranian people who emigrated
from the Ishmaelites to the northern regions, behold, your kingdom is
finished. The Saracens have grown strong. Arise, come to us." And they
at all hazards left their treasures, taking along a written [description of
where the treasures had been concealed] and went with Heraclius. But the
Byzantines came with those documents and found them. Now the prince of Iberia,
Step'anos, had two sons, named Arch'il and Mihr, to whom he gave all of his
property. They buried [the treasures] in various places, concealing it from
the Ishmaelites, and then fled to Egris, because Mahumad's son Mruan, called
Xul, was coming against them and K'art'li The latter seized the Darial Gate
and destroyed the population of mt. Kovkas. Hearing that the lords of
K'art'li had fled to Egris and thence to Abkhazia, [Mrwan] pursued, and took
[92] the fortress of Egre. Then he descended upon the fortress of Anakop'os.
Here was located an image of the Lord's Mother fashioned by no human hand,
and no one knew where it had come from since it was discovered at the head of
Gori mountain. In that fortress Arch'il and Mihr were staying after their
father's death. Meanwhile Lewon (Leo) [g99] the Byzantine military commander
had entered and fortified himself into Subagh fortress at the entrance to
Oset'. The brothers said to each other: "If we remain here and they take
the stronghold, we shall not be remembered; the treasure accumulated by the
Christ-crowned Mirian and Vaxt'ang (who was made wise by God) will be lost,
undiscoverable. So will that which Heraclius left here, the document
[describing where] we concealed the two emerald crowns. Encouraged by God,
with the intercession of Peter and Paul, and with the power of the image of
the Lord's Mother which is here with us, let us attack them from the side
where the sea rushes down." And they arose with 3,000 and the Lord
struck dead on the spot an enormous number of [the enemy]. Thirty-five
thousand died in pain because of the Lord, while 3,000 were killed by men's
swords. Sixty of the Christians died, and Mihr was wounded. A certain Saracen
said to his army: "God gave us ten victories, as He had promised Abraham
and Hagar, but not [victories] over men of God and the temples [erected] in
His name." They arose thence and went and encamped by two [93] of the
rivers with seven springs. But suddenly the river rose up in a mighty flood
and carried off 23,000 of the Habashk' soldiers with them and 35,000 horses.
Thereafter, for its providential work, the rivers were called Dzxenis tsghal
["that which carried off the horses"] and Habashis tsghal
["that which carried off the Habashis"]. The survivors went over
the Gori road, crossed the district of Sper, and so departed. The Christians
who had been saved glorified God, and communicated to the emperor what had
transpired. When the latter heard about matters, he rejoiced in the Lord and
sent encouraging letters to the two brothers. However, Mihr, who had been
wounded there, died and was buried at Mts'xet'a [A.D. 736]. For twelve years
the country was calm. [g100]
In those days a certain prince, from the house of the
prophet David, named Adrnas [Adarnase], came to Arch'il. He had been in Armenia and
had been captured by the foreigners together with his sons. Escaping thence,
he asked him for a place to live. [Arch'il] gave him Rhisha, Shghuer, and
Atone. [Similarly] three brothers came from Taron and at Arch'il's command
they settled as far as Gaghgagh. Arch'il's wife was the daughter of the
curopalate Gorom [Guaram III c. 693-748], from the clan of king Vaxt'ang.
[g101]
Chapter
16
[94] No one can put into writing the disasters which the Christians
experienced from the Saracens, formerly called K'aghrt'akank'. It is said
even in the Bible that the tongues of K'aghrt' shall drink the blood of the
innocent. For at the beginning of the strengthening of [that] people, there
was a certain K'aghrt' who was prince of the few surrounding Ishmaelites. In
his day a certain Mesopotamian prince, named Sargis, ravished the goods of
[some] Ishmaelite merchants. K'aghrt' beseeched the plunderer not to do this
again, but [Sargis] did not heed him. Taking heart, [K'aghrt'] assembled a
huge crowd of his people, went and took back what was his and what was
theirs. Gaining in power, they became even stronger. That same day they found
Mahmet [Muhammad], persecuted by his own people. The latter had studied with
a certain monk Arianos who professed the resurrection in a diseased, physical
way [complete] with corporeal desire. They got [Muhammad] to come to them and
made him their military leader. They fought with all countries to fill up the
measure of the sin of the Christians of Greece, Armenia,
Syria, Aghbania and Iberia.
Thereby becoming rich, they also took the Iranians' scepter by which they
made all peoples tributary. [g102]
[95] Now after twelve years, Xul amir departed and Mahadi's
son Chichnaum [Khuzaima ibn Khazim c. 786] came. Prominent men turned against
him and did not allow him into Klarchet'. Some of them went to the Tayk'
country, found a rock there and built it into a stronghold, naming it Kamax.
King Arch'il planned to go to the tyrant so that perhaps he might relieve the
Christians, since the latter were tributary to him. As soon as he went, [the
tyrant] arose before him, elevated him, praised his good looks,
and the comliness of his form and held a banquet for him. But after a few
days he [tried to] force him to adopt his own religion. He heard a very rough
reply. The tyrant ordered [Arch'il] placed in irons. Then an aspostate
prince, named Gardambel, stepped forward and said to Chichnam (also called
Asim): "He is from the line of great kings and is lord of venerable treasures.
Furthermore, the [hidden] treasure of the Greek emperor is in his
hands." When [Asim] learned this, he rejoiced and summoned [Arch'il] for
an audience. He said: "Show me the treasures of the emperor and of your
ancestors, and convert to my religion, and I shall grant you what is yours,
you shall have your principality, and I shall make you spasalar of all
K'artli." Arch'il replied: "When Heraclius passed through our
country I was a boy. The treasure which they kept is in the castle of the
fortress whence emir Xul retreated, and which the Greeks hold at present.
What you seek did not pass into my [96] hands. I shall not change my faith
for the entire world, for my lord God is Christ, son of the living God."
Looking at him, the tyrant said: "Was it you who defeated the Saracens
in Abkhazia?" Arch'il responded: "I was there when God struck
them." Asil asked: "God struck at us?" The saint replied:
"Yes, Christ God, our hope, Who came to earth to save us, aided those
who depend on Him." Then the tyrant laid [g103] this order on the
honorable king: "Let him who chose a dead God die in His name."
They took him out and beheaded him as he thanked and prayed to God. And he
exchanged his mortal kingdom for the heavenly kingdom which does not fade [d.
786]. Taking the marytrs' crown, he stands before the holy Trinity in
sorrowless joy. Now in the night the Goderdzets'ik' and Tbets'ik' and other azats
who were with [Arch'il] came, stole his body, and buried it at Nutkara, a
church which he had built. His wife gave gifts to those who brought the
remains, and villages and awans to his place of rest. This abbreviated
history was found in the time of confusion and placed in the book called K'artlis
Ts'xorepa which means the History of K'art'li. It was found by
Juansher, [the history] written up to [the time of] king Vaxt'ang. Up to the
present point was added by Juansher himself. What follows [was written] by
eyewitnesses and contemporaries.
[97] Now Arch'il, the witness of Christ, left two sons,
Juansher and Iwane, and four daughters, named Goranduxt, Mariam, Mihranduxt,
and Shushan. The Khazar king heard that Shushan was beautiful and sent
requesting her in marriage, promising to free her country from the K'aghrt'
people. However, the mother and brothers did not want to give the lamb to the
beast. After three years the Xak'an dispatched his spasalar Buljan
with a large army by way of the Leket' road. He came, crossed into Kaxet' and
surrounded the fortress where Juansher and Shushan were. After a short while
he also took Tiflis [g104] and the entire
country of K'artli, and then departed. And the blessed Shushan said to her
brother: "I shall die a virgin in body and faith, and not be devoured by
a beast." Taking off her ring, she removed the gem, and there beneath it
was poison. She put this in her mouth and died unsullied before the Lord [d.
799/800]. Her brother buried her. Now when Buljan returned to the Xak'an and
told about the virgin, he became very angry since [Buljan] had not kept her
carefully and had not brought him even her corpse. [The Xak'an] had a rope
tied around [Buljan's] neck and then ordered two mounted men to pull it
between them until the head of this wicked polluter of the holy church was
severed. After seven years Juansher was set free with gifts, and came to his
own country. He found the Saracens at Tiflis
and encamped in many places. Submitting, he paid taxes to them and married
the daughter of Atrnerseh Bagratuni, named Latori [Georg. Latavr].
[98] After some time, Xosroydis, the ostikan of Armenia, came and rebuilt Tiflis,
which had been ruined by the Khazars. Now a certain Leon, son of the Khazar
king's daughter, took a crown and held Abkhazia and Egris as far as Lix
mountain. Arch'il's sons Iwane and Juansher died. Their place was taken by
Curopalate Ashot [Ashot I, the Great, 813-830]. The
emperor elevated him so that the Hagarites' [influence] be weakened. After Leon's death,
his place was taken by his son T'eodos. After some days, amir Xalil [Halid
ibn Yazid ibn Mazyad ash-Shaibani] came and killed Ashot, and was himself
slain in Jawaxet'. Two hundred and nineteen years after the first Mahmet,
Bugha arrived and cast the Armenian country into sorrow. Reaching Tiflis, he killed amir Sahak, for the latter did not
obey him. [g105] He went to Mt'elet' and took 300 hostages from them. [Bugha]
wanted to enter Oset' and encountered a severe snow storm from which many
perished However, no great harm was done to the multitude of survivors, who
numbered about 120,000. [Bugha] returned to Baghdad to winter there. When spring came
he went to Darband, opened the Gate, removed from there 300 Khazar houses and
settled them at Shamk'or. He removed 100 Ossetian [houses ]
from Darial and settled them at Dmanis. At that time the Abkhaz king, Giorgi,
and Lewon's son-in-law, Demetre, arose and captured K'art'li while Liparit
took T'rheghk' and built Kltekars. He made Bagrat's son, Dawit, his heir in
the [99] time of the world-ruler (tiezerakal) Smbat, king of Armenia, who
battled with the Abkhaz king, Constantine, and took K'art'li and Up'lists'xe.
Once again making peace, they became in-laws and he turned back. In those
days, the Saracen military commander, Bulkasim, came to Armenia, then to Tiflis
and thence to Ujarma fortress which he took. The suffragan bishop Koyrike came
to him, found affection and departed thence to Duin. Now Smbat, king of Armenia,
eluded him and went wandering about the mountains of Abkhazia. The tyrant
awaited him, for he had grown haughty with the conquest of Iberia,
[g106] having taken all of K'art'li and numerous fortresses, [such as] T'mok'
and Xuila, wherein he had slain the handsome and valiant lad Gorun, since he
refused to deny Christ. [Gorun's] martyrdom was written down by our blessed
father, Step'anos. The blessed king Smbat also was martyred by the same
tyrant in the city of Duin.
He was tortured for one full year, then strangled and hanged on wood, so that
he share the death and Cross of Christ. [g107]
Chapter
17
In that period the Abkhaz king, Constantine, died leaving
two sons, Gorgi and Bagarat, who fought for the realm until Bagarat died.
Then Georgi, a good man and a church-builder, reigned. The suffragan bishop
Koyrike died and was succeeded [100] by his son, P'atl, who built Lodzoban
fortress. In Georgi's day, amir Sajab came and burned Mts'xet'a and captured the fragmented cross of Nune. He became
afflicted with a stomach ailment and they realized that the scourge was
caused by the cross. Gathering together the broken fragments, they filled
them into a pan and hung it in its proper place. The Abkhaz king gave
K'art'li to his son, Constantine. But after three years [g108] he rebelled
and entered Up'lists'ixe. He was treacherously lured out and slain. The
suffragan bishop, Kiwrike, replaced P'atl, and Lewon, son of king Gorgi, replaced
his father. In this period, Ishxanik was king of the Heret' region and was a
heretic but his mother turned him to orthodoxy. After Lewon, his son Demetre
reigned. His brother T'eodos arrived from Rome and they quarreled about the
patrimony. But then they made peace and swore [oaths of reconciliation] with
each other. Demetre broke [the oath] and had his brother's eyes put out. But
after his own death, they placed T'eodos on the
throne.
David Curopalate, king of T'ayk', raised Gurgen's son, the
lad Bagrat. They sought him as king of Abkhazia. Now Rhat was at Kars and also held the
fortress of Aten and the south side of the Kur river. He did not submit to
Bagrat. So [Bagrat's] father, Gurgen, came to his son and they wanted to go
against Rhat. But [their foes] whispered to David the Curopalate, indicating
that [the two] wanted his head. [101] And [David] believed it. With Armenian
assistance, he put their forces to flight. Bagrat then went [to David] alone,
fell at his feet and swore that he was going against Hrat. [g109] [David]
believed that too and released him in peace. [Bagarat] then went to Abkhazia,
and, in wintertime, turned upon Kltekars to subjugate Hrat. The latter arose
before him, taking his son, Liparit, along. He entrusted Kltekars to him and
then resided at his patrimony, Arguet'. At that time the amir of Gandzak,
P'atlun, grew strong and struck at the princes of Kaxet' and Heret'. And
Bagrat, king of Abkhazia, sent to Gagik, king of Armenia, so that he go with him against amir P'atlun. The two went to Gandzak,
made it tributary, and returned with booty. Bagrat's kingdom prospered. He
built monasteries and churches [for] 36 years. He died in 235 of the Georgian
Era [1014].
His son Georgi succeeded him [George I, 1014-27], ruling
for 16 years. In the fifth year of his reign, the emperor Basil came, and
[Georgi] went against him in the Basen district, but when he observed their
multitude, he turned back. Now Basil pursued him and burned the city of Uxtik'. Georgi turned
back and they fought. Many fell on both sides at the place called Shirimk'.
They killed Liparit's son, Hrat, and Xursi. Georgi displayed great valor and
made Basil turn back. The Iberians, swelled with pride over their small
triumph, [102] pursued the Greeks and put them to the sword. Twice and three
times the Iberians provoked battles, but they were lost and wiped out, and
their land was ruined. For the saint-loving Basil had placed the envivifying
Cross before [him] saying: [g110] "If You destroy me before my enemies,
I shall not serve You as the cause of our salvation and the symbol of
victory." Consequently, Georgi defeated and in a state of total
confusion, gave his son, Bagarat, as a hostage for three years and promised
to serve [Basil]. Basil then went to Trapizon and summoned the great Armenian
kat'oghikos Petros for the feast of Epiphany. Petros blessed the
waters in his presence. The emperor saw a great miracle [unfold] above the
water, praised the faith of the Armenians, and then returned to Constantinople. After three years he sent the boy
Bagarat back to his father. Two years following the return of his son, Georgi
died leaving two sons, Bagrat and Demetre, and two daughters.
Then Bagrat reigned. His mother, Mariam, went to Constantinople and returned with a treaty of peace and
the dignity of curopalate for her son [ca.1031/32]. A woman named Heghine,
from the line of the Greek kings, was sent to be his wife. Bagrat married her
and [after her death] took another wife, Borena, daughter of the Ossetian
king. Under the urging of some princes, his brother Demetre, born of [103]
the same father but not of the same mother, planned to reign. Not succeeding,
he arose and went to Constantinople taking
with him the Anakop'os country, which has remained theirs until the present.
[g111] And Bagrat ruled his entire patrimony. The military commanders Liparit
and Iwane aided the kingdom. By siege they took Tiflis
from amir Jap'ar, but then regretted this and left it to him. However, he did
not remain loyal to the Abkhaz king. The king arose and besieged Tiflis, as did Gagik, king of Kaxet', son of the
Armenian king. The city was so reduced by hunger that one litr of ass
flesh cost 500 dram. They took Tiflis
but left it to the amir until Jap'ar died. Then king Bagrat entered Tiflis and took the fortress' stronghold. It was
[Bagrat] who built the wall of Axalk'aghak'. And since his mother, Mariam,
was the daughter of Senek'erim [Artsruni], the Armenian king, the residents
of Ani gave that city to the queen[-mother] Mariam.
Now great Liparit, in consultation with other azats, called Demetre
back from Greece,
to enthrone him. But this did not succeed. Rather, the Roman troops who were
with [Demetre] turned back, and Basil was obliged to cede to king Bagarat
nine fortresses. And Bagrat became extremely great. He gave the rule of his
monarchy to his son, Gorgi, and went to emperor Monomachus in Constantinople [1042-1055], who exalted him. After
three years the emperor returned him to his own country, requesting of Bagrat
his sister, Goranduxt. All the [104] grandees (didebuls) came before
him and rejoiced greatly. However, the curopalate Liparit held completely the
upper land and was displeased with Bagrat's rule, despite the fact that he
had raised his son and had been made [a] king. Consequently prince Sula
ambushed him and his son, Iwane, and took them before Bagrat. At this [the
king] was delighted [g112] and gave Sula Ts'ixisjuar, Odzrxe, and many gifts.
Torturing Liparit, the king took many [of his] strongholds, dressed him in
clerical garb, and sent him to the emperor. After a few years there, he died.
Servants took his body and buried it in his patimonial cemetary in Kats'xe.
And they made his son, Iwane, the lord of Arguet' only.
At that time a certain man from T'urk'astan, named
Dughlubak' [Tughril Beg] grew strong and became sultan, as the Saracens were
growing weaker. He ruled many peoples and districts. He was succeeded by his
son, Arp'aslan [Alp-Arslan]. He came and took all of K'art'li, killing and
enslaving. Then he went to Ani, capital of Armenia, took it, and filled it
up with the blood of the slain. He further threatened [to ravage] the land of Iberia if Bagarat refused to give him
for a wife his uncle's [mother's brother's] daughter who was daughter of
[his] brother Kiwrike, the Armenian king. Bagarat requested her with
entreaties, but Kiwrike refused. Then the Iberian military commanders,
Varazbakur and Gamrikel, entraped and seized him in the K'ushoy forest. They
notified [105] Bagarat, who went to him, took from him the girl and Shamshoyte,
and then set him free. But after three years he turned upon Iberia and
filled the country with blood. Capturing Tiflis,
he gave it to the amir of Gandzak, P'atlun. And Asxart'an, son of Gagik, king
of Kaxet', came to him and circulated around with the Sultan until he
departed. After this, king Bagrat wanted to go against Tiflis,
but P'atlun heard about this and came against him. And he dispatched
Liparit's son, Iwane, before him with all the Iberian troops and they
defeated the entire army such that only twelve men escaped by a hairsbreadth
over the Tsilkan road. Then he went and spread about by the sources of the
river Argag. He said to those he encountered: "I am P'at'lun's messenger
of glad tidings, for the Abkhaz army was defeated." [g113] Recognizing
him, a certain man said: "Why, you are the amir of amirs, P'at'lun
himself!" He roared with a great noise and the ground quaked. The
inhabitants of the district, informing each other, seized him and took him to
Bagrat. And [Bagrat] took from him Tiflis,
Gag, and K'ozin, which the Iranians had taken from the Armenians and
Iberians, 848 dahekans, and his son as a hostage, and then let him go.
After this, Bagrat died with a good reputation [A.D. 1072],
and his son, the curopalate Georgi [George II, 1072-1112], who had been
ruling with his father during his lifetime,[106]
succeeded. Liparit's son, Iwane, rebelled from him. Winning over the guards
at the keep of Gag, he sold it once again to the lord of Gandzak. In those
days, Sultan Melik' Shah [Malik-Shah] came and took Shamshoyte, looted
K'art'li, and turned to Gandzak. Leaving amir Srahang there, he went to his
own place. After some days Srahang came against Georgi; but, vanquished by
him, he fled back to Gandzak. Georgi took back from the Greeks all the
fortresses which they had taken from them: Anakop'i to the head of Abkhazia,
and in the Klarchet' country, and in Shawshet', Jawaxet', and Artahan and
many strongholds, plus Kars,
and Vanand as well as Shamshoyte from the Turks. As soon as sultan Malik-Shah
heard about this, he came and retook Shamshoyte, captured Iberians and prince
Iwane, and departed. In those days, while Georgi was in the army, Grigor, son
of Bakuran, lord of Uxtik', Kars and Karin
city, came to him and requested Kars
of him, leaving the matter to him. In those days, the Turks raided Iberia,
spilling much blood, [g114] taking captives, and then departing. Their head
was named Buzhghub. And the word of Isaiah was fulfilled, that "Woe to
the people sinful and full of blame, for there shall be no health given them
from head to foot." When king Georgi saw and bore this, as he expected
salvation from no quarter, he gave up to [Buzhghub] his son and went to
sultan Malik-Shah. He found favor with him and returned thence with gifts and
a peace treaty [to the effect that] if he would obediently [107] see to
[paying] taxes, he should have no fear. But because our wickedness comes back
upon us, our multiplied sins prevented us from joyously celebrating the
resurrection of Christ on Easter. For the Lord looked upon the country in
anger and shook it from its foundation. For mountains of rock crashed down
like dust, and cities, villages and churches were overturned, and our feast
turned to mourning, as it is written. [g115]
Chapter
18
However, the Lord did not become totally angry, and did not
keep His grudge forever. Rather, He pardoned [us] as a father [pardons a] son
and gave us a son so that we not resemble Sodom
and Gomorrah.
He raised up for us the horn of salvation from the House of David--Georgi's
only son, David, from the very same line of the father of God, David--from
the Bagratid house. His father Georgi, in his old age, crowned him, speaking
the truth: "The heavenly Father said unto him, 'I have found my servant
David and I annoint him with my holy oil. May my hand lift him up and my arm strengthen him, with others.' It became morning for
us, and the spirit of life breathed in us and blew [cool air] upon our weary
brows. [David] was 16 years old and full of brilliant wisdom. For [in] Liparit's
son, Iwane, he recognized a rebel and after [108] [Iwane] returned from
captivity, [David] put him into prison so that he be counseled. But as soon
as he had removed his fetters and honored him with the same greatness [he had
enjoyed before], [g116] then, like a dog, he returned to his own vomit. Once
again [David] seized him and sent him to the Greeks.
In the fourth year of David's reign, sultan Malik-Shah died
[1092]. Then the Franks arose and (re)took Jerusalem,
Antioch and
the entire [Levantine] coast. David grew powerful and built up K'art'li, and
did not pay taxes to the Turks. King Kiwrike of Kaxet' died and Asxart'an,
his brother's son, reigned. David looked upon the Church wisely--for it had
no light. Rather, the leaders were blind and avaricious and robbers had
entered [the churches] through the walls and windows rather than through the
doors, like shepherds. Such were the bishops in this period. They ordained
priests for bribes, as they themselves [had been ordained],
they set up stupid, greedy suffragan bishops and emplanted lawlessness in the
House of God. The great eye observed this and was displeased. For the sins of
the church and land were not those of shepherds and flocks, vardapets
and common people but rather [resembling] the servant who, knowing his lord's
will and straying, must take many beatings. Consequently [David] assembled by
him [109] the kat'oghikos, the bishops, and the stupified priests, and
ordered that an election be held among the good and bad and that the
worthless ones be expelled. [So that] seeing the canonical orders the church hierarchy so act and [so] command the ignorant. They moved
in accord with the command of Scripture, giving the [ecclesiastical] throne
to the good, and removing the worthless, just as the inedible and loathsome
are removed from the nets. He did this like Constantine the Great. Receiving
strength from God, he struck the multitude of Turks with but a few troops and
stopped their comings and goings in the land of the Christians. For the Lord
had given him the promise of the just, and one [man] could put to flight
1,000 [enemies], and two [men], 10,000. For [he acted] not as Eghiazaros
Awaran, who grew dazed, [g117] sticky with the enemies' blood, on the
contrary, himself dripping with blood, he turned back the multitude, and then
loosened his belt, bled, and relaxed. He was, moreover, a builder of
monasteries and churches, just as he constructed two churches to the blessed
Mother of God in a charming spot. He went in person to see after the monasteries,
the orders of worship, and the comfort of hostles, and he provided whatever
was lacking. In various places he constructed houses for the soul, for the
rest of travelers.
[110] In that period some 10,O00
Turks raided in Trialeti (T'rheghk'). David was at Nacharmad. When he heard
about them, he came in the night with few troops. In the morning, with God's
aid, he beat them until evening. Only a few survivors fled at night.
Similarly there were tens of thousands of Turkic troops which had descended
into the Tayk' country. [David] went and struck them, and took their goods;
and the country of Iberia
filled up with good things. He sent his son, Demetre, to the Shruan area, and
he succeeded in taking the fortress of K'aladzor, returning thence in joy.
But while the great David was celebrating the feast of Easter at Naxedran,
they brought him news that the Turks had slain Beshken in Jawaxet' and had
come and encamped on the shores of the Erasx. He went against them and
destroyed and captured their entire army. David made marriage alliances with
the kings of Greece
and Shruan giving his daughters to them and [thereby] getting [their]
support. His wife, Goranduxt, was the daughter of the Qipchaq chief, that is At'rak of the Huns. With their aid he
subjugated the Ossetian kings, took hostages from them and made peace between
the Ossetians and Huns. He took the Darial fortress and all the gates of
Oset' to mount Kawkas. From there he sent the
Qipchaqs, who went and destroyed the might of the Turks. [David] also took the
fortress-city [g118] of the Armenians, Lorhe. At this time Malik-Shah's son,
Malik', died, as did the Greek king Alexs and Georgi Dchqondideli [111]
(Chghunditel) who had been loyal from birth. The king and the entire kingdom
mourned him for twenty days and buried him at Nor vank'.
Now [David] kept with him on Iberian land 40,000 Qipchaqs
with their families and sons, plus 500 young children whom he raised at his
court as Christians, and still others, day by day, were baptized and studied
the faith of our Lord. He armed the 40,000 and designated spasalars
for them and repelled Iran
and T'urk'astan with them. It is said that he resembed a swift, fleet-footed
panther, by which the vision of Daniel described Alexander. Our Alexander was
no less than he, although younger, yet comparable in fortune. For he struck
at the Turks in [their] wintering grounds of T'ughark' and filled up with
booty. On the thirteenth of February and on the same septenary of fasting, he
took Kapa city and filled Iberia
up with gold and silver. On May fifth he raided Layizhk' as far as K'urdawan
and Xshtalan and returned to K'art'li in wealth. The same year he went to
Ashorni and beat the army of Turks until there were not [even] mourners left
in their tents. During wintertime he went to Abkhazia as far as Binchit'a and
put [these areas] in order. Now the Turkmens ascended the mountains of Armenia in
summertime and in wintertime descended to the warm meadows by the banks of
the [112] Kur river--but not without great preparation due to fear of David.
However, that year they were without a care because of the king's distance.
The king returned, skirting mount
Lix before him, and
came to K'art'li. [g119] He found prepared troops in the month of March and
went to Xunan and did not allow [any] of the multitude of Turks to live. He
crossed to Partaw and, in the villages, he discovered fugitives from the
Turks. He put them to the sword and returned in peace.
At that time some Turkish merchants from Dmanis and Tiflis
who had been robbed, and other remnants who had been driven out, blackened
their clothes, some their faces, some their hands and feet and went before
the Sultan, bemoaning themselves because of David. The Sultan summoned the
king of the Arabs, the son of Altux, and all the Mesopotamian amirs, and sent
them against David. On August twelveth they reached Trialeti, Manklis and
Didgork'. The king called upon Jesus our God for aid and calmly went against
them. He downed the first among [their] seniors and put them to flight.
Pursuing, he put all of them to the sword leaving them to the carnivorous
beasts and birds of the mountains and plains. [The Iberians] filled up with
horses, camels, donkeys, Arabian furniture and noble amir [113] captives.
What tongue can relate the wonders which our sustaining Christ gave us on
that day? And what are the narrations of Homer and Aristotle to me about the
Trojan War and the bravery of Achilles or Josephus' writings about the valor
of the Maccabees or Alexander and Titus at Jerusalem? Because until David, for four
hundred years, the kings of Iberia
were unable to make Tiflis entirely their
own. Now in these days the Sultan went to Shruan, took Shamaxi, seized the
Shruan-Shah and dispatched emissaries to David, saying: "Be well, king
of the deepest forests, for you dare not issue out of your lairs. Should you
wish [g120] to come out of your ambush, see me here. Otherwise, send me my
taxes, and I shall depart." As soon as the king heard about this, he
ordered up the cavalry and assembled the entire multitude of his forces and
went to him. When the Sultan learned of this, he was horror-stricken and
entered Shamaxi city, fortifying it with a deep ditch. Then he sent to
[David], saying: "From you I seek neither taxes nor war, but only a road
so that I may leave." At the same time, the atabeg (At'apak)
of Aghbania, Asxandul, came to the Sultan with 10,000 troops. David's army
struck [them] and [Asxandul] himself, escaping by a
hairsbreadth, came to the Sultan. Yet more terrified, at night he secretly
left by another road for his own land. The king returned [114] to his
country. One month later he went back to Shruan, took the royal residence of
Gulstan fortress, placed the land under taxation, and returned to Iberia. He
also took the Armenian castles of Dmanis, Gag, Terunakan, K'awazin, Nor-berd,
Manasagom, and Xalinchk'ar. Then he crossed by the upper area to Basen and
Isper and wherever he found Turks, he wiped them out. In great triumph he
returned to Iberia
in the month of August. Then a letter reached him from the seniors of Ani,
saying: "Come, and we shall place the city in
your hands." [David] went with 60,000 cavalry and took [Ani] after three
days. Turning to Shruan, he took the city of Shamaxi and the entire country. Then he
returned to K'art'li, leaving troops at Her and Kax and the loyal Simeon as
official of the country.
What shall we relate about his goodness? For he built up
every part of the east and filled it with inhabitants. He was spiritually
sentient and brave and read all the Scriptures. When his eye wearied, he
would listen day and night, for sleep did not impede him at night, nor the
cares of the world in daytime, nor pleasure while supping and dining. He was
charitable and merciful toward Christians. When Tiflis
was held by the Turks and every day the Christian [g121] inhabitants' blood
was shed and the merchants were placed outside, [David] did not rest until
this scandal to the [115] Christians was eliminated. With Christ's aid, he
made that corrupter of the land, the Sultan, a tributary, seated the people
of Ishmael in ashes and mastered the tyrants of the land, as man masters a
beast. He kept fasts and prayed at length and gave gifts to the Church [even
to those located] in Greece,
Cilicia, Cyprus, and Holy Jerusalem. He
built a monastery on Mt.
Sinai, and every year
sent thousands and tens of thousands of treasures. As for the writings and
vessels of holiness, who can count them? Furthermore, he wanted to unite the
Armenians and Iberians. He summoned Yovhannes, kat'oghikos of
K'art'li, and Arsenios K'art'lets'i, translator of Georgian and Greek, and
the bishops and vardapets of Armenia, and held a meeting. They
examined [matters] from morning until evening, but did not accept each other
[doctrinally]. Then the king said: "We are unskilled in the deep words
which you bring forth and you are unable to find a way out." He himself,
using simple, clear words, calmed both sides and dissolved the assembly.
But he loved the Armenian people and churches and a certain
rhetorician vardapet from Haghbat, named Sarkawag. [David] confessed
his sins to him and, bowing his honorable head, was blessed by him. Sitting
with him, he embraced his neck. But [Sarkawag] said: "I am a broken man,
and reek in my old age. Leave me, that you do not
grow weary." Yet [116] the king kissed him and said: "Let this
fragrance never cease from you, reverend father." And [David] bestowed
upon him as a gift, a village near the monastery, in service to him. Blessing
the king, [Sarkawag] placed his hand on [David's] head and spoke: "I have
found my servant, David, and with holy oil I annoint him to the tenth
house." The king was pleased, and praised the beautiful Armenian
translation. And indeed, we saw the word of the Psalm [g122] fulfilled upon
the king. Many of those words suited him, for through God he was freed from
many traps unthinkable to man, and he survived. Sometimes while hunting deer,
he fell from his horse and was laid out senseless like a dead man, yet he
would arise through the power of the Mystery. Once when warring with a
fortress, an arrow came from the wall and struck the face of Gabriel, which
he wore around his neck, and so he survived with angelic intercession. Having
accumulated such goodness he approached the heavenly. But his corporeal life
grew ill [and he died] when he was fifty-three years of age, on the
twenty-fifth day of January. And they enthroned...[g123]
Originally published at: http://rbedrosian.com/hsrces.html
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