THE LIFE AND TIMES

OF

ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR (257-331)

FOUNDER OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ARMENIAN.

BT

The Rev. S. C. MALAN

PREFACE.

The question, asked some time ago,—whether or not, “holy” stands before “Catholic Church,” in the Armenian version of the Nicene Creed—led me to think that a few authentic documents in connexion with the Armenian Church, might prove acceptable to those who take interest in more than one branch of Christ’s holy Catholic Church on earth.

I therefore gathered together and translated the following:—

I. A short Summary of the Armenian Church and Nation, which is a reprint in a separate form from the Minutes of Home Administration in Russia, for the year 1843. The copy kindly lent me on this occasion by the Rev. R. W. Blackmore, Rector of Donhead S. Mary, Wilts, was given him in 1843, by Nerses V., who was then Patriarch elect of Armenia, and was afterwards visited at Etchmiadzin by Muravieff, as mentioned by him in his travels. So that the information contained in this summary may be relied on as correct, so far as it goes.

II. The Acts and Martyrdom of S. Thaddeus and of S. Bartholomew, the Apostles of Armenia. These are translated from the Armenian, and give the traditions on the subject commonly believed in the Armenian Church.

III. The Life and Times of S. Gregory the Illuminator, the Founder and Patron Saint of the Armenian Church. The translation here given is from the original by the Vartabed Matthew (of Tokat?), published at Venice in 1749.

In preparing this, I had the choice of two things—either to select my own materials, and, acting as critic, to write a history of S. Gregory; or to translate one already written from the best, if not the only available, authorities, namely, Agathangelos and Simeon Metaphrastes, by an Armenian, with Armenian sympathies for “the Sun of Armenia,” as S. Gregory is called among his own people. I chose the latter course as preferable; my object in this case being, not so much to sever truth from fiction, or, at least, probable facts from mere legends, as to put into English the history of the first Patriarch and Patron Saint of Armenia, as it is commonly received in his Church, without any comment of my own, beyond an occasional word or note by way of explanation, always enclosed within brackets. I therefore aimed only at giving a grammatical trans­lation, purposely leaving the idiom thereof such as to remind the reader that both the original and the translation of it give other men’s thoughts, and not my own.

IV. The Confession of Faith of the Armenian Church, I first began the translation of this treatise from the Russian, work of Joseph, once Patriarch of Armenia and Prince Dolgorucki, published at S. Petersburg in 1799, which is yet spoken of among Russian Armenians as the standard book on the subject. Although it professes to be translated from the Armenian, as stated on the title-page, I yet soon found that it is almost word for word the translation of Schroeder’s Confessio Fidei Armenicae Ecclesiae, written by himself with notes of his own, and found in his Thesaurus Linguae Armenicae, pp. 249—298. I then translated it from his copy, and the authorities given, from the Armenian; comparing Schroeder’s original with the Russian translation, which is tolerably correct; except that it omits all the bits of scholarship or of close criticism given by the learned German.

Lest, however, I should make a mistake, I wrote to S. Petersburg; and through the kind offices of his Excellency Mr. De Golovnine, late Minister of Public Instruction, I ascertained from Mr. Delianoff, an Armenian, who is Senator, Secretary of State, at­tached to the Ministry of Public Instruction, and Director of the Imperial Library, that there exists no Armenian original of this Russian translation by the Patriarch Joseph; so, that we may look upon Schroeder’s treatise as the true expression of the Armenian faith. For the Patriarch calls God and men to witness that it is so; and challenges the latter to find aught amiss in it.

We may therefore rely on the authenticity thereof; bearing in mind, however, that as it is the Confession of Faith of the Armenian Church, by which is always understood the Armeno-Gregorian, or Armenian Church of S. Gregory, this Confession is always placed at the beginning of the Common Prayer Book (Jamakirk) of that Church; whence, therefore, it is with sundry prayers, removed, in the editions of that book published by schismatic or Romish Armenians. It is not found in the Jamakirk I have, published at Venice in 1837, while it forms, so to speak, the preface to the one I brought from Constantinople, published by Gregorian Armenians.

V.  The Order of Holy Baptism in the Armenian Church. I translated this from that order, as it is given in the Medz Mashdots, or Armenian Ritual: comparing it with the Russian translation thereof by the Patriarch Joseph, and with the Order of Baptism given me at Jerusalem by the Armenian Archbishop, and published by his authority.

VI. The Office of the Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church. This is translated from an original I bought at Constantinople, and compared with the translation by the Patriarch Joseph, with the Romish Armenian Liturgy published at Venice, and with the French translation by Dulaurier. The differences between all these are given in notes.

VII. Instruction in the Cbristian Faith of the Armenian Church, by the Vartabed Mser, and published in Armenian at Moscow in 1850, under the auspices of the Patriarch Nerses V, already mentioned. It is an important treatise for the knowledge of the Armenian faith, inasmuch as it gives native authorities for every point of doctrine put forward.

VIII. The Differences between the Armenian and the Greek Churches. This is an interesting and well written account by Muravieff, not only of the differences in doctrine that sever the Armenian Church from the Greek, but also of all the efforts at reunion between the two Churches, made chiefly by S. Nerses of Cla or Hromgla, ajid the Archbishop of Lampron. This account is translated from the Russian of Muravieff’s Travels, vol. 2. pp. 206—257.

Of these several treatises, all prepared for the press at the same time, only the first three are now published. The small interest still taken in such matters, in spite of a great deal of desultory talk about “the reunion of Christendom,” does not justify the publishers in attempting more at present.

INTRODUCTION

A SHORT SUMMARY OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH AND PEOPLE.

I. Of the Armenian Kingdom and Nation.

AMONG the many and various nationalities of the Russian Empire at present gathered by Providence into one body, there is found in the Armenian people, also called Haiks or Haikans, the remnant of one of the oldest stocks or types of the human race. In spite of endless vicissitudes and revolutions during a long line of centuries, this people alone, among Eastern nations, still retains its peculiar features with, as it were, stubborn constancy and exclusiveness. It still cherishes its original customs, manners, and habits, together with the associations and ideas inherited from a high ancestry, not only wherever it is scattered over the whole earth, but especially at home, in the land of its once powerful and glorious existence; where it now lingers among the ruins of its ancient cities, and the crumbling monuments of its great men of old. Yet in no respects is the Armenian people so whole and united as in matters of faith drawn from the first at the spring of Eastern light, through the preaching of Christ’s Gospel, which, owing to peculiar circumstances, has caused a singular exception in the Christian world— namely, the isolated individual community called the Armenian Church.

Armenians themselves, relying on traditions still preserved among them, trace their origin up to Haik, a grandson of Japhet, who lived at the time of the Tower of Babel, and took part in it; and who, after the confusion of tongues and the dispersion of peoples that happened there, left the plains of Shinar for the foot of Ararat, that second cradle of the human race. There he established himself and his family, the parent stock of the people that called themselves Haikans, after him their ancestor, and gave the name of Haizdan or Haikstan to the land in which they first settled. The sixth descendant in a straight line from Haik, by name Aram, a cotemporary and ally of the great Assyrian Ninus, distinguished himself in so many ways, but especially by conquests and victories, that ever since, the surrounding nations called all Haikans Armenians, and their land, the land of Haik, Armenia. Any how, the name of Armenia, variously written, appears from time immemorial and every where as the proper name of the land which, from the first, was called by its own people Haistan, and is so called unto this day.

There was a time when the frontiers of Armenia or Haïstan extended far and wide. They embraced first and foremost the high table-land crowned by the hills of Ararat, which, spreading in the form of a triangle, between the chains of the Caucasus and Taurus, reached unto three inland seas, the Black Sea, the Caspian, and the Mediterranean, where this forms the Bay of Alexandretta. There lay the original kernel of the Armenian nation, which, in after time, developed itself so far, as to be no longer held within the ranges of the Caucasus and of Mt. Taurus, but to be thus obliged to push into Asia Minor on the one side, and on the other as far as the mountains of Iran. But the ancient land of Armenia, properly so called, was bounded on the east by the lake of Urmiah, and the course of the rivers Kur and Araxes; on the west by the sources of the Kizil-Irmak, the classic Halys; on the north by the upper courses of the Kur and Chorok; and on the south by the high chain of the Kurdish Taurus, divided asunder by the rivers Euphrates and Tigris.

Formerly Armenia was divided by geographers and historians into Greater and Lesser; being parted the one from the other by the Euphrates, that takes its source in the interior of Armenia proper; Greater Armenia being on the left bank or eastern side of the river, and Lesser Armenia on the western side of it.

Greater Armenia was then divided into the following fifteen provinces:—I. Pardzr-Haik, or upper Armenia; II. Daik, afterwards called Akhaltzik; III. Kukar, the Gogarene of the Ancients, now called Somkhet; IV. Udi, formerly called Otena, now Shaki; V. Charrod-Haik, or fourth Armenia, on the borders of the Sophene of Greek and Latin writers; VI. Duruperan, or Taron of the ancients; VII. Ararat, the heart of Armenia; VIII. Vasburagan, called Aspuragan and Vasparagan by Byzantine historians; IX. Siunik, otherwise called Sisagan, probably the Sacasene of classic authors; X. Artsak, now Karaban; XI. Pkhaidagaran, to which belongs the present Shirwan, called by Armenian writers Khorin-Haik, that is, Inner Armenia; XII. Agtsnik, otherwise Agtsen, the Arzana and Arzanena of Byzantine writers; XIH. Mokk, probably the classic Moxoene; XIV. Gord-Haik, that is, Kurdish-Armenia, the Gordene or Cordiene of Greek and Latin authors; and lastly, XV. Parska-Haik, the Persian Armenia of classic authors.

Lesser Armenia, on the other hand, on the western side of the Euphrates, contained only five provinces, which were:—I. Aratchin-Haik, or First Armenia; II. Ergrort-Haik, or Second Armenia; III. Errort-Haik, or Third Armenia; IV. Euphratesia, called Comagene by ancient writers; and V. Cilicia, otherwise Zemlia-Sisskaia (the Land of Sis) and Tsogr-Alshan, or Coele-Syria.

According to home traditions, almost the whole of this region was under the descendants of Haik, who governed it at times as independent rulers, and at others, as more or less dependent on their powerful neighbours of Assyria, Persia, or Media, until the dismemberment of ancient Asia, wrought by the conquests of Alexander the Great. The last king of the race and dynasty of Haik was Baghe, who perished, they say, while fighting against the Macedonian conqueror, as ally of the ill-fated Darius Codomannus (BC. 328).

From that time Armenia has been a prey to the troubles that convulsed Western Asia in consequence of the utter extinction of her line of native kings.

After the death of Alexander, Armenia, which then stood in the position of a conquered province, endeavoured in vain to recover her former independent state. For the Seleucidm, who helped themselves to all the lands brought by Alexander under his own dominion, were not disposed to keep their hands off Armenia; but they obliged her to be governed by rulers of their own choice.

Under Antiochus the Great, however, two native Armenians, Artaxias and Zadriad, who had been appointed by the Seleucidse governors of Greater and of Lesser Armenia respectively, took advantage of the defeat of Antiochus by the Roman army (b.c. 199), and proclaimed once more their native land independent; each of them continuing ruler of his own division of the country. Zadriad, who governed Lesser Armenia, handed down his throne to his descendants, whose rule continued until the final overthrow of North-western Asia by Mithridates the Great, king of Pontus. Then, after various changes, this part of Armenia was added to the Roman Empire under Vespasian. But Greater Armenia, no later than in the days of Artabazd’, son of Artaxias, surrendered herself willingly into the hands of Arsaces VI (or Mithridates I), king of Parthia, sumamed Arsaces the Great, who then made his own brother king over her, and after him his son Valarsaces, called Vologeses in classic authors, who founded his own new dynasty of Armenian kings that retained the title of Arsacidae, as well as that of kings of Parthia.

The rule of the Arsacidae continued in Armenia for nearly six centuries, from b.c. 149 to a.d. 428. The beginnings thereof were both the happiest and brightest times for Armenia. But when Mithridates the Great fell, and the barrier that kept off the Romans from North-western Asia was thus thrown down, Armenia, that lay on the road to Parthia, became the scene of the most bloody contests and of disastrous wars, between those two European and Asiatic Empires, struggling with each other on that field of battle for the sovereignty of the then known world. Affinity of blood and of nation, however, led Armenia to side with the Parthians, with whom she found a natural protection against the Romans; a boon which had to be purchased at a high price by submission on the part of the younger Armenian Arsacids to the elder Parthian branch of the same dynasty. But when the elder Arsacidae were put down by Ardashir or Artaxerxes, who restored the Persian Monarchy in the centre of Asia, for the sake of the Sassanidian dynasty which he founded, this new dynasty brought to bear all the hereditary and family jealousies of the elder Parthian Arsacidae, upon the younger Armenian branch of that same family, and for this reason it tried to put them under the dependency of Rome.

When, however, the seat of the Roman Empire was brought to the Bosphorus, on the borders of Asia, the nearer approach of the Roman armies to those of Persia, which had taken up the place, and acted the part of Parthia in the East, only tended to increase their mutual jealousy. Then did Armenia fare still worse. She had to suffer not only from every encounter of these formidable neighbours, but also from others; until the end of it was, that the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius the Great and the Persian Shah Shapur III (a.d. 387) parted that unfortunate country between themselves. The Arsacids continued yet a little while among the faded remains of their ancestry, with a mere shadow of power, as vassals both of Emperors and of Shahs. Then came a moment when one of these, Chosroes III, gathered once more the whole of the former kingdom of Armenia under his rule, proclaiming himself tributary both of Byzantium and of Iran. This, however, did not last long. For Shah Behram V. deposed Ardashes IV, the successor of Chosroes, thus putting an end to the power of the Armenian Arsacidas, and, withal, effacing in Armenia the faintest trace of her independent existence.

After this, and for about two hundred years (a.d. 428—632), the greater portion of Armenia continued under the rule of the Persian Shahs, being governed by men of their own choice, called “Marzbans.” Meanwhile the Byzantine Emperors who had posses­sion of sundry fragments of the Armenian kingdom, would not give up their pretensions to the whole. In time, however, the Sassanidian monarchy fell during the political convulsions caused in the very heart of Asia by the religion of Mahomet and the conquests of the Caliphs (a.d. 632). And then, Armenia, groaning under the Arab yoke, gave herself up of her own accord to the Emperor Heraclius, who made for her a new order of rulers, with the Byzantine title of “Patricians” or “Curopalates.” These Curopalates and Patricians were in general chosen from native Armenians, as the Marzbans had also been chosen by the Persian Shahs

But the Caliphs who had inherited the power of the Sassanid», received also with it all their preten­sions to the land of Armenia. They soon, therefore, Bhared with the Caesars the right of government in Armenia; but later, having succeeded in bringing the whole country under their sole dominion, they set over it Governors of their own, called “Osdigans.”

This state of things lasted about two centuries (a.d. 693—859), during which Armenia was a prey to continual revolutions and domestic troubles, caused on the one hand by the fanaticism and the despotism of Mahomedan princes, and on the other hand, also, by remnants of national vanity and self-love, fed and flattered by powerful native families accustomed to lord it over their own race with the titles of Marzbans, Patricians, or Curopalates’.

Such was, in general, the ancient, illustrious, and powerful family of the Bagratidae, for whom Armenian tradition claims a Hebrew origin, and who certainly did exist in Armenia in the times of the Haikan dynasties; while under the Arsacidae they still constituted a powerfill aristocratic family, which alone had the right to crown the kings of Armenia. During the Persian and the Byzantine periods, many of them were governors of Armenia. Under the Caliphs they yielded with bad grace to the authority of the “Osdigans  appointed by them, and often managed to get themselves appointed governors of their country, with the Byzantine title of Patricians, wrung by force from the Caliphs. At last one of them, Ashod, surnamed the Great, obliged the Caliph Motovakkel to acknowledge him independent governor of Armenia, with the title of Prince of Princes (a.d. 859), which was afterwards changed by the Caliph Maatmed into the full title of “King” (a.d. 885). Thus was founded the Third Dynasty of native Armenian kings, some of whom reigned under the pompous title of “Shahan­shah,” that is, “Prince over Princes.”

Yet the sentence against Armenia had gone forth. The dynasty of the Bagratidaa soon began to grow weaker and weaker through internal decay, divided, as it was, in many branches, every one of which claimed the title of “King.” The chief of these royal families that retained for itself the title of “ Shahanshah ” exhausted its resources, not only with internal dissensions, but also in fruitless attempts to resist the growing power of the Seldjucide Turks in the interior of Asia, and was thus obliged to make over to the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monachus (a.d. 1045) its assumed rights and the pompous but empty titles of a power all but extinct. The branch of the Bagratidse that reigned in Kars soon followed that example towards the Emperor Constantine Lucas (a.d. 1064), and the third off­shoot of that ancient family, that had ruled for centuries in the Armenian Albania, held out a little longer, but in the same pitiable plight. The last known descendants of it were, towards the end of the thirteenth century, in bondage among the Mongols, where they finally disappeared for ever.

But the ancient and illustrious Empire of Byzantium was not in a condition to maintain its hold on the provinces of Armenia which it had acquired, much less to extend its dominion over that country. It is true, indeed, that soon after the Bagratidm had ceased to govern, under the Emperor Nicephoros Botaniates (a.d. 1080), Byzantium gained a few detached portions of ancient Armenia, that was raised by the Caliph Moktaderbillah (a.d. 908) to the rank of an independent and separate kingdom, on behalf of the Ardzrunian family, that belonged to some of the principal and most distinguished in Armenia. But this was the last advantage the Eastern Empire gained in that direction. The Seldjucides pushed their frontiers farther and further towards the city of Constantine, and soon the whole of Armenia was in their power. They made over the government thereof to their Emirs, chosen either from among themselves, or from among the Kurds, some of whom assumed the title of “Shahs of Armenia.”

But the intestine discords and dissensions, which soon arose among the Seldjucides, encouraged eager neighbours; not the Byzantines, but the Georgians, who, under King David II (a.d. 1124), rose against their oppressors, and not only drove them from their native land, but also carried their conquests into the heart of Armenia. From that time, the greater part of Armenia changed hands alternately from the Turks to the Georgians, until at last the incursion of the Mongols (a.d. 1232—1239) put an end to their disputes, spreading, as it did, far and wide, ruin, desolation, and woe; and sealing for ever the servitude of Armenians themselves in their own land.

Yet there remained one last fragment of the historical existence of the Haikan nation within the borders of the original Haistan, among the defiles of Mount Taurus, in the ancient and classic land of Cilicia. Thither had fled Ruben, a relative of the last of the Bagratidae, Kakik II, when that royal race was all but destroyed by the Byzantine Emperor; and there Ruben, aided by others of his fellow-citizens who had previously taken refuge in those parts, got up an independent Armenian kingdom, which handed down an hereditary dynasty that lasted nearly three centuries (a.d. 1080—1342). This dynasty, in the person of Leon II., obtained the title of “Royal” from the Crusaders (a.d. 1198), with whom it always maintained most friendly relations.

These Rubenians or Rubenides, who reckoned themselves the fourth Armenian dynasty, knew how to hold out against the Byzantines and the Seldjucides. But they found enemies too powerful for them in the Egyptian Mameluks, against whom they vainly tried to protect themselves by alliance with the Mongols. Their race having died out with Leon V. (a.d. 1342), it was revived, on the female side, from the Lusinian dynasty of Cyprus; but not for long. For Leon VI was carried away captive by the Mameluks, and brought to Egypt (a.d. 1375), whence, having been redeemed by the king of Castile, John I., he wandered about in exile over Europe, until at last he died at Paris (a.d. 1391). And then, with him, was the name of Armenia for ever blotted out of the page of history.

With the downfall of the Arsacids, Armenians began to emigrate from their country, then made over to the yoke of servitude, and ground down under a heavy load of misery. Already in the fifth and sixth centuries numbers of Armenians were found in Asia Minor; and about the middle of the eleventh century they made up a very considerable community in Egypt. As the misfortunes of their native land increased, so also did they leave it in greater numbers, and spread themselves abroad in various countries: willingly or against their will, in Bingle families or in whole colonies, did they wander over the world.

The wandering life, without a home, to which they doomed themselves by quitting their own land, turned their native disposition, enterprise, and aptitude almost entirely towards traffic and merchandise; so that they became the principal merchants and traffickers between Europe and Asia. Whence it happened that they settled with preference in places situate on the borders of those two continents. After the time of the Mongols, they spread themselves all over the wide limits those hordes had occupied in Eastern Europe; in the khanates of Astrakhan and of Kazan; in the Crimea and the Russian Ukraine, especially in Volhynia and in Galicia. Afterwards they settled under the Osmanlis, in Constantinople, and thence overran the whole eastern shore of the Mediterranean. When the interior of Asia became settled under the rule of the Persian Sophis, they found their way into Iran, whence they passed into India, as far as Madras and Calcutta, and thence returned to Europe. At last, in this same Europe, they in the course of time divided themselves, and went to dwell partly within the borders of Austria, in Vienna and Venice, and partly in the wide empire of Russia, in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Thus does the Armenian nation exist at present, scattered over boundless dominions, from the Indian Ocean to the Baltic, from the steppes of Tartaiy to the banks of the Nile, and to the slopes of the Alps and of the Carpathian mountains. Meanwhile their own land, the Haistan of old, is at present subject to three powers—Russia, Turkey, and Persia.

II. Of the Armenian Church,

The strongest bond of union between the scattered members of the Armenian people is undoubtedly, as we have already remarked, the unity of the Arme­nian Church. The faith of the Fathers, which outlived all the troubles and disasters that have befallen the nation, being devoutly cherished by their descendants, united them in one body, however scattered they be, under one visible head.

According to traditions preserved, not only among Armenians, but in the whole Christian world, the honour of having first received and embraced the Gospel, from the land of Judaea, even in the days of our Saviour on earth, belongs to ancient Armenia. The intercourse by letters between the Saviour and Abgarus, one of the Armenian Arsacidae, who reigned in Edessa from b.C. 5 to a.d. 32, is a known fact; as well as the image, not wrought with hand, of the Son of God, which Abgarus obtained afterwards, and which is honoured by the whole Christian Church, relying on traditions, under the name of the Holy Image. Meanwhile, and at the same time, the living word of the Gospel was brought into Armenia by Thaddeus, one of the Apostles, who was afterwards joined by the Apostles Bartholomew and Judas. All three watered with their blood the seeds of the Gospel which they preached in Armenia. But the superstition that prevailed at the time, which was a mixture of Persian fire-worship with Greek idolatry, was so gross and so ingrained in the people, that a long time elapsed ere the good seed then sown could take root, grow, and yield abundant fruit’.

But the finishing of the work begun by the Apostles was reserved for S. Gregory, who has immortalized himself in the history of the Christian Church under the name of “the Illuminator,” in Armenian “Lusavoritch He was of the reigning family of the Arsacidae, and lived and wrought towards the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth centuries; a time of trouble for Armenia. That country was then under Ardashir, the father of the Sassanidss; who, after putting down the Arsacids of Parthia, caused the death of Chosroes I, the Arsacide then reigning in Armenia, by the hand of Anak, another man of the same family (a.d. 282). The sons of both the onewho was slain and of his murderer then found refuge with the Romans: Dertad or Tiridat es, the son of Chosroes, found it in Rome; and Gregory, the son of Anak, was taken to Caesarea of Cappadocia, where he was brought up from his infancy in the principles of the Christian faith. Providence, however, brought them both back to their native land: the one for the prosperous establishment, and the other for the enlightenment, of Armenia.

But they did not soon come together into agreement, separated as they had been from their infancy. For Tiridates, who was raised to the throne of his ancestors by the help of the Romans (a.d. 259), received from them also his hatred of Christians; so that he rewarded the first efforts of Gregory in preaching the Gospel, by casting him into a deep pit, in which the brave martyr spent thirteen whole years of his life. He came out thence at last with glory; and, having baptized Tiridates, he firmly established the faith of Christ in Armenia (a.d. 289). At the request of the king, Gregory went to Caesarea to be consecrated Hierarch over his new flock of Christians (about a.d. 802); and founded his seat, the cathedral of all Armenia, in the city of Valarshabad, on the spot where he had been accounted worthy to behold Jesus Christ in a vision; and he gave to that place the name of “Etchmiadzin,” which in Armenian means “the descent of the Only Begotten.” From thence he continued his great work of enlightening Armenia, by sending every where teachers and pastors, and by building churches and monasteries; until, after he had laid the firm foundations of an outward and inward Christian Church in Armenia, he ended his life in solitude, and retired from the world (a.d. 331). Out of gratitude for so great a man does the Armenian Church call herself, after his own sainted name, Gregorian.

The successors of S. Gregory on his cathedral chair, who took to themselves the title of “ Patriarch”, followed straight in the steps of him, the Illuminator. The conflict they had to bear, however, was hard. For the infant Church had at once to struggle with the heathenism of the country, favoured and kept up, as it was then, by many princes of the land. The neighbouring Shahs of Persia, moreover, did not fail to turn this opportunity to their own advantage, by taking under their protection the enemies of Christianity—partly from fanaticism, and partly from political motives; as at that time Christianity was raised by Constantine on the throne of the Boman Emperors, their natural enemies and jealous rivals. But, of course, the Patriarchs of Armenia were driven to solicit assistance from the Christian Emperors, thus increasing the bitter hatred of the Persian Shahs, not only for themselves, but also for the descendants of Tiridates that took up arms against them. Nevertheless, the Armenian Patriarchs had both sense and strength left to appease strifes, to quell seditions, to thwart perfidious designs, and thus to strengthen the tottering throne of the Arsacidse without ceasing to look to the welfare of the Church committed to their charge.

Thus, among the near successors of S. Gregory, did the Patriarchs Nerses I and Isaak (Sa’ak) I distinguish themselves; both of whom are mentioned in Armenian annals with the additional name of “Great.” The latter made famous his long patriarchate (a.d. 390—440) by the translation of the whole of the Holy Scriptures, and of many other works, into Armenian; for hitherto there not only existed no Armenian literature, but not even Armenian characters. This, however, was accomplished by him with the help of Mesrob, who founded a whole school of remarkable thinkers and writers, that created what is called “ the golden period ” for the enlightenment of ancient Armenia. Then, also, did the country live out her last days of an independent existence. For Isaac was obliged at one time to take in hand the rule of government (a.d. 419—422), and at another to abandon his cathedral seat, and wander about in exile (a.d. 428—439). In his days the throne of the Arsacidae fell for ever; and Armenia was brought under the galling yoke of the Sassanidm, of those unrelenting enemies of the Christian Faith.

Hardly had they established their rule in that unhappy country, when they raised a persecution against the Christians, many of whom shed their blood for their faith, and with it won the crown of martyrdom. Among those brave defenders of the faith, the Patriarch Joseph I, Isaac’s successor (a.d. 454), distinguished himself. Then also did the patriarchal seat of Etchmiadzin itself suffer, being laid waste by the persecutors; so that the successors of Joseph I were obliged to remove the patri­archal chair thence to Tovin.

These calamities prevented the Armenian Church from taking part in the Fourth (Ecumenic Council, then terminating at Chalcedon (a.d. 451), whence originated the unfortunate rupture between the Armenian and the Eastern Churches. That Council condemned the heresy of Eutyches, which arose from extreme opposition to that of Nestorius, who had been condemned by the Third Council, held not long before at Ephesus (a.d. 431). Meanwhile a report was propagated by followers of Eutyches in Armenia, which had remained faithfully attached to the decisions of the first Three Councils that the Council of Chalcedon had received and approved the doctrine of Nestorius in direct opposition to the Council of Ephesus. This false report was confirmed by the efforts of the Byzantine Emperors Zeno and Anastasius, to quell the conflict of heresies, by arbitrary or fanciful explanations of the disputed dogmas, to the prejudice of the Council of Chalcedon. The Patriarch Papguen, then taking advantage of a short respite from the persecution carried on by Persia during the rule of the Marzban Vakhan the Great, called together a National Council in Valarshabad (a.d. 491), for the purpose of bringing to light the different sentiments about which disputes had arisen; and relying on the heterodox decisions of the Byzantine Emperors, there and then annulled the Council of Chalcedon’. All this was discovered, only too late, to have been the result of a misunderstanding, and it is now evident that the Armenian Church of S. Gregory wholly rejects the heresy of Eutyches, condemned by the Council of Chalcedon; and that she does so as much as the Eastern Church. But the bond of union, once broken, never could be restored; the less so, as such religious misunderstandings were always kept alive and embittered by the national antipathy and political differences that never ceased between Armenians and Byzantine Greeks.

Meanwhile the Armenian Church, finding herself thus severed from the rest, and confined within the limits of the Haikan nation, became more and more one with it, and constituted its firmest stay, not only in her inward spirit, but also as an outward bond of union among the Armenians, who were already beginning to spread themselves over the world. The Patriarchs, who in consequence of the rupture from the Universal Church now enjoyed in its literal sense their title of Catholicos, that is, “Supreme or General Pastor,” saw the whole of Christendom in every one of their several flocks. And identifying, as they did in their ideas, the interests of the Church of Armenia with those of the nation, they strove all the more to maintain the unity of faith in it, as they saw its political existence dying out. With this object in view, they did all they could to promote development of instruction and progress among the people. They introduced into the constitution of their hierarchy, besides their usual orders and degrees, a new order of “Vartabeds,” occupying an intermediate position between the priests and the bishops; an order whose special object is learning and instruction. These Vartabeds combined their efforts under the Patriarch Moses II (a.d. 551—594) in establishing in Armenia a new system of chronology and the calendar which is still in use; a step that helped not a little to confirm the Armenian Church in her national separation from the rest of Christendom. In consequence of this, Georgia, which had hitherto been in communion with Armenia, joined the Universal Church; whence the Patriarch Abraham I (a.d. 594—617) took occasion to summon a council at Tovin, in order, if possible, to make Armenia take deeper root and interest in the isolation of her own Church.

After the Persian dominion ceased, Christianity stood a better chance in Armenia. But when the Arabs came, bringing with them their fanaticism of Islam, they raised a fresh persecution against the Church of Armenia. At their first approach on the frontiers (a.d. 649), the Patriarch Nerses III was obliged to flee from Tovin into the mountains of Daik. He succeeded, however, in giving courage to his fellow-countrymen, and with their aid he once more raised the ruined seat of his patriarchate in Tovin (a.d. 654).

The reign of the Bagratidae restored outward peace to the Church of Armenia. But, at the same time, intestine dissensions, raised by family quarrels among members of the reigning dynasty, ceased not to tear her asunder. The Patriarch Johannes I saw himself obliged to leave Tovin (a.d. 897—925), the capital of the Bagratidae, and to transfer his cathedral to the separate kingdom of Armenia, which was then beginning to rise under the dynasty of the Ardzrunians; and there he settled in the monastery of Dzoroi-Vank, in the province of Vasburagan (a.d. 924). His successors, Stephen II, Theodore I, and Eliseus I, took up their residence also in that same province, in a small island of Lake Van, still called Akhtamar. But the Patriarch Ananias (a.d. 943—965), after having also resided a while in that same island, went to the monastery of Varak, in that neighbourhood, not far from the town of Van (a.d. 948); and at last, he again removed thence to a small place called Arkinas, not far from Ani, the residence of the Bagratidae, and consequently outside the dominions of the Ardzru- nian princes. In that same place did three successors of Ananias also dwell. The first of whom, Vakhan, or Vakhanik (a.d. 965—970), was obliged to flee from thence and again to seek refuge with the Ardzrunians; but the second, Stephen III, was taken captive by them, having been found in arms on the field of battle. This going from one place to another was, on the part of both these patriarchs, intimately connected with the political interests of Armenia at that time.

The Patriarch Sergius I also left Arkina for Ani (a.d. 993); while his successor Peter I. was during his patriarchate of nearly fifty years (a.d. 1019—1058) a real wanderer, not knowing where to lay his head. He first went to Sebaste, the chief city of the Second Armenia, that had been made over to the Byzantine emperors by the Ardzrunians (a.d. 1021); he thence went back to Ani (a.d. 1025), then a second time to Sebaste (a.d. 1026), and again returned to Ani (a.d. 1029); he thence departed into Dzoroi-Vank, and back again among the Ardzrunians (a.d. 1030), and once more to Ani (a.d. 1034), where, this time, he was deposed by a Synod, at the instigation of the Bagratide who was then in power, and was condemned to go into exile; but having been re-instated in his office (a.d. 1036), he left Ani and came to Ardzen, the present Erzerum (a.d. 1047), whence he passed on to Constantinople (a.d. 1048), then at last he returned to Sebaste, where the Ardzrunians were yet in power (a.d. 1051); and after being definitively settled in the monastery of Surp-Nishan (a.d. 1053), he ended there his eventful and wandering career (a.d. 1058). This Peter witnessed the extinction of the power of the chief family of the Bagratidae in Ani.

The Byzantine emperors having got possession with Peter I. of the cathedral chair of Armenia, were naturally not inclined to part with it. Peter’s successor, Khatchik II., fain would have fixed his residence in Ani, but he was not allowed so to do, albeit that city then belonged to the empire; but he was called to Constantinople, where he spent three years (a.d. 1060—1063), after which they sent him to live in the small town of Tavplur, in the Third Armenia. His successor, Gregory II, first took up his residence in a small town of that same province, called Dzamentad, and remarkable at that time for being the dwelling-place of a Bagratide of the family of Kars, who had been deposed (a.d. 1065).

The patriarchate of Gregory was a troublous one. He was at firat rejected by his own flock (a.d. 1071); then afterwards, having deposed his chosen successor, he managed again to draw to himself the office of Patriarch (a.d. 1072), Then was a distinct Patriarch appointed for the part of Armenia that belonged to the Byzantine Empire, and his residence was fixed at Honi, a town of the Third Armenia. But Gregory returned to Ani (a.d. 1074). Hence, having made over the flock to his successor Basil I., without giving up either the title or the power of Patriarch, he departed into Tchemoi-Ghor [or Black Mountain], on the frontiers of Cilicia and Cappadocia (a.d. 1082). But he there soon met with another rival, who founded his cathedral seat in the small town of Marash (a.d. 1085); so that at one and the same time there were four Patriarchs, every one claiming for himself the name and power of Catholicos over the Armenians. It fell, however, to the lot of Basil (a.d. 1105) to bring the divided Church of Armenia under one pastoral staff. Being now left without competitor, he fixed his residence in Shgur-Anabad, not far from the town of Khesun, among the mountains of Euphratesia. But after the death of Basil, when Gregory III was chosen there for his successor, the whole province of Vasburagan seceded and chose for itself a distinct Patriarch, who fixed his residence in the island of Akhtamar. This separate patriarchate has existed from that time until now.

Gregory III, the rightful successor to the dignity of Catholicos, dwelt at first in Tchemoi-Ghor, in the monastery called Garmir-Vank (a.d. 1113—1133); he thence went to reside in the castle of Dzovk, situated in the middle of the lake Ami, among the mountains of the Fourth Armenia, high unto the sources of the Tigris (a.d. 1133); and thence removed to the citadel of Hrhomgla, now called Orom-Kla, in Euphratesia, not far from where the river Marzban flows into the Euphrates (a.d. 1148). There did the seat of the Catholicos continue for nearly a century and a half (a.d. 1148—1294)’. During that time rival claims were set up by various individuals; but not for long; as, for instance, in Ani (a.d. 1180—1204) and in Sebaste (a.d. 1203—1207). Hrhomgla was taken by the Mameluks of Egypt, who led away the Catholicos Stephen IV captive to Cairo, where he died (a.d. 1298). Then Gregory VII, chosen to succeed Stephen, fixed his abode in Sis, the capital of the Rubenians of Cilicia. Here continued the Catholicos again to reside for nearly a hundred and fifty years (a.d. 1294—1441); when, at last, all these changes of residence were brought to an end, by the seat of the Catholicos of Armenia being once more restored to Etchmiadzin, where it was at first founded by S. Gregory the Illuminator. On the other hand, distinct Patriarchs continued to reside in Sis, where their successors exist at the present time.

When, after an absence of nearly a thousand years (a.d. 454—1441), the chief pastors of Armenia went back to the ancient cradle of their Church—that Church, once so pure, and so brilliant—it presented a wretched spectacle. Ruinous monuments of the ancient life of the nation, memories of former national independent greatness, and of the once flourishing arts of ecclesiastical building and decoration, lay in ruins, waste and desolate. But as regards the people, wandering like mourning shadows among scattered monuments of past ages, amid the ruinous heaps of sanctuaries—ceaseless changes from one form of bondage to another at last extinguished in the nation a feeling of self-respect, crushed its spirit, and nourished miserable passions and mean habits. And when, severed from union with the rest of the world, the patriarchate of S. Gregory was torn asunder and weakened by intestine divisions and dissensions, instead of being for the nation arock  of refuge and a defence, it became a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence for the greed of the meanest ambition, and for the intrigues of the grossest personal interest, carried on by rival parties struggling one with another, to purchase the chair at the hand of Mohammedan rulers.

So was it in Sis, under the government of the Egyptian Mameluks. So also did it happen many a time in Etchmiadzin itself under the reign of the Persian Shahs. The Catholicos Kiriak (Giragos), who was first to return to Etchmiadzin, had to feel the whole force of the baneful love of simony, deeply rooted in the Armenian character, brought to bear against himself; and after two years the chair of Etchmiadzin, which had been offered him, was then taken from him (a.d. 1441—1443). The further matters went, the worse they were. For when the greater part of Armenia became subject to the rule of the Osmanlis, then had one to bargain with them in Kazbina as well as with the Greeks in Stambul; and the chair of Etchmiadzin being now fallen into the lowest depth of degradation and ruin, not only exhausted its own revenues, but borrowed at an insolvent rate: in one word, it became not an ornament, but a burden on the Church. Then, as if to make the cup of such miseries overflow, new dissensions and divisions began to show themselves in the heart of the Armenian people, being sown there by the untiring intrigues of the Propaganda of the Homan Catholics of the West. The Catholic Armenians then separated themselves from the Armenians who were faithful to their Church, and began to oppress and persecute their brethren; and while spreading dissensions among them, made them over to their enemies, the Musulmans. In short, they undermined and, like worms, fretted the last remaining strength of the National Church of Armenia

This wretched state of things for the Armenian Church, and for the seat of Etchmiadzin in particular, continued almost uninterruptedly from the latter end of the sixteenth century, to the beginning of the eighteenth. Towards the close of the sixteenth century, the Catholicos David V, having bought the chair of Etchmiadzin rather dear (a.d. 1586), and being unable to pay for it, took in, as partner in the bargain, Melchizedek, Bishop of Karhni, and shared with him the title of Catholicos (a.d. 1593). But as their joint funds did not suffice to defray the necessary expenses, they called in a third party to the purchase, who should also bear the title of Catholicos, namely, Serapion, Bishop of Amid (Diarbekr), who then took the name of Gregory XIII. (a.d. 1602). These three Catholicos very soon fell out. At first David and Melchizedek intrigued together against Gregory; but after having deposed him (a.d. 1606), they took to quarrelling together.

This happened during the reign of the famous Shah Abbas I, who wrested from the Turks a considerable portion of ancient Armenia, together with Etchmiadzin, and restored it to Persia. He, therefore, took advantage of the confusion prevalent in the Armenian Church, and offered his protection to the two rivals. Melchizedek, who at first lost in his game with the Shah, and who was exposed by him to the most humiliating insults, afterwards got the better of it, and came into favour, but at a very high price; having pledged himself to pay to the Shah a yearly tribute, for the payment of which, not only the nation, but even the clergy, were subjected to intolerable straits and privations. At last, having exhausted all common patience, he fled into the Russian Ukraine (a.d. 1624), which was then under the government of Poland, and already inhabited by a great many Armenians; he first went to Lemberg, and afterwards to Kamenets-Podolsk, where he finished his life, ended in apostacy from his own Church to that of Rome (a.d. 1626)

Isaac V, whom he had left to succeed him at Etchmiadzin, was obliged to go to law with David, and at last fled into exile among the Turks (a.d. 1624—1629). Under his successors, Moses III and Philip (a.d. 1629—1655), the Church of Armenia had a little breathing-time. But under the Catholicos Jacob IV, who succeeded Philip, a certain restless Vartabed, called Eleazar, proclaimed himself Supreme Patriarch of all the part of Armenia which was under Turkish dominion, choosing Jerusalem for his residence (a.d. 1664); whence he ceased not to annoy Jacob, until he was made to succeed him at Etchmiadzin (a.d. 1680). Then followed troubles and disturbances without end, raised after the death of Catholicos Abraham III (a.d. 1737). Lazarus, Archbishop of Smyrna, arrogated to himself the chair of Etchmiadzin by means of various intrigues; but he disgraced it during fourteen years (a.d. 1737—1751), by acts of unheard of tyranny and of unparalleled wickedness; to which the venerable Peter II, who had been consecrated in opposition to him by the choice of the people and of the clergy, fell a victim (a.d. 1748). In those days the chair of Etchmiadzin fell to the lowest state of degradation.

But at that same time, when the measure of the calamities, that pressed heavily on the cathedral chair of the whole Armenian Church, was full, Providence already prepared in the future a new era of deliverance for the suffering children of Haik. Early in the eighteenth century the thunder of the victorious armies of Russia was heard across the Caucasus. And then did the Armenian people turn their hopes towards the powerful Sovereign whose dominion made itself known always and every where by kindness, by Christian charity and universal phil­anthropy. These hopes were not disappointed: already in 1724 Peter the Great kindly welcomed an ambassage, sent him from the Albanians of Armenia, and, by an Imperial edict, promised his protection to their clergy. A like promise of support, with another charter of the same kind, was again given to that clergy by Katharine I, in 1726. And at last, Simeon, Patriarch of Etchmiadzin, in the days of Katharine II, had the credit and good fortune of obtaining from her the promise of protection for the whole Church of Armenia, confirmed by a formal edict and charter addressed and given immediately and expressly to the chair of S. Gregory, in 1766. From that time peace and quiet began to reign in the Armenian Church. And now that Etchmiadzin forms part of the Russian Empire since 1828, a solid prosperity is for ever secured to that first cathedral seat of Armenia; to this one bond of union and spiritual life for the children of Haik

Such is the Armenian Church, as it has continued to our own times, a remarkable monument of original and purely oriental development of Christianity. In the midst of all the troubles and disasters that befell her, she subsisted and maintained herself unmoved in her faithful attachment to her high origin. Her isolation from other Churches had the effect of, as it were, “petrifying” in her the forms she had received in the first centuries of Christianity. And in this respect she presents a comforting spectacle to the zealous advocates of Christian orthodoxy, even by the side of all the misfortunes that resulted from her separation from the Universal Church. She protested and protests aloud against all the novelties, in time introduced to divide the Western Church from that of the East: for the faith and doctrine of the Armeno-Gregorian Church, as well as her ecclesiastical constitution, are the same in their fundamental and original features as those from which the Orthodox Church of the East never departed, but to which she has clung with unshaken loyalty. This was the real cause of the schism wrought in the Armenian Church by Rome.

III.  Of the Armenian Hierarchy.

As regards the hierarchical arrangement of the Armeno-Gregorian Church, late political events have introduced sundry changes, besides a few others that do not affect the nature of hierarchical order. Formerly there were subject to the Catholicos of Etchmiadzin a number of Bishops, Archbishops, Metropolitans, and also Patriarchs, who, for the most part, only took the titles of defunct eparchies. At present, however, the hierarchical subdivision of the Armenian Church of S. Gregory is brought as much as possible into agreement with its actual wants.

We have already remarked that two distinct patriarchates were erected in the Church of S. Gregory—Akhtamar and Sis. Besides these, there existed in olden times a separate patriarchate of the Albanians or Aghwans of Armenia, the origin of which, however, is ascribed by Armenian historians to S. Gregory. Over and above all these the title of Patriarch was afterwards assumed by the Armenian Bishop of Jerusalem (a.d. 1310) and of Constantinople (about a.d. 1461). Lately, however, the Albanian patriarchate was done away with, in subsequent arrangements of the Russian Govern­ment, and made immediately dependent on the Catholicos. On the other hand, the Turkish Government has gathered, under the title of “Patriarch of Constantinople,” the chief authority over the several eparchies found in the Ottoman dominions; this Patriarch, however, to continue, in general, subject to the chair of Etchmiadzin. But to the Patriarch of Jerusalem was granted an exemption, in favour of his own eparchy, from reference to the Patriarch of Constantinople; and the Patriarchs of Akhtamar and of Sis still preserve their titles, but nothing more.

According to the division finally settled at the local Synod of Constantinople, held the 20th of November, 1830, the rule of the Armeno-Gregorian Patriarch of Constantinople extends over the following eighteen eparchies, subdivided into twenty- six vicariates.

I. The Eparchy of Taron, the seat of the Eparch of which is at Mush, in the convent of S. John the Baptist. The vicariates are: (1) Arakelots, in the monastery of the Holy Apostles; (2) Surp- Johannes, in the monastery of S. John the Theologian; (3) Amrtola, in the monastery of 8. John the Baptist; (4) Keghi, in the monastery of Keghi.

II. The Eparchy of Caesarea; the seat of the Eparch thereof is in Caesarea of Cappadocia (in Armenian, Gaiseri and Majak), in the monastery of S. John the Baptist. The vicariates are: (1) Surp-Daniel, in the monastery of the Holy Prophet Daniel; (2) Tomarzaa, in the monastery of the Blessed Virgin; (3) Tara-Vank, in the monastery of S. Sergius.

III. The Eparchy of Nicomedia, the seat of which is in the monastery of the Blessed Virgin, Tchark-hapan. There are two vicariates attached to the small towns of (1) Ada-Bazar and (2) Nor-Kiugh or Bazar-Keghi.

IV. The Eparchy of Brussa, the seat of which is in the cathedral-church of the Blessed Virgin. There are two vicariates attached to churches in the small towns (1) of Cotina and (2) of Pantrma.

V. The Eparchy of Smyrna, the seat of which is in the cathedral-church of S. Stephen, protomartyr. It has no vicariate.

VI. The Eparchy of Galatia, the seat of which is in the monastery of the Blessed Virgin. There are vicariates attached to churches of the small towns of (1) Aphion Kara-Hissar and (2) Polu.

VII. The Eparchy of Eudokia, in Armenian Tokat, the seat of which is in the monastery of 8. Anna. The vicariates are: (1) Shabin-Kara Hissar, in the monastery of the Holy Apostles; (2) Tamzara, in the monastery of 8. Sergius; (3) Atsbiter, in the monastery of Surp-Nishan.

VIII. The Eparchy of Amasia, the seat of the Eparch being in the monastery of the Blessed Virgin. It has one vicariate only, in Sepukha, in the monas­tery of 8. Gregory the Illuminator.

IX. The Eparchy of Sebaste, the seat of which is in the monastery of the Holy Cross. No vicariate.

X. The Eparchy of Kars or of Erzrum, the seat of which is in the monastery called Mutruk. Its vicariates are: (1) Garmir-Vank, in the monastery of Garmir-Vank; (2) Gasai-Kale, in the monastery of the Blessed Virgin; (3) Khatchka-Vank, in the monastery of the Holy Cross; (4) Sper, in the monastery of 8. John the Baptist; (5) Erzinka, in the monastery of 8. Nerses; (6) Deijan, in the monastery of S. David; (7) Kars, in the monastery of Kosha-Vank; (8) Utch-Kilise, in the monastery of 8. Gregory the Illuminator.

XI.   The Eparchy of Van, the seat of which is in the monastery of Surp-Nishan, called Varaksk. The vicariates are: (1) Nareg, in the monastery of 8. Gregory of Nareg; (2) Ter-Uskai-Vordi, in the monastery of Ter-Uskai-Vordi; (3) Lim, in the monastery of S. George the Victorious; (4) Kfuts, in the monastery of S. John the Baptist.

XII. The Eparchy of Aghin, the seat of which is in the monastery of Amenaprgitch (that is, of the Saviour). It has two vicariates attached to the churches of (1) Arapker and (2) Kuruchai.

XIII. The Eparchy of Trebizonde, the seat of which is in the cathedral-church of the Blessed Virgin. The vicariates are: (1) Gumiishkhan, in the monastery of the Blessed Virgin; and (2) Babert, in the church of that place.

XIV. The Eparchy of Tigranocerta, or of Diar- bekr, the seat of which is in the monastery of the Blessed Virgin Pardzragayats. There are two vicariates in the monasteries of (1) Balu and (2) Kharberd.

XV. The Eparchy of Oorfa, or Edessa, the seat of which is in the cathedral-church of the Blessed Virgin. It has no vicariate.

XVI. The Eparchy of Adrianople, the seat of which is in the cathedral-church of 8. Theodore. It has one vicariate only, in Shumla, attached to the church of the place.

XVII. The Eparchy of Tekirdag or of Thrace, the seat of which is in Redestona, at the cathedral­church of S. John the Baptist. It has no vicariate.

XVIII. The Eparchy of Egypt, the seat of which is in Alexandria, attached to the cathedral. No vicariate.

Under the immediate superintendence of the Catholicos of Etchmiadzin, at the present time, are certain eparchies that belong to Persia, besides those that are included in the Russian Empire.

The Persian eparchies of the Armenian Church are only two, which are subdivided into three vicariates, as follows:—

I.      The Eparchy of Ispahan, the seat of which is in the neighbourhood of Ispahan, at a place called Novaya-Djulpha, in the monastery of Amenaprgitch. It has one vicariate only, in the East Indies, at Calcutta.

II.    The Eparchy of Tebriz, the seat of which is in the monastery of the Holy Apostle Thaddeus. It has two vicariates: (1) Achbak, in the monastery of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew; and (2) Dara- shamb, in the monastery of S. Stephen, proto­martyr.

In Russia, the Government of the Armeno-Gregorian Church, as settled by the Emperor’s will, on the 11th of March, 1836, is divided into six eparchies, five of which are managed by Archbishops, and one constitutes the province governed by the Supreme Patriarch or Catholicos of Etch- miadzin himself. The five other eparchies, governed by Archbishops; are as follows:—

I.      The Eparchy of Nakhitchevan or of Bessarabia. To it belong the Armenian churches of St. Petersburg and Moscow, and those found in the governments of New Russia and in the province of Bess­arabia. The Archbishop resides at Kishineff.

II.    The Eparchy of Astrakhan. To this eparchy belong all other Armenian churches in the empire, except those about the Caucasus. The Archbishop resides in Astrakhan.

III.   The Eparchy of Erivan. It consists of the former province of Armenia, with the addition of what was the province of Ordubat, and a portion of the province of Karabagh. It is under the imme­diate rule of the Supreme Patriarch Catholicos of Etchmiadzin, who has under him four vicars: (1) in Erivan; (2) in Nakhitshevan of Armenia; (3) in Shuraghel; and (4) in Tatev or Datev.

IV.   The Eparchy of Georgia. It extends over churches in Georgia and around Elizabethpol, with the addition of the distant places Bortshalin, Kazakh, Shamshadil, and a part of Bambak; also the neighbourhoods of Akhaltsik, Imereth, and Guria. The Archbishop resides in Tiflis, and has three vicars: (1) in Elizabethpol; (2) in Akhaltsik; and (3) in Imereth.

V.    The Eparchy of Karabagh, which consists of the neighbouring provinces of Karabagh (with the exception of a province governed by the Metropolitan of Siun, in Datev), of Shekinsk, and of Talshinsk. The Archbishop resides in Shusi, and has a vicar in Sheka.

In 1842 the number of churches in the above six Eparchies within the Russian Empire was 955, 15 of which are cathedrals; the Gregorian Armenians in Russia number about 500,000, while those who have joined the Romish schism muster only 15,000.

The Catholicos of Etchmiadzin is supreme over the whole Armenian Church of 8. Gregory the Illuminator. Even the Armenians of Constanti­nople, of Jerusalem, and of Sis, like those of India, acknowledge him over them, albeit they have in those cities archbishops with the nominal title of Patri­arch, without, however, the power of consecrating bishops. The Catholicos of Etchmiadzin alone has the right of episcopal consecration, as well as of blessing the holy oil⁸, which the priests of Armenian churches, from all parts, come to fetch at Etchmiad­zin, every seven years, when that ceremony takes place.

The Catholicos of Etchmiadzin is chosen by the votes of the Armenian bishops of all lands, who, for that purpose, come to Etchmiadzin, where the election takes place; after which he is appointed by the Emperor of Russia, under whose rule the Arme­nian Church enjoys great peace and many privi­leges.

INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY INTO ARMENIA.

- I. THE ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY APOSTLE THADDEUS.

II. THE ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY APOSTLE BARTHOLOMEW.

INNDJIDJEAN, in his “Antiquities of the Armenian Nation” (vol. 3. p. 182), says, that “As Haiasdan (Armenia) was the first in the days of Noah to receive the knowledge of the true God, so also was it the first to receive the preaching of Christ’s Gos­pel. And that, as in after time the light of Truth in it disappeared, driven as it was by the darkness of the grossest idolatry, so also did the country again receive fresh light at two different periods: first by the preaching of Thaddeus and of Bartholomew ,in the days of Abgarus; and again, after the land had fallen back into idolatry, by the efforts of S. Gregory the Illuminator, more than two centuries later.”

As might be expected, so confused is the tradition respecting S. Thaddeus, that even S. Jerome was of opinion that he is the same as Lebbmus (S. Matt, x.), also called Judas the brother of James (S. Luke vi.), and the probable author of the Epistle of Jude (S. Jude 1) : the cause of this mistake may be owing to the fact that the title of Apostle is by Eastern writers frequently given to the seventy disciples mentioned by S. Luke (chap, x.), as well as to Timothy, Titus, and others who have no claim to it. Thus Agathangelos, in his History, ranks Barsabas, Mark, Luke, Barnabas, and others like them, among the Apostles, like unto whom they were endued with supernatural gifts and power.” Likewise does Solomon, Bishop of Botsrah (Deburitho, chap. 48), extend the list of Apostles to many besides those who are so called in Scripture, while (in chap. 49) he gives in detail the names of the twelve Apostles, as well as those of the Seventy, from among whom twelve drew back, as Judas Iscariot did from among the Twelve. These “ twelve apostates were Simeon, Leech, Barkurba, Kleon, Hymenmus, Kandrus, Klethon, Demas, Narcissus, Silicispus, Thaddeus, and Maruthas; in whose place the following fifteen were admitted into the number of the Seventy: Luke the physician, Apollo the elect, Amplius, Urbanus, Stachys, Publius, Aristobulus, Stephanas (not he of Corinth), Herodion the son of Narcissus, Olympas, Narcissus, Mark the Evangelist, Adaeus [Addons], Aghseus, and Mar-Maris;” wherein we notice that Addeus came in instead of Thaddeus.

This opinion of the Bishop of Botsrah is at vari­ance with the tradition generally received in most of the Syrian and Armenian Churches, For Moses of Chorene (lib. 2. c. 28 sqq.), who gives in defail the letter of Abgarus to our Saviour, our. Saviour’s reply to him, as well as Abgarus’s letters to Pilate about our Lord and the Christians of Syria, tells us that Thaddeus, who was one of the seventy, was sent by S. Thomas to Edessa, where he cured Abgarus, and ordained bishop a certain silk-mercer, named. Khoharar, to whom he gave the name of Addeus, and whom he left behind him when he went from Edessa into Armenia to King Sanadrug, who was sister’s son to Abgarus. Jesujabi, Bishop of Nisibis, however, affirms that this Thaddeus was one of the twelve Apostles, as does also the Sahidic work mentioned by Zoega (Codd. Sahid. p. 229), as well as the Ethiopio account of the same Apostle in the Gadla Hawaryat, that seems to be a translation of the above Sahidio treatise; and in both of which Thaddeus,—who preached the Gospel in Syria and Mesopotamia, according to the Sahidic, but in Syria and Dacia (i. e. Daik, a province of Armenia), according to the Ethiopic tradition,—is called “ Judas, who is Thaddeus, the brother of our Lord.” Although Thaddeus, also called Judas and Lebbseus, was a brother, or a next of kin, to James, and not to our Lord, yet the tradition preserved in these African accounts evidently makes him one of the Twelve.

Further confusion arose also from mistaking the names Thaddeus and Addeus, each for the other, as by Jesujabi of Nisibis and Jacob of Serug, Elias of Damascus and Amrus. Abulpharaj only mentions Addeus as sent to Abgarus; as he does in his Origines Eccles. Syr., where Ade, or Addeus, alone is mentioned as first Patriarch of Edessa. The accounts of Eusebius, however, and of Moses of Ohorene seem to be the most trustworthy. They both make Thaddeus one of the Seventy, who was “sent by Judas, who is Thomas’,” to Edessa after our Saviour’s ascension; but Eusebius, who, like Moses of Chorene, drew his information from the public records of Edessa, says nothing of the consecration of Addeus, first Patriarch of Edessa, whose teaching of Abgarus, after the departure of Thaddeus for Armenia, is given at length in the ancient Syriac documents published by the late Dr. Cureton , and in which he is throughout called “the Apostle”

Although S. Thomas, who is said to have preached the gospel in India, went also into Parthia and the eastern parts of Armenia, yet the two Apostles who are looked up to by the Armenian Church as the messengers of truth to her country, are S. Bartholomew and S. Thaddeus, who, whether he be of the Twelve or of the Seventy, was the first to preach Christ to the sons of Haik, and is therefore said to be “ the Apostle of Armenia.” His acts and mar­tyrdom, according to the Armenian Church, are as follows.]

INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY INTO ARMENIA.

I. The Acts and Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle —Thaddeus.

Writers who have searched into the subject agree with the general tradition, that the man with long hair, the bright star, the holy Apostle Thaddeus, came among us from the northern parts. He had received by lot the whole of Armenia, to preach in it the Word of life, and to be the first in it to be honoured with the crown of martyrdom. He came to call all men to the heavenly feast, sent as he was for this purpose by Jesus Christ the Saviour of us all, soon after His ascension into Heaven, after He had laid His right hand on His Apostles and breathed on them the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and the Light of Truth; having blessed and strengthened them with bright words, and then sent every one of them, to the parts allotted to him, there to preach the Word of life. For this holy Apostle was filled with bright thoughts, when, having received for his lot the Armenian nation, he arrived in Mesopotamia, preached the Word of life, and wrought great signs and wonders; then returning thence, he came to Urha [Oorfa] ; and going into the house of Tobias, he healed all manner of sickness and of diseases, and enlightened the people with the light from heaven.

Meanwhile, king Abgarus having heard of the holy Apostle Thaddeus and of the wonders he wrought, began to think that he was the man sent to him by Christ. Then Thaddeus came to the king’s house; and when Abgarus beheld him, and the sign of heavenly light on his countenance, he was awed, and falling on his face to the earth, he worshipped him. But the holy Apostle, drawing near, laid his hands on him in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and enlightened him and all his house with heavenly light. He also cured of an evil disease Abdias, son of Abdias, who was a great man at the court of Abgarus; and having enlightened the whole city, he left there some of his disciples. Yea, even king Abgarus himself, who had been healed by the holy Apostle, became a preacher of the Word of life, and wrought signs and all manner of good works; and he with all other believers in the place received the blessing of the holy Apostle.

Then the holy Apostle himself took his disciples and hastened to come into Armenia, to king Sanadrug, in the province of Ardaz to the small town of Shavarshan, the royal palace and summer residence of the kings of Armenia. There he preached the Word of life, and wrought signs at the court and among the whole army, and cured all manner of illnessand of evil diseases. And many from the court came out to the holy Apostle, and heard from him the loving language of the Gospel, and saw the signs he wrought: how he cleansed the lepers, made the lame walk, cast out devils, and healed all manner of the worst diseases. And at the sight of these wonders many believed in Christ.

Then came [to Thaddeus] the king’s daughter, whose name was Sandukht, of tender age, beautiful in form and of a lovely countenance, the like of whom was not to be met with in the whole country. She came to the holy Apostle by night, and heard the word of the Gospel, and the voice of the heavenly hosts; she hearkened to it, she threw her­self at his holy feet, embracing them with tears; she was taught by him for several days, and left him neither day nor night; and thus joined to him, she was confirmed in the love of Christ our God. Then the holy Apostle, seeing her ardent feeling of love for Christ, took her and baptized her in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And there came a sign of heavenly light upon that holy virgin, and from the midst of the light a voice of angels from heaven; so that many others at that hour believed in Christ. But the priests of the idols went and told it all to their lawless and wicked king Sanadrug.

Then that abandoned king gave orders that all the believers should be put to death. But a sign from heaven appeared over them, and many believed in Christ, and fear came upon the heathens, many of whom were terrified by the brilliant light, and could not even raise their heads to speak to the holy Apostle. Then the Saviour appearing said, “Stand firm, Thaddeus, for I am with thee to deliver thee.” And Thaddeus seeing the Saviour Christ, threw himself before Him with tears, and said, “My Lord and my God, leave me not alone; for behold I am come to a barbarous race of men at this king’s gate, by Thine order and in Thy strength. For Thou, 0 Lord, didst say: Go ye into the whole earth, and preach the Word of life; he that believeth and is baptized shall live; and he that believeth not shall be damned. Now, since I came hither I began to preach the word of Thy holy Gospel which Thou hast put in my mouth, but they will not hear; for of them that believe some are put to death, and others are driven to prison with cudgels; and they wish also to lay hands on me. For the light of Thy holy Godhead has soon plunged them into the depths of painful sufferings, and has brought them to the cruel death of being beaten with rods; but some they have not been able to find.”

Then the Lord said, “Arise, and show thyself to them, and bear up, for many afflictions and much distress shall befall thee; for there are not here of them that will receive the preachings of My Gospel; only a small number out of many. But I will keep them, and will take them to Myself; and to them that are made perfect [in death] for My name’s sake, will I give an abode in My Father’s house.”

Then Thaddeus said unto the Lord, “I also will make haste to reach unto the light of Thy Godhead, and be filled with heavenly love from the brightness of Thy glory.” And the Lord answered, “ Be glad and rejoice, for I will fulfil thy request.” And the holy Apostle went back with great joy in the Saviour.

He went to the prison by night, where they kept S. Sandukht and other believers; when the gates opened of their own accord, and the holy Apostle went in, and said, “Peace be with you, beloved of Christ.” Then they took courage when they saw the holy Apostle. And coming to Sandukht, he kissed her chains, and said unto her, “ Blessed art thou, sister of the heavenly king.” And having strengthened them with words of the holy Gospel in the love of Christ, he made sign that they should keep silence and pray; and spreading his hands towards heaven, he said, “I give Thee thanks, O my God and Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of God, who didst come upon earth to save mankind; look down now from heaven, Thy chosen abode, on Thy maid-servant Sandukht, who has given up her youth to thee; keep her now, O Lord, and strengthen her and her companions for the struggle; cause now the light of Thy Godhead to shine over them, and put to shame the darkness of the enemy; for Thou alone art the God of gods and the Lord of lords. Show forth the token of Thy power on those who are in danger of their life, for they are Thine, and in Thine awful Name will they be strengthened unto eternity.”

No sooner had the holy Apostle ended his prayer, than an awful noise was heard, the ceiling of the prison was raised up, and a light shone from heaven, brighter than the rays of the sun; and in the midst of the light the Lord Jesus was seen bringing these glad tidings to the champions for the faith: “ Be strong and stand firm, for I will come and take you to Myself; and thou, Sandukht, who hast come after Me, and hast despised the honours of this world, and hast called Me thy Father, I will give thee the supreme light and greater grace than to all the rest.”

At the sound of this voice their bonds were loosened, and rising up they gave glory to Christ God, and said all together: “O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, we give Thee thanks for Thy love of us, seeing that Thou didst come to visit us, in search of us when lost, and that Thou didst save us from the worship of idols, and gavest us power to over­come our unseen enemies. And that Thou hast strengthened us by a voice from heaven, bringing us the glad tidings from the brightness of Thy God-head; that Thou hast broken our bonds, and hast healed the bruises on our bodies. But now, what can we offer unto Thee, 0 God! except we present ourselves as a sweet-smelling offering unto Thy Father?”

When they had ended this prayer, they saw, at the time the brightness of the light disappeared, the holy Apostle praying; who, rising from his knees, blessed them, and embraced them with a loving and heavenly embrace.

But the keepers of the prison having seen these signs and wonders, looked and saw the gates of the prison standing open, and the holy Apostle Thaddeus in the midst; and being struck with fear by the light, they bowed down, and tottering, fell at the feet of the Apostle, and said: “We also believe in thy God; receive us and put us in the number of the believers.” They then embraced the feet of the man of God, and with tears entreated him, and said: “ Forgive us, thou holy man of God, that not willingly, but unwillingly, we kept the company of believers in great distress, from fear of a wicked king. But after seeing the light shine over thee in the prison, we saw the bonds of the prisoners loosened, we knew thee among them all as their teacher and the leader of heavenly light. We acknowledge firmly and know that He whom thou preachest is the Maker of heaven and earth. And we believe with all our heart, and confess, that He is God, and that no one can separate us from thy God, neither bonds nor distress. Now arise and hasten, O holy man of God, and put us in the company of Christ, as, may be, we shall die for fear of the glory of thy God.”

Then the holy Apostle knew that this call was from God, and that they had seen the light shine from heaven, and had heard the awful sound of a voice, and he said unto them: “ Brethren, fear not; in return for your devoting yourselves to God, and for your believing in His only Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost, I will entreat Christ on your behalf that He will vouchsafe unto you His forgiveness for what ye did ignorantly; for our Lord loves us men, and is pitiful, and seeks to find all those that are lost in their sins, as ye were. But now, having loved you according to His infinite mercies, and having kindled His divine light in your hearts, He has taught you to know Him, that He alone is God, and that there is none else. Now, therefore, stand firm, and be strong in the faith of Christ God, and forget for yourselves the vain and deceitful lusts of the flesh that lead you astray.” And when the holy Apostle had done speaking, he said unto them: “Arise and pray” And he looking up to heaven with groans, said: “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom Thou hast been pleased to make Thyself known unto these men, and hast called them unto Thyself; keep them now with Thy holy right hand, and leave them not to wander either to the right or to the left, but make them fast in their ardent love for Thee, their God; purify them with heavenly freedom from above, that being made one with Thee, they may continue in the love of Thine only begotten and beloved Son.”

And having ended prayer, he took them that same night, and baptized them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to the number of thirty-three, both men and women, who had believed at that hour, and who belonged to the class of gaolers.

But Satan the accursed, taking the form of a man, went to the prison, and from afar said with a loud voice to the warders, “ What profit is it to you to have forsaken the great goddess Anahid, and Bisithon, the mother of the gods to go wandering after a man that is a Jew, who teaches you a new doctrine, and ruins you by deceiving your hearts ? Come, return, and guard the land of Anahid, and I will pray all the gods to forgive you.”

But Thaddeus, who understood that the man was only speaking with the artifice of the Evil one, said, O thou teller of lies, stand back, wretched man that thou art.”

Then Satan, hearing the voice of the holy Apostle, said, I hear thy voice, but I know not who thou art.”

And the holy Apostle said to Satan, “Then see me, another servant of Christ God; thou foul and impure spirit, evil and shameless, how long wilt thou not stand in awe of God? By the power of God come out thence, and get thee behind me, thou wicked serpent.”

After this rebuke from the Apostle, the evil spirit disappeared into darkness, and was tormented by the holy angels. And the faithfid in the prison, seeing the awful torments of the evil spirit, were confirmed in the faith of Christ; when the devil, lifting up his voice, wept bitterly, saying,“Woe is me, I am overcome by the Crucified, and I perish; but I know what I shall do; I will enter into the hearts of the rulers, and I will provoke them against the king, and he will put you to death.”

To him the holy Apostle answered, “ Get thee behind me, Satan; the Lord rebuke thee.” On hearing this the devil disappeared, went and entered the palace, and raised the barbarians against the saints.

And when it was morning, the king took counsel about his daughter Sandukht, what to do with her; he could not give orders that she should be put to death, by his fatherly feelings of pity for her whom he loved so much, and that made him weep bitterly. He then sent one of his ministers to the prison, to bring his daughter Sandukht, and to search the highways for Thaddeus, who had led her astray, and bring him also with her. But when that prince came with great pomp to the prison, he found the door of it ajar, and wondered, and looking within he saw a great light around those that were inside, with a great multitude, and the holy Apostle standing upright, and teaching them the Word of life. And when he saw all this and the light that shone so brightly, he was seized with fear, and fell to the earth, tormented with invisible torture, and fright­ened at the terrible voice of the multitude within. But the holy Apostle having knowledge of it, came out, and seeing him fallen and writhing on the ground, took him, laid his hands on him, and healed him; and that minister, as well as the twenty men that were with him, believed. He was a great man placed over the worship of all the gods, the comp­troller of the king’s household, and the third in rank and office among the Armenians. When rescued from the grasp of Satan, he wept bitterly, and said, “I have lost the helmet on my head.”

And as he could not go into the prison for fear of the heavenly powers, he hastened back to the palace, and by provoking the wicked and lawless king, turned him to command that they should put all those believers to the sword. And in that day two hundred were slain. Then a loud voice and a sound coming from the heavenly hosts were heard greeting the martyrs; and many of the heathens perished for fear thereof. And when it was night, a heavenly light spread all over them; when the holy maiden San­dukht sent to her own home, unknown to her father, to fetch from thence fine linen cloth; and taking her sainted companions in the faith, she wound their bodies and kissed them, saying: “Blessed are ye, brethren and sisters, who have been made worthy of the heavenly joy. Remember me, your hand­maid.” Then she buried them near to her own palace, taking care that no one in the royal hall should be made aware of it; and then hastened back to prison.

But Sandukht, seeing the holy Apostle in prayer and a bright light spread over him, was seized with fear, fell on her face, and with tears kissing the Apostle’s feet, said: “ My Lord and my Father, who didst find me when I was gone astray, and didst make me to know my heavenly Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, now pray for me and bless me, that I may soon join my companions, and be made worthy with thee to see the Lord Christ.”

Then the man of God seeing the tears Sandukht did shed, and her ardent feeling of love for Christ, said to her: “Blessed art thou, daughter of the heavenly King, have patience yet a while; and then shalt thou see the light of all creatures.”

He also comforted other believers in the holy words of the Gospel, and said: “Stand firm, for ye shall now receive the crown of light.” And when his discourse was ended, they brought in Bread, which he took and blessed, and gave to Sandukht and to her fellow prisoners, after he had himself tasted a little of it, and then of the Blood; they blessed and gave thanks and praised the holy Trinity; and then signing themselves with the sign of the holy Cross, they fell asleep.

Meanwhile the holy Apostle stood praying and said: “O Lord my God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I cannot sufficiently thank Thee for Thine abundant mercy, in that Thou didst call me, unworthy though I be, to the lot of the Apostleship, and didst purify and cleanse me, and make me a temple of the Holy Ghost, and didst give me this land by lot, where I preach the word of Thy holy Gospel. For them that have believed in fear of Thy holy name, wilt Thou make me perfect, and then receive them as a sweet-smelling savour in the light of Thine own Godhead; mingle them with the bands of angels in the heavenly hosts, and receive us also as a sweet-smelling offering to Thy Godhead ; keep this Sandukht, who is yet a spotless maid; give her patience to fight through her mar­tyrdom ; and then place on her head the crown of light.”

And when he had ended his prayer, the Saviour appeared to him, and said: “Peace be to you, My beloved.” Then Thaddeus seeing the Saviour, fell on his face and worshipped Him. And the Saviour said: “I have heard thy prayers, and I have given thee what thou requirest of Me; and I will make perfect the band of martyrs, with Sandukht and the other disciples. I will also kindle the light of My Divine nature over your bones, and where offerings shall be made by vows over you for My name’s sake, the prayers and supplications of those who make them shall rise up to Me unhindered, and the more so on thine account. Thou shalt appear strengthened this day, and thou shalt neither fear nor be dis­mayed, for I am with thee, to save you all.”

Then Thaddeus answered: “My Lord and my God, have mercy on me, and leave not those who have believed in Thy holy name, but after my death keep them with Thy right hand; and, O Lord, forsake not this Thine inheritance which Thou hast given me. But, O Lord, after driving away the idolatry and all error from among these barbarians by Thine awful Divine power, do not treat them according to their own wickedness, for their evil adversary will deceive them, put them to shame, and scatter them abroad. So crush and destroy him, frustrate the evil intentions of his wickedness, grant to these Thy servants to have their lot above in the light of Thy Divine Presence, and make them an eternal assembly, and children of the heavenly mansions, that they may with one heart and with one voice glorify the Holy Trinity in the sweet-smelling savour of their life.”

Then the Lord answered: “I have heard thy supplications; I will not leave them that have believed out of My hands until the end of the world, nor yet the lot of My inheritance, but I will soon accomplish thy desire, for I will enlist them in the company of those who are with Me in heaven, and I will make them partakers of My Divine light; I will make them unto Myself a noble assembly, and I will put My Gospel in their minds; I will drive away from among them the Evil Beast, and I will surround them with the hope of My Divine nature. I will look on them, and I will have mercy on them; and thou, rejoice and be glad.” The Lord then blessed Thaddeus and rose up to heaven.

The holy Apostle then drew near and awoke the believers his disciples, and Christ’s holy handmaid Sandukht, and said to them: “Let us pray.” And he then began to pray and to sing this Psalm: “I will praise the Lord at all times.” And after singing this and many other Psalms, they glorified God with tears, and were in great joy. Then said the holy Apostle to the believers, “Stand firm and endure, for now shall ye receive upon your heads the crown of light.” And looking upon the holy maid Sandukht, he saw her face bathed in tears, and be said, “ Be not fainthearted and be not afraid; ” for he thought she was beginning to fear.

Then said Sandukht, “My lord and my spiritual father, I am not fainthearted; but I rejoice and am glad, for I am hastening to see Christ my hope, and to be in His presence for ever; I earnestly long to behold the heavenly light.”

The holy Apostle then said to her, " Blessed art thou, my sister and my daughter, for thou art about to obtain that which thou longest for, and to take upon thy head a crown of light; thou shalt stand before God, the King of Heaven, and thou shalt be found honoured above many, because of the devotedness of thy walk on earth.”

And when it was morning, many officers of state and other grandees came to the gate of the prison. Having brought out the holy Apostle and Sandukht, and the other Christians that were in the prison, they led them away bound to the king’s palace, but Sandukht came free. Then raising her voice, she said rejoicing, to her companions in the faith, “ Stand fast, brethren, and be strong in Christ, for the threats of an earthly king are nothing. To Him alone look ye now, to the King of Heaven in Whom ye have believed. Give Him your mind and your devotion, and He will give you strength; for He alone is God, and besides Him there is none else; He will keep you from vain and deceitful snares.”

But while she was thus exhorting her fellow Christians, the king called her from within; she went in to him and he said, “Come near, my daughter;” but she did not look at him nor did she go near him.

Then the king said, “Deniest thou me, and lovest thou that deceiver? If thou turn not from thy present mind, I swear by all the gods, that I will put both thee and him to a painful death.”

The holy maiden then said, “Call him not a deceiver, who turned me from darkness to light, and gave me to know my Lord the Maker of heaven and earth, and the only Son of God, with the Holy Ghost Who comes from them. I hasten to my Lord Christ, He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings; He is the light and the life of all creatures.”

The king then said, “Who is He Whom thou callest God and Father?”

Sandukht answered, “God. God is He Who made all things out of nothing, and established all things made by the Word of His mouth; but your deceived mind and your darkened imagination have forsaken God your Maker, Who made and established you out of nothing. And ye worship the ghosts of dead men that neither see nor hear, that are akin to devils, that doom to perdition your darkened minds, and make you the children of hell. And now ye have to go into outer darkness with your leader Satan, where there is weeping of eyes and gnashing of teeth.”

At these words the king was very wroth, and commanded to bind and to flay her alive, and then to burn her. And the executioner drawing near, bound the holy maiden, when one of the believers ran and told the holy Apostle that they had bound Sandukht, and that they were going to torment her. Then Thaddeus said with tears, “My Lord Jesus Christ, look down upon Thine handmaid, strengthen her, and put to shame the wicked enemy of the Truth.” Meanwhile the holy maiden, while being bound, as they laid hands on her and were about to flay her, cried unto heaven, and with a loud voice said courageously, “My Lord Jesus Christ, hasten to my help, for Thou art my Father and Creator, my refuge and my life, forsake not the lost sheep of Thy flock.”

And as the maid cried there was an earthquake, and a light shone from heaven, when a voice was heard saying, “Be of good courage, my daughter, for I am with thee to deliver thee.” Then were her bonds loosened, and the executioner, and many with him, perished in the brightness of the light; and fear having fallen upon the king and all that were with him, they all thought themselves about to perish. But the holy maiden hastened to the Apostle, and embracing his feet said, “My lord and my spiritual father, lo, Christ soon loosened me from my bonds, and put to shame Satan and his servants.” And they arose and praised the Lord.

Then came a minister from the king, who fell at the Apostle’s feet and said, “The king has sent me to thee, saying, ‘ I have sinned against thee and against thy God. Forgive me and pray that His anger at our fearful wickedness may be turned away, lest we perish altogether; and we will do all thou listest’. The king commands to set you free from your bonds.”

Then Thaddeus, seeing him and hearing the king’s command, melted into tears and prayed, saying, “O Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look upon Thy congregation, and do not unto these men according to their sins. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This short prayer being ended, they loosened the bonds of all the believers. Arid then there was an awful sound of an earth­quake, and the minister seeing it feared greatly. But the Apostle said, “Fear not, but go, and tell thy king what things thou hast seen.”

He went, and told the king, “I have seen the Apostle, who is not like a man, but more than a man. There was a light around him, and while he prayed all anger and vexation passed away from my heart.”

Then the king, being set on by the wicked one, said, “May be he will forgive my wrath against him; yet the great gods Aramazd and Anahid are the support of the world and the glory of our kings.”

Then the minister believed with all his house, and he was baptized and received the name of Samuel; they could not find the like of him in the whole land of Armenia; and he shaved his hair and became a disciple of the holy Apostle. And the king hearing of it, commanded that a burning nail should be thrust through his shoulders, and thus was he perfected in death, and with him also many other disciples of the holy Apostle, who had come with him. Then three or four arrived from the land of Armenia at that hour, whom they tormented, some by nailing them with red-hot nails to wheels which were thus set on fire, while others were put to the sword; so that in that day were eight martyrs thus perfected, over whom a sign of light appealed that caused a great fright to the heathen. And when it was night the holy Apostle came with other faith­ful men, and taking up their bodies, wound them up in their own robes of state with spices, and laid them in small clay coffins in their own homes, taking care that no one should know it.

And that same night the holy maid Sandukht came, and throwing herself before the holy Apostle, said, “Blessed art thou, my lord and father, for having made so many people worthy of the crown of Christ.”

To which the Apostle replied, “Blessed art thou also, for being worthy of accompanying them; rejoice and be glad, for soon shalt thou also arrive in thq kingdom of Christ.” She then comforted all the believers, feeding them with bread, and covering them with raiment, allowing them to be in want of nothing; and she preached the Word of Life, and converted many through the signs and miracles which she wrought.

Then a woman of rank, by name Zarmantukht, who was related to the king, believed with all her house, which the holy Apostle took and baptized: in number, two hundred. But the king having heard of it, gave order that Zarmantukht alone should be put to the sword; over whom, after she was thus perfected, there shone a sign of light, whereby many believed on the day of this saint’s martyrdom. The king hearing of this, roared like a Eon against the holy maid Sandukht and said, “She it is that deceives most of them;” and he commanded her to be slain with the sword. But the holy Apostle hearing the order given by the wicked king, prayed to Christ the whole night in behalf of Sandukht.

When it was morning, Sandukht coming to him, threw herself at his feet, and embracing them said, “My lord, I have been thinking in my heart what Christ, Who is my Light, will do to me; for while asleep during the night a light shone over me, and in the midst of the light a man surrounded with light, whose likeness I could not see for the exceeding brightness of the rays of His light, then called to me and said, ‘ Sandukht, arise and hasten to put on My light.’ And I, bathed in tears, replied, ‘My Lord, I am not worthy.’ But He, rebuking me, clothed me with light as with a garment; He placed a crown of light upon my head, He adorned me with bright ornaments of light, and I stood amazed. But He said, ‘Rejoice, O Sandukht, for I will not leave thee.’ Then suddenly there was an awful sound, and I awoke, and getting up I glorified Christ God, Who had thought me worthy of such a marvellous vision.”

When the holy Apostle heard this, he understood that this day she should pass from this world, and be clothed upon with the glory of the heavenly hosts, and wear on her own head the crown of light; he then said to her with tears, “Blessed art thou, O Sandukht, for He that appeared to thee this night is Christ Himself; because He saw thine ardent, earnest love for Him, therefore did He appear to thee, and therefore will He the more establish thee in the light of His Divine nature. He will now clothe thee with His light as with a cloak, and He will place upon thy head a crown of light; for thou shalt abandon thy gross earthly body, and thou shalt put on the heavenly light, since thou art made worthy to wear on thy head the crown of victory in martyrdom. Thou shalt be adorned with the light of heaven above, and shalt dwell in the brightness of the Godhead; and thou shalt at all times be in the joys of that supreme light. And as to His saying to thee, ‘Rejoice and be glad, for I will never leave thee,’ it means that Christ is inseparable from His beloved ones; and that He gladdens them evermore who abide in their love for Him, their God.”

When the holy maid Sandukht heard from Thaddeus the explanation of the marvellous vision she had seen, she was bathed in tears, and falling at the feet of the Apostle, she said to him, “Blessed be thou, my father, who hast begotten me anew, and hast taught me to know Christ, the living Light; for thou hast been to me the path of life and the draught of immortality. Ask, then, Christ that He may soon gather me unto Himself.”

Then the holy Apostle said, “Behold, thou shalt soon come into the Light of life with Him for Whom thou longest now.”

And to this Sandukht replied, “My Lord, I beseech thee, that until my passage hence thou wilt stand by me; for I cannot exist away from thy love in the Spirit.”

Then they arose and prayed, and lifting up his hands unto heaven, Thaddeus said, “Remember Thine handmaid, O Lord; give her patience in her struggle this day, and put to shame the enemy; that all those who believe in Thee may know that Thou alone art God in heaven above and in the earth beneath.” Then turning towards the holy maid kneeling by him, he blessed her and said: “Stand firm, Sandukht, and Christ will give thee strength.”

Hardly were these words uttered, when suddenly there came to the door of the prison cruel officers and soldiers, towards whom the holy Apostle came forth to meet them, and stood in the midst of them.

Then they led the blessed maid to the place where she was going to be put to death, when she said to those who led her, “ Bear with me yet a little while, that I may pray unto my Lord and my God.” Then looking up to heaven with tears, she said, “Heavenly Father of Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, look down from heaven Thy holy dwelling, and vouchsafe unto me Thy loving mercy and pity. Receive me, Thine handmaid, in the name of Thy beloved Son, as a sweet-smelling savour, and make me meet partaker of the heavenly light of Thy Divine nature, that I may delight my­self in the infinite, abundant, and eternal blessings Thou hast promised unto all those that love Thee.” Then taking leave of the holy Apostle, she received his blessing; and drawing near to the place where preparations were made for her martyrdom, she said, “Arise, fulfil the will of your father Satan;” and then, of her own accord, she willingly gave herself up to be bound.

Then the executioner drawing his sword, went as about to slay the holy maid Sandukht, but instead of that, he smote his chief officer and killed him. When the heathens saw this they became all the more enraged, and seizing the holy maid, they rushed upon her, and there they all beat her to death. Meanwhile the handmaid of Christ continued to pray, saying, “Lord Jesus Christ, receive me into the everlasting habitations, for I rejoice and am glad of the suffering and of death for the sake of Thy holy Name; Thou hast strengthened me and enabled me to overcome those who fight against me, for Thine is the victory, and unto Thee belongs eternal glory, Amen.”

At that same moment a young man smote the breast of the holy maiden and drew blood, whence came forth a sweet smell; and she gave up her spirit to Christ in a good confession of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Then from heaven shone forth light like a pillar of fire, and there was an earthquake with an awful sound of the voices of heavenly hosts, praising God; and the pillar of light stood over that holy corpse three days and three nights. And that day as many as two thousand souls believed, both men and women, who did not move from the place where the body of holy Sandukht lay.

Afterwards the holy Apostle came by night and baptized them in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And taking the body of Sandukht, he laid it in that same spot, covered it with earth, and thus made invisible the resting place of the sainted princess.

Then, three days after the death of Sandukht, towards morning, as the holy Apostle was praying, the Saviour appeared to him and said, “Peace be unto thee, my beloved; make haste, today shalt thou come to the fighting ground; yet endure, for many Bufferings shall come upon thee, but I will not leave thee;” and blessing him, He disappeared.

Then the holy Apostle prayed, saying, “I give thanks unto Thee, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast not left me out of Thy hand in these barbarous lands, but that Thou hast had pity on me. Now receive me as a sweet-smelling savour to Thy Divine essence, and strengthen me for the conflict; receive and remember, O Lord, Thine handmaid, Sandukht, who has passed hence unto Thee, and put her among the companies of Thy saints, who for Thy Holy Name’s sake have fought and overcome; and satisfy her with the light of Thy Divine nature; and keep those who have believed and who have put their trust in Thee. Hear now their supplications and their prayers, 0 Thou Friend of sinners; and set not aside the requests of those who cry unto Thee day and night, but ward off the wicked adver­sary from them and put him to shame, that he may not venture near the company of those who believe in Thee. Strengthen Thy servants in the love of Thy commandments,bypersevering in them unto the end.”

Having thus ended his prayer, he blessed the believers, and said, “ Children, since ye have given yourselves to God, and have been enlisted in the company of Christ, stand firm in the faith, and Christ God will give you strength; He will increase your number, and will put to shame your wicked adversary the Devil, who leads astray the heathen; and will make you tread him under foot for ever. But lo! I am passing hence unto my Lord Christ, and I will pray Him to send you His mighty angel to defend you against the yoke of heathen errors, wherever He may lead you, and purify you in the furnace of His divine light, to be unto Him a noble company. For He now is unto you a Father, Lord, and King; He will keep you, and not leave you.”

When the believers heard that Thaddeus was soon to pass hence to Christ, they were all in tears, and falling at his feet, they embraced them, saying, 0, sir, who hast quickened our spirits, pray for us, and entreat Christ that He may not let us go from His hand.”

To whom the holy Apostle himself, bathed in tears, answered, “0 Lord Jesus Christ, let not go out of Thine hand Thy small company now around me, but keep them with Thy holy right hand.” And dismissing them, he sent them every one to his own home.

But after the believers had gone with the heavenly blessing, two officers of state came by order of the wicked king, and a great multitude with them, searching everywhere, thinking that they should not find more Christians than they did a day or two before. But the holy Apostle being made aware of their approach, went out to them, and said, “I am he whom ye seek.” Then they took him and brought him to the king. The king seeing him, said, “Art thou Thaddeus ?” And he said, “I am.” And the king, looking at him, saw his face very brilliant and awful; he feared greatly, and said, “ Why didst thou unsettle the mind of my fair daughter and win her over to thyself, removing her from her father’s throne, hung with purple and gold embroidery; and why didst thou make her hate our gods and make her like unto one of the poor, until I made her perish with the sword in the bitter indignation of my grief?”

Then answered the holy Apostle, and said, “With regard to the holy maiden of whom thou speakest, it is true that I rescued her from the chilling and Satanic delusions of the dark works of your worship, as you offer it to Anahid, worshippers as ye are of devils. And I won over her heart to Christ, making Him known to her through the heavenly birth of Baptism; and I removed her from thine own abominations, her father though thou be. Christ has clothed her in the glory of heavenly rays of light. For when thou thoughtest to make her perish, He made her pass from death unto life, and winged her flight to the realms of light, where, being in full enjoyment of divine love, she moves among the bands of Seraphim, at all times praising and glorifying the Most Holy Trinity; for there is ineffable light, and life eternal. But ye have a deceived mind, and a darkened imagination, and forsaking the Creator of heaven and earth, Who made you out of nothing, and placed you upon earth, wherein He gives you both breath and life; ye have gone astray after the worship of idols that work death, deceived and led astray as ye are by the wicked and abominable Satan, who has cast you into the bonds and snares of death; and ye have, as your portion, to be cast with him into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then the king was very wroth, and said, “Such a man ought not to live.” And having led away the holy Apostle, they cast him bound into the walled den wherein were kept wild beasts that fed on human flesh. Then they let into it two lions; but these went, and crouching at the feet of the holy Apostle, licked his shoes, and howled, fawning. The Saint then prayed, and his bonds were loosened; and making a sign to the lions, they each retired to his own place.

But the king grew more and more enraged at this, and commanded that the furnace of fire be kindled and made very hot, and they cast Thaddeus, bound, into the midst of it. But he prayed and said, “Lord Jesu Christ, send me Thy help.”

Then there arose at once a strong wind with a refreshing dew, that scattered the fire of the furnace among the wicked heathens, and the terror of heavenly voices destroyed them all; so that the king fled to his palace, where, seized with an evil disease, he lay in doubt what to do.

The holy Apostle, however, being full of the hope of heaven, was happy and as bright as light. And in that day, four hundred and thirty-three people believed, who cried and said: “Great is the God of the Christians!” Thaddeus then arose and baptized them at that same hour; whereat the wicked king being enraged, gave orders to put them to death. But the holy Apostle strengthened them in the faith of the Gospel that gives us life, and rising he prayed, saying, “ 0 Lord Jesu Christ, my God, forsake not this Thy holy company, but strengthen them in their love for Thee their God; and receive me, 0 Lord, as a sweet-smelling offering unto Thee.”

Having ended his prayer, he blessed them all, and committing them to Christ, he said, “ Arise, go to yonder high place, which is above us, and ye shall look upon the scene of my martyrdom; I have given you for leader Zacharias, a beloved of Christ, my fellow-worker and servant in the Lord. He will teach you the word of the holy Gospel, which the Holy Ghost has put in his mouth; and after having established you in our holy faith, he will soon come to me, and accomplish his martyrdom.” Then he blessed them and they went.

And a troop of soldiers coming with officers, took the holy Apostle, and brought him to a small, narrow valley on the top of a hill, and to a quarry there. But he praying, said, “O Lord God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, receive me now; and show forth a token of Thine awful divine power, that they may know and acknowledge that Thou alone art the God of all creatures. O Lord, I beseech Thee, do not let go out of Thy hand the portion of Thine inheritance which is in this land; and reckon not to the inhabitants of it this sin, for they know not what they do. Convert the mind of these heathens, and make them to acknowledge Thee as their God, O Thou lover of mankind and merciful Lord.”

Having ended his prayer and signing himself with the sign of the Cross, he said to the executioner, “Do what thou wilt.” Then the executioner arose upon the Apostle, and smote with the sword Zemendos, his own brother, and killed him, who was a chief set over all the roads of the kingdom, and a trusty councillor of the palace. But the holy Apostle, seeing that he was dead, was grieved, for he was the friend and protector of the believers, and entertained strangers hospitably. And going towards the dead body, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look down from Thy Throne in heaven, and bring this dead body to life, that they may know that Thou art God.” Then he took hold of the hand of the corpse and said, “I say unto thee, in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, arise and stand up.” Then the dead arose and stood, and falling at the feet of the Apostle, said, “I believe in thy God, that He alone is God, and that beside Him there is none else.” And Thaddeus laid his hand on his wounds and healed him. And in that hour eight hundred and twenty souls believed, at the head of which was Zemendos, whom Christ raised from the dead through the holy Apostle Thaddeus. To whom the Apostle said, “Behold, Christ, the Son of God, has brought thee to life; He has saved thee from the errors of thy fathers, and has made thee worthy of the heavenly light. Now be strong, and stand firm in the faith of Christ, and He will keep thee and all the believers with thee.”

Then he arose and baptized them, embraced them with heavenly love and blessed them, and committed them to the Holy Ghost, saying, “Go ye in peace, the Lord is with you.” Then he prayed himself over the believers, and said, “ O my Lord Jesus Christ, keep them; put to shame the wicked one, and receive me, O Lord! ”

No sooner had he ended his prayer, than the king, being wroth, commanded him to be put to death at once; and at that moment he was made perfect in death with the sword. But as he was dying, a sweet smell came from his body, with an awful and terrible sound of a voice, while the light of heaven shone over the Saint. Then there was a great earthquake, and the earth being rent asunder by the power of God, received the body of the holy Apostle, and the impious bystanders fled.

But the believers being strengthened by the light that shone over them, the holy Thaddeus being among them in a body of light, they cried with one voice and said, “O holy Apostle of God, our father, remember us and forget us not!” because they fancied him risen and present with them in the body.

Then they rose, and going down into the place where he had been slain, they understood that he had been put to death with the sword, and that the rock rent asunder had received his body; and they wept. And that day three thousand and four hundred and thirty-three, men and women, believed, and gave glory to the Holy Trinity on high.

I Samuel, bishop, unworthy servant of Christ, have told the martyrdom of the holy Apostle Thaddeus and of the holy maid Sandukht, and I have given it to the whole land of Armenia. May those who read it and who commemorate these two chosen of the Lord, think me their humble servant, worthy of remembrance in their prayers!

Saint Thaddeus was perfected in death on the 13th of December, at the ninth hour; and Saint Sandukht, on the 8th of the same month: to the glory of the most Holy Trinity. Amen ’.

II. The Acts and Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Bartholomew .

S. Bartholomew having for some time companied with S. Thomas on his way to India, afterwards parted from him, and went into Media and Elymais, and in the country round about, visiting Parthia, where he made many converts.

He thence came into Koghth, a province of Armenia, and hastened to enter into the work fallen by lot to Thaddeus, according to the order he had received from the Holy Ghost. He preached there the Word of life, which the people of those parts received with joy and great gladness, believing and yielding themselves obedient to it; and were of him enlightened by baptism. He left among them elders, who had been magi, but were made disciples by him, and through whose hands God wrought many wonders in divers places, wherever they went; for they turned many from their vain worship to that of the true God, and the graces of the apostolate rested on them. It was in the twenty-ninth year of king Sanadrug’s reign that S. Bartholomew came into Armenia, according to the command of the Holy Ghost, who had chosen the Apostles to call the heathen to the faith. And S. Thomas, by virtue of his being chief guide of the Apostles engaged in the evangelization of the East, wrote to S. Bartholomew not to omit to preach the Gospel about Armenia, as well as in every place where Thaddeus had been, who was one of the Seventy.

But when S. Bartholomew came to the plains of Ardash, he fell in with one of the Twelve, Judas, the brother of James. They planted a cross on the spot where they met, and afterwards parted with great joy at having seen each other: Judas went to his own district; but Bartholomew went into Her and Zarevant, districts of Armenia, where he wrought signs and wonders among the sick; cast out many devils, enlightened many, comforted others with words of teaching from the Holy Gospel, and called upon them to abide firm in the faith they had received, and to continue faithful. And having laid hands on them one by one, he committed them to the grace of God; he then left them and came to Urpianos, a city of Armenia. And there came to him all those who were tormented with divers diseases, whom he healed and enlightened with holy baptism.

Okohi, sister of king Sanadrug, who was sister’s son to Abgarus, heard of S. Bartholomew; she then came to him in secret, and having heard from him the Word of life, she believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, she and all who belonged to her; and having put on the habit of a nun, she renounced the glories of the world, and went about with the Apostle, ministering to him.

The king hearing of this, became furious, like a wild beast thirsting for blood; and sent Terentius, a captain, with his men, who, when he came to the Apostle by order of the king, had pity on him. The Apostle then began to preach to him the Gospel of the kingdom; and the Lord opened his understanding to receive his words; but he was a leper. The Apostle then took him by night, and baptized him; and lo, a cloud of light hovered over the place, and a light of fire shone all round the water in which he was baptized. And as he came out of the water, there fell from him, as it were, a hard skin like the bark of a tree, and like a leaf of the vine, and light enveloped him like a garment; at the sight of which marvels many believed in the Lord. But when the king heard of all these wonderful things, he became more enraged than ever, and sent at once another of his chief ministers, who should forthwith exterminate the Apostle and the rest of the believers, and hearken to nothing else.

They came, and laying hold on the holy Apostle, on Okohi and Terentius, they brought them to the palace. There the Apostle was scourged for one hour by six men; and as he was left for dead, they dragged him and cast him outside the city; but he continued alive by the power and the help of the Lord, in whom he had trusted. And after having thus lain for three hours, while a great crowd from the city and the neighbourhood was standing around him, he began to move his hands, to stretch them and lay hold with them; he then rose and stdod upright, and spreading his hands towards heaven, he said, “O Lord God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, let not go from Thy hand this Thine inheritance, for the supplications which Thomas, Thaddeus, Judas, and myself, have offered Thee in behalf of this land, that it may not be trodden down by the enemy; but vouchsafe to the inhabitants of it Thy mercy and pity, that they may be converted from the worship of their vain idols, and recover themselves from the error of their ways of ignorance and unbelief. Then give them a Pastor and Guide, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him whom Thou hast sent, Jesus Christ. And now receive me, 0 Lord, and help those who believe in Thee.”

When he had said this, the place where he was trembled, and behold, an arch of light rose over the Saint, who, looking up to heaven, gave up the ghost; when a sweet smell was scattered abroad, and the holy Apostle Thaddeus stood before them in the same form as that which he had while in the body; and they disappeared to the place whence Thaddens had come. Great fear then fell on them all, and that day more than two thousand people believed, while they all glorified God for what had taken place; and a light in the.form of an arch con­tinued over the body of the Apostle twelve days.

But they slew with the sword the blessed Okohi and Terentius, and many others with them. And seeing the body of the holy Apostle, they removed it to some other place of rest, together with other martyrs, to the glory of the most Holy Trinity. Then it thundered, and the deaf heard, the blind saw, the dumb spake, and they all were healed of whatever disease they were taken, as many as believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, through the preaching of S. Bartholomew. Then they all to­gether lifted up their hands to heaven, and with one mouth glorified our Lord Jesus Christ, unto Whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, belong glory, honour, and power, now and ever, world without end. Amen.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF OUR HOLY FATHER

GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR

CHAPTER I. Of the time and place of his Birth.

IN the days when kingdoms and nations had been set one against another, and changed at the bid of one stern ruler of them all, the valiant Arsaces arose, about sixty years after the death of Alexander the Great, and reigned over the Persians and the Parthians; thus checking the further inroads of the Macedonian empire, already on the wane, by founding the family of the Arsacids. War followed upon war, until he had brought the whole East under his rule, during a reign of thirty-one years.. After him came his son, Ardases, who reigned twenty-six years, and was succeeded by Arsaces the Great, who, in order to bestow rank and dignity on his brother, Valarsaces, set him king over Armenia, giving him the North and West as limits of his dominions. From that time the two kingdoms of Armenia and of Parthia were subject to the same family, Parthia taking the first rank and Armenia the second.

This went on until the reign of Ardases the Great, King of Armenia, who, being of a hasty and overbearing disposition, and very powerful withal, assumed supreme authority, bringing the Parthians under his own hand, and thus raising the throne of Armenia above that of Parthia. After him, however, Tigranes, his son, when sick unto death, restored the highest rank and power to the throne of Persia; and from that date the kingdom of Persia was accounted first, and that of Armenia second, until the time that Philip became emperor under the Roman rule.

In those days, Ardashir, a Persian prince of the city of Sdahr, headed a rebellion, and drew to himself the rulers and satraps of Persia and Assyria, all of whom set at naught and thrust from them the Parthian yoke, to which they had yielded until the reign of Arsaces the Great; and with one consent chose and set king over themselves this Ardashir, son of Sasan. He at once gathered his troops together against the king of Persia, Ardavan, son of Valarsaces, and slew him; and then ruled over the kingdom of Persia in his stead.

The reason of the success of Ardashir was this. Ardavan, king of Persia, was a fire-worshipper and addicted to magic; and it came to pass one day, as he was with his wife in his chamber, that he began to talk to her, and said, “Know that if at this time any one attempted to raise a rebellion, I do not doubt he would succeed.” Meanwhile, one of the maids in waiting, Ardatukht by name, who happened to be in the room behind the curtain, listened and took notice of the words spoken by the king, and brought them at once to Ardashir, who had before been on familiar terms with her. This gave Ardashir the idea of rising against Ardavan; but he feared the attempt. The words of the maid, however, gave him both pleasure and courage; and as a reward, he swore to her that, if he succeeded, he would make her his wife, and raise her to the dignity of queen. Being thus confirmed in his thoughts of rebellion by this foreboding, he ventured to make known his intentions to his most intimate friends.

He then excited to rebellion, and also encouraged the Persian and Assyrian princes, who longed to become rulers in their own houses, and to be set free from the galling bondage of their Parthian king; and he gathered them all together against Ardavan. And when, during the fight, Ardashir was brought face to face with Ardavan, Ardashir addressed him thus: “Trouble thyself no further; neither do thou foolishly doom to destruction the Persian and the Parthian nations, whose heart is not to thy rule, but rather to that of Ardashir, even to mine. If thou hearken unto me, thou shalt live, and I will give thee a place wherein thou shalt find every thing thou canst require. Remember the words thou didst speak in the ears of the queen in thy chamber; then take counsel with thyself: be wise, and live.”

Having heard this, Ardavan turned to his attendants, and said, “How bitter is woman!” He then commanded that his wife be put to death; not knowing how else his words could have reached Ardashir. Then replying to him, he said, “Better it is for me to die, than to give my kingdom into the hands of the slave Ardashir.” And thus saying, he rushed forward to fight him, and raised his spear to thrust him through, when Ardashir feigned flight; but, turning round upon Ardavan, who was pursuing him, he sent an arrow through him, and killed him. Then he forthwith gathered together all the princes and governors, who at once set him up king instead of Ardavan. Such is the account of the success of Ardashir, left us by Metaphrastes, who not only wished to confirm the voice of the stars, but also to state the occasion on which Ardashir had raised his hand in open rebellion against the king of Persia.

When the news of the revolt reached Chosroes, king of Armenia, he at once hastened to send help to Ardavan, ere he were put to death; but he could not do so in time to prevent his untimely end; for he heard of his death even before he set foot in Assyria, and he went back sorrowing. Afterwards, however, his mind became bent on avenging upon Ardashir the blood of his relative Ardavan, who was next to him in royal rank. He sent messengers to gather together to battle the armies of the Georgians and of the Albanians. At the same time he opened the gates of the fortresses of the Alans and of his own, while he brought the hordes of the Huns into Assyria, to spread desolation therein. He laid it waste as far as the province of Dispont, destroying populous cities and most romantic villages, until he left the whole country desolate and without in­habitants.

Then, as a preparation for the coming struggle, they sent messengers right and left to the provinces and to the strongholds which had yielded themselves subject to the rule of Chosroes, to whose aid Albanians, Caspians, and others readily came at once with abundant supplies of men and horses, together with other reinforcements from various quarters, all bent on avenging the blood of Ardavan. Ambassadors had also been sent into Parthia for the same purpose; but the satraps, heads of families, and other princes who had already given their allegiance to Ardashir, turned a deaf ear to the call of Chosroes.

Meanwhile, Chosroes having brought together his own forces, and those of his allies who had come to his aid, marched against Ardashir. Ardashir, on his side, came to meet Chosroes with a great army; but instead of beating him, he was himself beaten and put to flight by the Armenian host, which pursued and utterly routed and discomfited him, scattering in all directions, and sweeping away from the face of the earth and from the roads and passes of the land, all the remnants of his army. Thus did the king of Armenia conquer the country, hold and rule by repeated blows, during the space of ten years, all the provinces which afore had been subject to the yoke of Persia; and after laying them waste, he drove back Ardashir, and constrained him to take refuge on the borders of India.

Ardashir, seeing that he could not resist Chosroes, nor subsist before him, became perplexed, anxious, and undecided in his counsels, from which he could find no outlet. He therefore called to himself the great men of his kingdom, the satraps, governors, princes, and magistrates, to aid him in devising means of escape or of rescue. He made them various and great promises, even unto giving the second rank in the kingdom, next to the throne, to whomsoever would, by craft or otherwise, compass the death of Chosroes, either by poison or the sword: if by one of the nobility, so much the better; but if not, by whomsoever it might be.

Then one of the chief men among the rulers of Parthia, Anak by name, stood up in the midst of the rest assembled, and promised to do it.—Strange, heedless folly of a man, thus taking in hand so awful a deed, without care or concern of what may follow, and rashly risking both his own life and that of his kindred! Thus pledging himself with an oath to deal treacherously by a king of his own kin, as if he were a stranger of another tribe; we shall, however, see how this fiendish act on the part of Anak was overruled by God’s great power and mercy, and made to lead to the enlightenment and conversion of the Armenian nation. For the present, however, let us continue our narrative. The king answered to Anak, “If thou do this deed honestly and sin­cerely towards me, I will restore to you Parthians, your ancestral and noble territory of Balkh; I will put a crown upon thy head, I will honour thee, and thou shalt be called second after me.”

Anak then gave orders to his household to prepare for a journey. He took measures, prepared and got himself ready with his brothers, and with his whole house he removed from Persia to the borders of Armenia, under pretence of emigrating, on account of his having rebelled against the king of Persia, towards whom he must now deal with caution, if not with subtilty. Wherefore, when some time after the armies of the Persians found their way into Assyria, they, as if driving him thence, made him come to the borders of Aderbigan.

Chosroes having heard this, sent some troops to his assistance; and, by order of the king, they brought him to the province of Ardaz, in a plain country, where it happened that he took up his abode close to the monument raised to the memory of the holy Apostle Thaddeus. There, as generally reported, did Okohe, the mother of S. Gregory the Illuminator, conceive him, whereby he became endowed with the grace of the Apostle. And thus he, who came into being near the Apostle’s tomb, accomplished what was lacking in his conversion of the country, as Moses of Chorene tells us, who borrowed his information from trustworthy sources. Nerses Shnorhali also makes mention of it in his History of the Armenian nation; and we find it alluded to in the section of the hymnal dedicated to S. Gregory the Illuminator, in these terms: “The child is given, a living remnant of the Apostle’s remains.” Then, in due course of time, Okohe his mother brought forth the little innocent. How he was called to holy orders in the true service of God, and in due form, the following narrative will show.

After these things it came to pass that Anak went to meet Chosroes in the province of Udi, in the city of Khaghkhagh, his winter quarters, where he was frankly welcomed by the king, and treated with every mark of respect and pleasure at his presence. For Chosroes could have no reason to fear aught from him, seeing he came to him with his brothers and his whole household. While Anak, who thus found grace with him, showed him con­fidence, and said to him in false, feigned words, “Hither have I come to thee, that we may together seek to wreak our vengeance on our common enemy.” Thus deceived, Chosroes received him with great honours, even unto seating him next to himself on the throne. And Anak continued there two years watching his opportunity to bring about his trea­cherous design.

But in the second year after Anak’s arrival at the Armenian Court, and while Chosroes was making preparations for an inroad on the Persian territory, the traitor Anak began to dwell on the oath he had nefariously made and on the promises of Ardashir; and the longing he felt for the throne of his ancestral land of Balkh led him at once to plot against Chosroes. One day in the spring, when he and Chosroes were gone hunting, Anak and his brother, under pretence of saying something in private to the king, took him aside from the rest, and drawing a dagger he kept hidden in his side, raised his hand, smote Chosroes to the earth, and slew him. Then he and his brother, jumping on their horses, fled for their lives.

When the king’s attendants became aware of what happened, they raised a loud and tumultuous cry, while the princes rushed to the king’s assistance; and others, with the Armenian troops, pursued Anak and his brother. Of these, some occupied the passes by land, while others, placing themselves between the bridges cast over the Araxes, made sure of their prey among the defiles of the country; thus driving into the river Anak and his followers, who, finding themselves hedged in on all sides, must at last come to the river, which at that time, being swollen with the melted snows, rolled tumultuously in a deep and rapid stream; so that if they attempted to escape from the Armenian soldiers by crossing the river, they would assuredly perish in it.

But ere the breath of life had departed from Chosroes, and whilst his blood was yet warm, he commanded the whole family of Anak, man and woman, young and old, to be put to the sword. Then was it that, by God’s will and counsel, two children from among His sons were saved by their nurses, who escaped with them. The one took refuge in Persia, and the other, who, in the foreknowledge of God, was to become the Light of Armenia, was taken to countries under the donlinion of Greece, as we are going to show more in detail.

A certain man named Burdar, of a family both rich and distinguished, who had come from Persia with Anak, travelled as far as Ardaz; and starting thence, went and sojourned in Caesarea of Cappadocia. There he took to wife a woman whose name was Sophia, the sister of a believing nobleman called Euthalius, with whom he continued for the space of one year, and then set off with his wife to return to Persia. But Euthalius having gone after them, overtook them in the province of Ararat, and persuaded them to go back with him to Caesarea. Then, as Burdar tarried in the city of Valarshabad, where the house of Anak was, and where the child Gregory was also just bom, the nurse of that new-born babe, that was destined to become the Light of Armenia, happened for some reason or other to come in to Sophia. And when the orders of Chosroes were being executed, and that calamity befell the house of Anak, Euthalius went in to Okohe, the wife of Anak, and, taking the babe in his arms, he hid him in some safe place together with his nurse. And they continued thus concealed a certain time, until the excitement was over.

Euthalius then took his sister Sophia and her husband, with the child, who was then about two years old, and brought them all to Cappadocia, to his own city Caesarea. Wonderful, unsearchable providence of God, in thus preparing for Armenia the Light of her holy Father Gregory! whose true history remains, unto this day, written for our use. Thus writes, for instance, Moses of Chorene, who, wondering at it all, says, “All this, I willingly admit, was wrought by God’s Providence, who then made a way for our salvation. If not, with what hope or object in view would they have thus brought a Bactrian child to be reared on Roman soil and under the Roman dominion, teaching him at the same time the faith of Christ?”

The following wonderful occurrence is also told of him by credible historians. As on the journey they once had to spend the night under a tree, an angel came down from heaven in the form of a dove, alighted at the child’s feet, and greeting him by name, called him Gregorios, which is interpreted “watchful,” in token of his future watchfulness in all things. The form of a dove also, in which the angel appeared, showed, as it were, beforehand the nature of his angelic life, which he spent from his cradle to his grave, without spot and innocent, nurtured as he was in the graces of the Spirit. And in consequence of this apparition, when in after time he was consecrated at the second birth of holy Baptism, was he then named Gregorius; as we are told, not only in the Lives of Armenian Saints, but also in the Life of S. Gregory, carefully written in Italian.

This birth, therefore, took place, according to the most careful calculations, in the year of our salvation two hundred and fifty-eight. We will now proceed to give an account of his early years.

CHAPTER II. How S. Gregory was brought up by his nurse, and taught in the paths of wisdom, and of a godly life,

No one can describe the care and solicitude with which Sophia devoted herself to the Bactrian child, Gregory, whom she had been directed by a vision from God to bring up. So that, when he grew out of childhood, his whole life and conduct was marked by the progress he had made, both in the wisdom of the wise and in the service of God. For, while he was yet of tender age, she had him taught letters, and after that, when he was a little older, he applied himself to philosophical studies. But, above all, he ceased not continually to cultivate his mind with the letter and inspired wisdom of the Holy Scriptures; so that we may say that, like Christ when an infant, S. Gregory sucked the pure divine milk of the Word, and grew thereby till he reached manhood.

From his remarkable countenance every one who beheld him might understand the nobleness of his intelligent soul. For the brilliant gifts with which he was endowed shone brightly from within, like a lamp from within a lantern, into a beautiful form and into all the graces of his urbanity of conversation and manner, and already marked him out as destined one day to be one of the great men of the earth. But especially Sophia, guided and, as it were, instructed by God, did her utmost to educate, in all the teaching of useful and good knowledge, as far as in her lay, the young Gregory, who was being prepared, by the eternal decree and wisdom of God, to become not only the Light of Armenia, but also to scatter the thick gloom of heathenism, that brooded over eastern nations, by the bright sunbeam of his faith; to be their overseer and pastor, to strengthen and confirm them in the light of that faith, and thus, by the grace of our Saviour, to guide and order them in the keeping of God’s commandments, and in the protection of His Church.

But at this time something very remarkable about him showed plainly that he did not, like other children, yield obedience by constraint to examples or rules set him to follow; but that he gave himself to it of his own accord, readily and willingly; as taking interest in good things, in a modest bearing, in a daily walk ordered in the fear of God, in works of humility, of obedience, of brotherly love, of abstinence and prayer. To other works of God’s service also did he give himself up with a willing mind; making such progress in them as to astonish the happy lady Sophia and her friends and acquaintances. For he was pure and immaculate in his life, which he .directed Godwards; he was humble, modest, quiet, obedient to his instructors, and adorned with discretion and urbanity of manner. So that, even in his natural bodily constitution, that bespoke the dignity of his high Parthian ancestry, he was brisk, of a fine, tall figure, erect and of a beautiful form, with handsome features, well made in body, and in all respects faultless.

But prepared, as he was, to become the Illuminator of the Armenian nation, he received from the Giver of all good gifts excellence of sentiment, largeness of heart, and penetration of mind, and at the same time a great readiness in doing what circumstances required; and thus, by the constant practice both of his perception and of his activity in doing, he became eminent in every way. Of this his hidden man in the heart, the lady Sophia knew nothing; neither did she understand why he was thus, as it were, making diligence to fulfil what God had decreed from everlasting, by giving himself up wholly to the pursuit of good works.

Oh the infinite goodness of God towards men, incomprehensible in its counsels, whereby He, the kind and careful God, appointed and fitted S. Gregory to be Illuminator of Armenia, how and when He pleased! Was it not, then, possible for Him to choose some saintly man out of a race already enlightened, and, enlightening him with wisdom and a perfect conversation, to take him by the hand, and send him to preach the Gospel in Armenia, and thus become the Illuminator of that country? He might, indeed, have done so if He would. But He who kindly takes care of all, did not so order it; because, had He so done it, we, Armenians, should not have ap­peared the special objects of His care, neither would His great power have been so clearly displayed towards us, as in the ways and means He used in calling our Illuminator, who was of a nation in which no trace of the worship of God existed any where.

But He who provides for all, who brings light out of the darkest shadows of death, detached him from the roots of heathen parents of whom he was born, and brought him, in the way we have just described, into a country enlightened with the Chris­tian faith. And in this way did He commit him into the hands of pious instructors, that should train him in the fear of God and in innocency of life, until he reached the age of man’s estate. So that, while his bodily form was growing to perfection, was he trained in the knowledge of the wise among men; and while his conversation was disciplined in the fear of God, was he perfected in knowledge and in holiness of life. And over and above this, abounding in all spiritual graces and mental gifts, he was thus fitted to become the Sun of Armenia, and through untold deeds of endurance and of long-suffering was he thus to enlighten the East, as we are about to relate.

CHAPTER III. Of the marriage of S. Gregory while a layman, and of his giving up the married state after the birth of his two sons.

As S. Gregory was of the royal stem of the Par­thian Arsacidre, the lady Sophia, his foster-mother, who was well aware of it, took care that he should marry as soon as he was of age, in order that the succession to his house should not fail. He, how­ever, had no such intentions, neither would he of himself have sought the married state; choosing much rather to lead an ascetic life, as he had planned in his own mind to do. For he set at nought all the glories of this life, and counted as nothing the pomp and vanity thereof, desiring that which is incorruptible, and longing to devote himself to works that bring eternal glory to the real and true man. But he who was always so obedient and so considerate of his parents’ wishes would not in this case appear deaf to their entreaties, but resolved to hearken to them.

In a vision from God, therefore, a maid, rich, modest, and pious, was allotted to him for his bride, whose name was Mary, the daughter of a prince of high rank, called David. She bare him two sons, the elder of whom was called Vrthanes, and the younger Arisdaghes. These two children, owing to the circumstances of their birth, sucked holiness and innocency of life with their mother’s milk; for ere they could articulate distinctly, and while as yet their tongue only stammered in children’s talk, they already made mention of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, and of the unity of the Godhead..

For while these noble babes were yet in their cradle, their parents bestowed as much care in rearing them in the fear of God, as when they became children. The perfect holiness of their life shows this to have been the case, as we shall tell it in detail in its proper place. For S. Gregory and his wife Mary determined to entrust them to a wise teacher who loved God, who at the appointed time should impart to them all the liberal arts and sciences; and, above all, the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. Thus did they come to manhood with all the advantages of a rich and easy position in life.

S. Gregory, however, three years after having received these two virtuous, sensible, and obedient children, made known to his wife his intention regarding holiness of life, asking her consent to their mutual abstinence from all intercourse with each other, in order to cultivate a closer union with God. Mary, who, for the love of God, was herself much disposed to lead a retired life, gave her consent, not by constraint, but readily and willingly. They then, for several days, asked of the Lord in prayer, to show them how they should carry out their intention. Then, by the efficacy of spiritual graces, they were confirmed within themselves in their purpose, and enabled to carry it out, by leaving all their property for the support of their children, and by no longer living together; so as to devote themselves unhindered to the contemplation of heavenly things, and to good works in the service of God.

Then Mary, taking her younger son Arisdaghes, who was yet a mere child, entered with him a convent of women, and there spent her whole life as a nun. But he, when he came to manhood, went and joined himself to an anchorite, called Nicomachus, and took orders; while Vrthanes, his elder brother, being advised by his guardians, chose the married state, as Moses of Chorene tells us. These facts, however, are not told alike by all historians. And if we read any where that Vrthanes went with his mother into the convent, it would only be to remain there a very few years with her.

On the other hand, the blessed Gregory was after all this led by the Holy Ghost to go to Tiridates, king of Armenia, intending to make amends for his father Anak’s deeds, by attaching himself as a slave to Tiridates, after having made known to him the fraud by means of which his father Anak had slain Tiridates’ own father Chosroes, as we told above; S. Gregory’s purpose being to win over to eternal life, through the Gospel of Christ, the son of him who had been slain by his father, and thus to make amends for his father’s orime. Mark, then, at this time the supreme righteousness of this man and the wonderful love of him who, with the prospect of royal rank, as heir to all the pomp and wealth promised by the king of Persia to Anak, takes no thought for it all, but rather sets it at nought, and seeks to bind himself as a slave for the sake of saving the soul of his brethren—after the example of the infinite, ineffable, unsearchable Word of God, Who made Himself of no reputation, but took the form of a servant; and Who, instead of the rest and consolation that was set before Him, rather chose the Cross. Thus longing to become a follower of our Saviour, did 8. Gregory attach himself to Tiridates, being strengthened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, so as to become the light of the whole Armenian nation.

Tiridates himself was the son of Chosroes, king of Armenia. S. Gregory, having borne witness before him of the faith of Jesus Christ, was by him grievously tormented; but at last, not only did the saint turn him, but also the whole of Armenia, to the true worship of God. And albeit our chief object is to relate the testimony borne to the faith of Christ by the holy Father Gregory, and the light of the Gospel which he spread all over Armenia, must we nevertheless begin with saying something about Tiridates himself, and his cruel treatment of S. Gregory; and first, about his birth and education.

CHAPTER IV. How Tiridates, the son of Chosroes, king of Armenia, escaped with his sister out of the hands of Ardashir, king of Persia; of his birth, and deeds of valour, and how he received his crown from the Roman emperor, in token of his triumphs over Armenia.

When Ardashir, king of Persia, heard how trea­cherously Chosroes had been put to death by Anak, he was much pleased; and that day made a feast to his court in honour of the event. Then gathering together his forces, he hastened unhindered against Armenia, putting to flight at the same time the Greek army sent at great risk to aid the Armenians. He laid waste a. large tract of country, and assumed the whole authority in his own hands for about six and twenty years. His son Shabuh [Shapur] succeeded him, and reigned one year. During these troublous times, the princes of Armenia were put in great straits, and were at a loss what to do; when the house of the Arsacidse, escaping from their own country, took refuge among the Greeks. One of them, by name Ardavazd, a nobleman of the Mantagunian race, having taken charge of Tiridates, the son of Chosroes, laid him at the emperor’s gate; whence Tiridates was taken to dwell with the praetor Licinianus. Meanwhile another prince, called Oda, of the family of the Amadunians, having taken charge of the daughter of Chosroes, sister of Tiridates, fled with her to the stronghold of Ani, and hid her there, where she was brought up. But as to Ardavazd, who had rescued Tiridates and brought him to Greece, when Ardashir heard that he was of the Mantagunian race, he gave orders that his family should be entirely destroyed.

Both Moses of Chorene and other trustworthy historians tell us much of the courage and valour of Tiridates. From his childhood he was accustomed to ride, to break-in fiery horses, and to throw the dart with skill; and with a natural turn for such warlike pursuits, in which he indulged, he became skilled in them, the more so as being by nature gifted with extraordinary strength and courage, he was greater than most of the men of valour who had preceded him. Greater, for instance, than Cleostratus, who in a wrestling-match could throw down his adversary by merely taking him by the neck; or greater than Cronus of Argos, who, taking hold of the hoof of an ox, would overturn and bravely overcome him; inasmuch as he, Tiridates, having seized two wild bulls, each with one hand and by one horn, bruised and crushed them together. Then, on another occasion, when contending in a chariot-race, his own chariot was upset while his charioteer was driving, and he lay on the ground, overturned by the skill of his adversary; he jumped up, and rushing forward, laid hold of the chariot, and thus at once stopped the four horses tied to it.

Then, again, when Probus was carrying on war. with the Goths, a dreadful famine took place; and as his soldiers could find no com in the granaries, they rose up against him, and Slew him. They also proceeded to do the same to Licinianus, but they could not hurt him in any way, because Tiridates alone standing up against them, would not allow one of them to come near the store-house. It also happened in a fight between the Romans and the Persians, that his horse was wounded, so that, when the Roman troops were routed, he had no horse whereon to ride and flee with them. But he, taking his armour and the trappings of his horse, plunged into the great river Euphrates that was flowing before him; he swam across the wide and deep stream, and reached in safety the opposite bank, his own troops, and Licinianus, who all wondered at his courage. Thus writes the intelligent Moses of Chorene. Nerses Shnorhali also makes mention of the same thing in his ancient history of Armenia.

Tiridates, however, was not only endowed with strength and power of body, which are but little in comparison with strength of mind and the moral powers of man; but in mind was he also sensible, prudent in his discernment, brave in council and just in his judgment, wise in his government, and in his whole conduct he was civil and correct, according to the light of nature. For while yet a youth, he excelled not only in soldiery, but also in liberal arts; and above all he was well-trained in philosophical acuteness, in civil economy, and in the affairs of the kingdom, as the manner is for noble sons to be. Being thus taught by innate justice and by public example, he became well-informed, and made proof of it in the rule of his kingdom, even before he received Christ’s holy faith. And when he reached manhood, he was of a good figure, tall and well-made, of a commanding appearance, with a loud voice, of a beautiful countenance; so that to a flexible make of body he added lightness of heart, beauty of features, and was in all respects faultless and perfect.

Not many years after Diocletian became emperor of Rome, Hrtche the pugilist, king of the Goths, levied troops in order to make war against the Roman emperor. When, therefore, he came into the kingdom of Greece ’, he sent some one to parley with him in these words: “Why then, should we fight together with our whole forces, to ruin our armies, and place the country in imminent danger? Therefore do I, alone on our side, come forward to fight with thee alone on the side of the Greeks : let us come forth and go to some place and fight. If I overcome thee, the Greeks shall be subjeot unto me, and serve me; but if thou overcome me, our people shall become obedient to thy rule; and thus shall we settle our limits on either side without a wanton shedding of blood.”

When the emperor heard these words, he was afraid, shuddered and was troubled, inasmuch as he had no chance of settling the business according to the terms of the parley, for he was of a diminutive size and weakly; and being in a great strait, he knew not what answer to return. But he gave orders to call together all his forces from all sides; and his captains and princes came to him in haste, every man with his troop. Licinianus also came with his legions, and with him Tiridates, who was to be brought before the emperor.

And so it was that, as they came to a certain city, too late to enter in at the gates, they had to pass the night by the wall outside, for it was the usual time at even when the gates are shut. But as no provender could be found there for the horses, they looked about for some; when they descried a quantity of hay stored up and ready on the other side by the wall. Thence Tiridates crossed over to the other side, and threw over to this side to the troops bundles upon bundles of hay until they had enough; and after the hay he also flung over into the middle of the troops a number of asses; then himself crossed over and came down, to the astonishment of Licinianus.

Then, on the morrow, when the princes came to the emperor, he began to tell them of the challenge sent to him by the king of the Goths. But Licinianus answered, “Let not the heart of my lord the king be troubled. There is here, at thy gates, a man, Tiridates by name, of the royal house of Armenia, who will easily settle the matter for thee.” He then began to tell him of some of Tiridates’ deeds of valour, and what he had done the evening before, in order to prove the truth of his words respecting him; and after that he brought Tiridates before the emperor, who conversed with him. The emperor then commanded to set the battle in array. Then when Hrtche came to the field of battle, where he was encamped, the emperor sent him word, by way of answer, that on the morrow they would meet each other face to face, equipped for the fight, according to his words.

The next day, therefore, in the morning, the emperor commanded that Tiridates should be arrayed in the imperial robes. Nobody knew any thing about it, as the news had gone through the host, that it was the emperor himself who was going to fight the king of the Goths in single combat. And having brought together the troops at the sound of the trumpet, he hastened to come before the enemy. As soon, therefore, as the would-be emperor and the king of the Goths, Hrtche, came in presence of each other, they spurred on their horses and rushed upon each other. At that moment, Tiridates being strengthened by the will of God, made the king of the Goths prisoner, and brought him before the emperor. Then Diocletian decorated Tiridates and honoured him greatly, making him withal many valuable presents. He placed a crown upon his head, and clothing him in royal purple, proclaimed him king of Armenia. He gathered together into his hands the whole forces to assist him in establishing his kingdom, and then sent him away to come and take possession of his illustrious ancestral land of Haik. So write both Agathangelos and Nerses Shnorhali in their respective histories. But when king Tiridates came into Armenia, he had to fight more than one battle ere he could attain the rule of the country. But this will we tell in our next chapter.

As regards S. Gregory, it is certain that while king Tiridates was with Licinianus avenging the Bomans, getting himself a name in the world by his deeds of courage and valour, the holy Father having bound himself in service to him as a compensation for his father Anak’s crime, sojourned for the time among the Parthians, as we mentioned it above. And for a number of years he continued, in great humility, Tiridates's faithful and intimate servant, having endeared himself to him by repeated proofs of devotednes, not only during the campaign, but under other circumstances also. Yet how was it that the king never discovered who was this faithful servant, and for what cause he had thus devoted himself to him ? He never once asked him about it, neither did he make inquiries elsewhere, albeit he ceased not to wonder at Gregory’s life and conduct, full of grace, innocent, pure, and irreproachable, so that he loved him with especial fondness, consulting him as an intimate friend on the most important matters of the kingdom. So much so, that he decorated him and conferred on him the distinction of being chief among his commanders, as a reward for numberless proofs of faithfulness and attachment. And when Tiridates received the kingdom and returned to his own land, S. Gregory was attached to him with the rank and position of a rich noble among his captains.

CHAPTER V. How Tiridates came with a great army to his own land of Armenia, and obtained the kingdom after much fighting.

As soon as Tiridates received his crown at the hand of the Roman emperor, as a reward for his triumph over Hrtche, king of the Goths, he departed with a large army from among the Greeks into Greater Armenia; and finding there a considerable army of Persians, who were trying to take possession of the country, he met them in battle, put to flight, discomfited, and exterminated the greater part of them, and the rest he drove back within the borders of Persia. And, as Moses of Chorene writes, he took into his own hand the whole government of the country, not without much fighting, first, in Armenia, and then in Persia, being triumphant every where.

This, then, was the extent of the kingdom of Tiridates and of his ancestors: it was bounded to the westward by Cappadocia, to the northward by the Caspian Sea and Marsia; to the southward, by the chain of Mount Taurus, as far as Sarmatia, having also reduced the kingdoms of Georgia, of Albania, and of the Massagetae into subjection to the Armenian rule; so that the countries over which Tiridates and his ancestors ruled in Greater Armenia were fifteen in all.

The first was the province of Higher Armenia; (2) the province of the Fourth Armenia; (3) Aghdzen; (4) Duruperan; (5) Mush; (6) Gordjans, also called Kurds; (7) Persarmenia; (8) Vasburagan; (9) Siunia; (10) the province called Artshag; (11) Phaidagaran, wherein is the capital, called by a new name; (12) Udi; (13) Kukar; (14) Daik; (15) Ararat, which was the original abode of the Armenian people.

These fifteen countries, or provinces, were divided into one hundred and nine districts, of which all those that still go by the same names as of old are found in Moses of Chorene, and are also mentioned by name in the history of Tiridates. The capitals, however, were these: Valarshabad, Ardashat, and Armavir, in the province of Ararat; Vanar, in the province of Vasburagan; Tebriz, in the province of Phaidagaran, that still goes by the same name; Nisibis and Edessa, in Mesopotamia, all of which may be found mentioned by name in the annals of the country.

Who can adequately describe the valour, courage, and bravery of king Tiridates? Once on a certain occasion, while fighting against the Persians, he surpassed the deed of Elianus of old, and stuck his spear into a heap of wounded. And at another time, some valiant men from among the Persians wishing to try the firmness and valour of Tiridates, shot a number of arrows at his horse, that fell wounded, throwing the king to the ground; but he, standing, upon his feet at once, fell upon them, and, instead of being himself hurt, threw down several of the enemies, put them to death, and taking the horse of one of them, mounted it and escaped. Then, again, another day, he, and on foot, destroyed a whole troop of elephants with his sword. Amid such exploits did he continue both in Persia and in Assyria, making inroads into the country, even beyond Dispon (Ctesiphon).

When Tiridates began his return into Armenia, several of the Armenian princes came to meet him at Caesarea in Cappadocia. And when he was come into his own kingdom, he found Ardasias, also called Oda, who had brought up his sister, Chosrovitukht, and had kept safe both his treasure and his castle with great care and perseverance, as told above; for he was a prudent man, enduring, active, and wise. For although at that time he did not know the Wisdom of God, he nevertheless felt the vanity of idols. So also was his adopted child, Chosrovitukht, a maid modest and chaste, like one of the virgins of old; who never did let loose her tongue like other women. Tiridates, therefore, highly honoured Oda, feeling great gratitude for so much faithfulness, and gave him the office of chiliarch, as a reward for his good services. But, in particular, he raised Artavazd, his nurse’s son, to the dignity of commander-in-chief of his forces, in gratitude for the safety which he owed him, and for the ancestral greatness and glory he had reached.

Tiridates’ accession to the throne happened in the third year of Diocletian, in the year two hundred and eighty-six of our salvation. He was sixteenth king of the race of the Arsacidae, who reigned independent over all Armenia, as told by the best historians. He took to wife the lady Ashkhen, daughter of the king of the Alani, of equal stature and size with himself in all respects, touching whom Moses of Chorene thus writes: "Tiridates sent his equerry Sambad to bring Ashkhen, daughter of Ashkhart, to be his wife, who was in no way inferior to him in stature. He then commanded that she should be reckoned to the family of the Arsacidse, that she should be clad in purple, and have a crown placed upon her head, in order to be married to him, the king. Of her was one son born to him, called Chosroes; but he was not like his parents in appearance and stature. Tiridates’ sister, however, Chosrovitukht, never married, but continued single all her life.”

After this, Tiridates began to seek vengeance on his enemies all round for all the depredations his ancestors had suffered at their hands. He fell on them in war and in fight; he surprised them, came upon them unawares, drove them hither and thither, destroyed them, and laid waste the kingdom of Persia and the land of Assyria. He put their armies to the sword, and took from them untold spoil and booty. He brought the troops of the Huns, the ravagers of the world, in great numbers, and took possession of the borders of Persia, carrying desolation in their land; wherefore was it said in a proverb: Like the imperious Tiridates, who, stalking along, demolished the banks of rivers, and dried up the whirlpools of the sea, he was superb in his dress, energetic and strong, and of a robust frame, yet of a flexible figure, tall, broad, manly in his bearing, and indomitable in fight. As he had been in wars all his life, he acquired a great name for all his victories, gained several tokens of his individual valour, and left in many places splendid remains of his triumphs.

Having thus described some of king Tiridates’ bodily advantages, and given some idea of his strength of mind, we will now proceed to give an account of the remarkable deeds of our holy Father Gregory the Illuminator, of the divine grace, and of the supernatural strength of spirit with which he was endowed, to the glory of Christ our Saviour.

CHAPTER VI. Testimony of the holy Father Gregory the Illuminator, given before Tiridates, king of Armenia, touching the faith of Jesus Christ, when the king tried, by entreaties as well as by threats, to turn him to worship of his gods.

The first year of his reign, Tiridates, after having discomfited and driven back the forces of Persia, by dint of wars and victories, and having thus taken in hand the kingdom of his ancestors, went with all his court, with the satraps, princes, and other great men of the realm, into the province of Egegheats and to the town of Erez or Erzenga, in order to bring offerings to the temple of the goddess Anahid*, as a homage to her, paid in gratitude for all the success she had granted him. He came and took his abode with his court on the banks of the river Kail.

How awful is the darkness of blindness which original sin has left in man! Tiridates, in his ignorance, attributed to the vain goddess Anahid the blessings and the prosperity he had received from the Creator of all things, not knowing what he was doing; because no ray of the unapproachable light of grace had yet reached him. But, see now, how great is the meekness, pity, and the long-suffering of our Saviour towards men, Who thus made this occasion the dawn of light, then about to shine over the land of Armenia, when brought to the knowledge of God. For at this time He brings forward His faithful servant, the blessed Gregory, in full strength to stem the foul torrent of all manner of wickedness and idolatry, to fight, check, and expel the Prince of Darkness; and thus to raise the nation out of the gloom of idolatry into the bright light of the knowledge of God.

For while the king was with his attendants, with wreaths and clustered branches of laurel, going to offer a sacrifice to the idols, he perceived that his friend Gregory would have nothing to do with it; whereat he became very angry, inasmuch as, from the many faithful offices of Gregory, he fully expected that he would also be one with him in paying due honour to his goddess.

But the saint said to him, “The Lord of all teaches us, in serving our lords, to pay every attention that does not defile the soul; wherefore I never grudged thee any act of such a service, neither did I ever do aught by constraint. But as to the service that places the soul in danger, and that estranges us from our Creator, with it ought we never to have any thing to do; yea, not even when he who gives the order is our emperor, and has power over our life.”

We will now relate how all this happened.

In a short history of the life of the Saint, it is told that when the king had robed himself in order to bring to the goddess the offering of sundry chaplets of the most beautiful and sweet-scented flowers, he began to reason in his own mind what men among his nobles were the best and purest in morals, for them to hand the flowers, so as to make his offering the most acceptable to the idol. But among all his friends he could And no one such, except it were his friend and servant Gregory. He then caused to be brought to him the most beautiful bunches and chaplets of flowers; and choosing the best, he placed them on a tray of silver and gold, to wave them before the goddess. Thus prepared, he handed the tray to Gregory, saying to him, “Take this from my hand, and offer it as a gift to my goddess, the glory of our land; for I have found thee alone worthy to do it.”

Now may we see the wonderful power of the grace of God, and the firm faith, hope and charity of the witness for the Lord Christ. For the king’s command was urgent, and his manner haughty and defiant; moreover, not one of the nobles there present was favourable to Gregory, inasmuch as he alone appeared to the king the best among them, and was singled out by him for special honour. See, however, that the blessed man is in no wise troubled, neither does he feel perplexed; but on the contrary, with a brave answer does he thrust from him the impious order of the king, and raising up his hands, he draws back farther and farther, saying, “God forbid I should obey such an order as this. I came to wait on thee, and with devotedness to obey thy commands, but not to worship thy idols; for they are no gods, but the work of men’s hands.” The king feeling ashamed at these words, was very much grieved.

He then began to address him thus, “Thou, a man from another country, who didst come to join thyself to us, how darest thou resist our orders? And what right hast thou to worship a god we do not worship?”

Thus spake the king, not knowing who, whence, or what manner of man was S. Gregory. But God turned his mind from slaying Gregory outright. For the king thus said within himself, “What would it profit me to put him to death at once? may be I shall bring him to yield by means of threats or even torture.” Thus did the king reason with himself, because he was greatly attached to him. He therefore ordered him to be removed from his presence, and to be put in ward in his own house, and there to be kept in confinement that day. Then came the nobles of the realm to him, blaming him for not obeying the king’s orders, and advising or enticing him to worship their idols, in accordance with the king’s wishes. But the blessed Gregory preached to them the knowledge of their Creator.

On the morrow, however, the king commanded him to be brought before him, when he addressed him thus, “For many years past have I seen that thou hast devoted thyself to my service with all thy power and with singleness of mind ; and satisfied as I am with thy past services, I had in my mind to raise thee to great honour, and to maintain thee in it for the rest of thy days. Therefore did I impart to thee my counsels in war and in peace, hearkening to thy advice for thy faithfulness' sake; so that I never could have imagined that thou wouldst have thus dealt by me. What then have I done, or what has happened to make thee refuse to obey my commands?”

S. Gregory answered and said, “Because God orders that those who serve lords according to the flesh should be obedient to them, therefore have I served thee with all my strength, as thou thyself bearest witness. But, inasmuch as it is not meet to give another the power and to do him the service due to God alone, therefore does it behove me not to hearken to thee in this matter. For He alone is the Creator of the heavens and of the angels who there celebrate His glory and greatness; He is also the Creator of the earth and of men, whom it becomes to worship Him, and to do His will. Likewise every thing that is in heaven above and in the earth beneath, in the sea and on the land, is also the work of His hands.”

Then said the king, “Know then, that thou hast now made of no avail all thy past services, of which I have myself borne thee witness. Instead, therefore, of the easy life I had in store for thee, I will even double thy hardships; instead of the honours I was to have bestowed upon thee, I will degrade thee; and for the rank and glory which awaited thee at my side, shalt thou have the prison, chains, and death that cuts off the hopes of life in men. Such is thy lot, if thou wilt not consent to worship my idols, and especially this great Anahid, who is the glory and supporter of our race, whom even kings honour and worship,—among others, the kings of Greece; for she is the mother of all wisdom, the benefactress of all men, and the mother of the great and valiant Aramazda.”

To this Gregory answered, saying, “Hitherto have I served thee honestly with singleness of mind, because it is written that servants should obey their masters in the flesh; for the Lord is the rewarder of them that do well’. Thus have I never had an eye to any reward from thee, but only from the Creator of all, by whom all things, both visible and invisible, are upheld and maintained. But as to what thou sayest, that thou wilt even double my hardships instead of my happiness in life, or even take me out of this world; in so doing thou wilt only double or hasten my joy in Christ, whose kingdom endures for ever, and whose loving kindnesses and mercy never fail. And when thou sayest, ‘I will degrade and revile thee, instead of giving thee proofs of respect and esteem,’—thou wilt only thus bestow upon me the honour of angels, who evermore sing and rejoice in Him who made them. And when thou sayest furthermore, that instead of honour and rank thou wilt give me the prison and chains,—happy am I, for having set before me the example of my Lord; I shall rejoice with Him, and be glad of the gladness He gives.

“ Then, if thou drive me away from among them that sit at thy table, lo, then shalt thou make me the guest of Abraham and of the other righteous men who sit at meat in the kingdom of heaven. If thou put me to death—what of that? then wilt thou only rank me among the legions of Christ, made up of all the Fathers, the righteous, the Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, and all the rest of His chosen. Then, as to cutting off my hopes of life in death, as thou sayest: the hope of such men as thou and those who worship dumb idols that have no breath in them, and that are the work of men’s hands, is indeed cut off from the life everlasting; while the hope of those who love and serve God is thus increased. Thy gods, and she whom thou callest the Great Lady Anahid, once were mortals who at one time existed, but were afterwards worshipped by men; because, at first, devils taking various fanciful forms under which they might be worshipped, persuaded and induced men to build to them temples, to raise statues, and to worship them; idols as they are, that can do neither harm nor good, which can neither reward their worshippers, nor yet injure those that set them at naught. Such are the gods ye worship, through your gross intellect and blind­ness of heart, instead of the true God, to whom you owe all the good things you enjoy; gods of stone, of silver, and of gold, things which God made for the service of man.

“But for my part, I will worship with all obedience, with all intelligence and with awe, God the Father and maker of all things, and His Son the framer of all things, and the Spirit who gives life and shape to all creatures; who made every thing, and who can destroy it, and who, in His mercy, may once more bring it into being. Our life, 0 king! is not without hope; because we worship the living God, who is able to quicken us whenever He will. For even though we be dead, we yet live; because as the Son of God died and rose again to life, so also shall we; since He came to set before us an example of what life is, in His resurrection from the dead. Thus, we who die for His sake, shall also live in Him, at that day, the day of the Resurrection, when He shall appear to take His saints unto Himself and to avenge Himself of His enemies, the workers of iniquity, and the worshippers of your idols.”

Then said the king, “When thou sayest, ‘I had not an eye to thy rewards, neither did I want them. I see that thou seekest thine own death, and that thou lookest to this burial ground, in which many gone before us are buried, as thy reward. So then will I lose no time in sending thee thither. But first, show me who is that Christ of whom thou speakest, that I may know; and who is the rewarder of thy services, whom thou callest thy Creator? Is He, may be, the keeper of the burial ground, whither thou longest to go; or is He, perhaps, the keeper of the prison, who will break thy bonds when once thou art in chains? And what are those endless joys of which thou speakest; and whose coming is that ? I know not; neither do I understand what are those angels thou talkest about, and that hope of yours, and our hopeless state. Now then, tell it me all, quietly. But I will not forgive thee for having insulted my gods by saying that they are human, thus lowering them to the rank of mortals; because thou hast set them against us, as well as against our kings, saying, as thou didst, that the kings who worship them are void of sense.”

To this the blessed Gregory answered, “Christ is the Son of God, through whom God made the world; He is the Judge of the quick and dead, who rewards good to them that do good, and evil to them that do evil, being, at the same time, as thou hast just said, the Keeper and Warder of burial grounds; for He keeps the bones of all men, and will raise them again to life at the general resurrection, as He showed it to us in His own person. For of His own accord He died and went into the grave; but neither death nor hell could of themselves hold Him captive; for after three days He at once rose from the dead, and by His resurrection He brought to light the resurrection of the dead.

“For He is Himself the Resurrection and the Life, who keeps the spirit of every man in life, and who will renew us at the general resurrection and give us new bodies. Then will He openly reward every man according to his works; Who even in the bonds with which thou threatenest me is wont openly to show His mercy and to deliver those who put their trust in Him. Then will there be endless joy and pleasures for evermore, when His beloved ones, who had kept His commandments, whom He had called and invited, shall by Him be crowned with immortality in His eternal Godhead; when the wicked shall also by Him be made immortal in the torments prepared for them. His coming is the day on which He will come and do all this. And His angels are they that wait continually on His great and glorious Godhead, in His everlasting kingdom. And our hope is—to look for these things.

“ On the other hand, your hopeless condition lies in this, that ye do not know your Creator according to His commandments, neither do ye seek to become acquainted with Him. Thus are ye like the horse and mule, that have no understanding; yea, ye know less than the ox or the ass, for ye do not know your Creator, who, therefore, will in His own good time put a bit in your mouths and gag them, so that ye will not be able to come nigh Him. But as to what thou saidst, that I set the gods at enmity with you: who can ever be at enmity with things that neither feel the honour paid them, nor resent any amount of contempt? For they rest on nothing but the dreams of men raving mad: they have a mouth and speak not, they have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, a nose have they and smell not, hands have they and handle not, they have feet and walk not, neither is there any breath in their mouths. Like unto them are they that make them, and that put their trust in them”

Thus did the blessed Gregory boldly speak bright words full of grace of the Spirit; while the king, enraged at this, gave order that he should be tormented by the executioners. But his tortures, the patience with which he bare them, and his testimony to Christ, will fill many a chapter. We will now begin and tell them all in detail.

CHAPTER VII. Concerning the first sufferings S, Gregory willingly endured for the sake of Christ, out of love for Him,

The more S. Gregory rose against the abominations of idolatry, as we have just seen, the more Tiridates became enraged against him, When, shouting aloud, he said to the saint, “How many times have I com­manded thee, O man, not to repeat these tales, that are not fit to be heard! I have had respect unto thee on account of thy past services, and I gave thee the good advice honestly to go and serve my idols, and live; but thou, on the contrary, taking from them the honour due to them, callest them things of naught. Thou hast insulted the great Anahid who supports and protects life in our land, and with her the valiant Aramazd, the creator of heaven and earth; and the other gods hast thou called things without breath or speech. Thou hast also insulted us by calling us horses and mules: now, therefore, as returns for all these insults, will I give thee over to be tormented, and will I put a bit in thy mouth and gag thee; and thou shalt learn that such is the reward the words thou hast dared to speak in my presence have got for thee. Is it then nothing that I should have condescended to speak to thee and to pay thee a certain respect, and that thou shouldest reply to me as if I were thine equal?”

Then the king commanded that his hands should be tied behind his back, that a bit be put in his mouth, and a heavy lump of rock-salt upon his shoulders. They then made him, thus harnessed and with his face to the earth, run for some time like a beast of burden, because of his saying to them, that they were like horses and mules, that have no understanding and have no thought to seek after God. But the saint endured this torture with long- suffering in hunger and privation, and valiantly by the grace of Christ.

After that, they proceeded to put an instrument of torture on his chest, and then to tie cords to it, and thus bound they heaved him up and down against the walls of the palace. And he remained seven days thus tied up, bound and suspended. Oh, the wonderful solicitude of the Saviour for His beloved witness! For we see what wonders He wrought in him through these torments: not only did He vouchsafe unto him endurance, but He also filled him with joy at the hope of his eternal reward in heaven. For during the whole time he was thus tormented, not only did he neither complain nor show signs of pain, but with a joyful heart did he glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to the astonishment of the bystanders, who went and told it to the king.

After seven days, Tiridates commanded that he should be released from his bonds and cruel torture. So they brought him and placed him before the king, whole, unhurt, and rejoicing in heart. The king wondered greatly at seeing him in no wise weakened in body or altered in his serene countenance; and he asked him how it was he had been able to endure, to suffer, and exist until that day, and what he thought of being tied with a bit in his mouth, carrying a burden exactly like an ass or a mule, and laden like them in their place? “Those very gods, Gregory,” said the king, “whom thou didst revile, saying they cannot move, have thus requited thee; and if thou wilt still refuse to pay them all due homage, and if thou still continue to insult them, thou shalt be made to suffer worse things than these.”

To this Gregory replied, “As regards the idols which thou callest gods, they are assuredly the work of men, since they are figures of wood, stone, silver, and gold, wrought with more or less skill. Of them not one ever spoke, or took knowledge of any thing; neither of thee nor of me. Nay, thou bearest witness thyself, that none of them told thee one word of all the sufferings thou didst inflict on me for their sakes; for of stone and dumb as they are, they are not touched with the feelings or pains of men.

Then, as to that lump of salt thou didst bind upon me, I trust in my Lord, the possessor of heaven and earth, and in His Son, who is equal with Him in power, and in the Holy Spirit, that He will season my lack of savour with the seasoning of the salt of truth that endures for ever, and that He will give me to bear the easy yoke of humility.

“And I look to the eternal reward He, who loves men, and who exalts the humble, will of His great mercy give me at the great day, when He shall set apart His own servants, and give them eternal rest, together with the reward of His greatness. But those who worship gods of stone, they shall fall into the deep like a stone, as the prophet says. And as to those that bow to graven images of wood, thus does he speak concerning them, ‘The fire was kindled among the trees of the field; it will destroy the wicked and shall not be quenched.’ And to those who worship gods of silver and gold, he says, ‘Their silver shall not be able to deliver them, in the day of the Lord’s anger of Him who has power to bind heavy burdens on them; and on all those who resist the truth, who are sinners, and who, like thee, work iniquity.”

Notwithstanding the bright light of truth thus proclaimed by the saint, Tiridates grew no wiser, being as yet enveloped in a thick gloom of ignorance and heathenism; but turning with renewed zeal to his idols, he prepared to inflict fresh torments on S. Gregory, as we shall see in the next chapter.

CHAPTER VIII. Of the second torture endured by S. Gregory; of his humility, patience, and of the prayers he then offered,

No sooner had S. Gregory finished his answer, than the king commanded him to be hung by one foot; then all manner of filth to be burnt under his head, as long as he thus remained hanging with his head downwards, and withal, to beat him with a heavy green stick. Thus did the blessed man continue suspended for seven days, during which ten men beat him in succession by order of the king; while, in addition to the torture of being thus suspended and beaten at the same time, the stench that rose continually from under him choked and stopped his breathing. Oh, the terrible thick darkness of him that wanders from the knowledge of God! Tiridates acted thus against S. Gregory, from deep religious feeling, but without understanding; and, as he said to the saint, that for fear of his idols he would not remember S. Gregory’s long and faithful services, as the holy Father Gregory of Nareg writes.

Yet, in the midst of such horrible tortures, the saint did not even utter a groan, neither did he show signs of pain; because, raising his mind to God in the deepest and fullest thoughts of the kingdom of heaven, borne thither by his lofty soul, he was filled with untold consolation and joy of heart. And thus, the wonderful joy of heaven that glad­dened his spirit appeared on his countenance, lightened up from the fulness of his heart within, to the admiration of beholders; while himself ceased not to pray to God all the time.

But those whose office was to stand by him understood not what he said. Albeit he spake to them many things about God, and preached to them the worship of Him. He began with saying to them that in the beginning God made the heavens and the earth, and having created man placed him in a garden of delights. But man having transgressed the commandment of God, was driven out of that garden; and then all manner of troubles, enmities, and of other miseries have come upon us all. More­over, he also taught them God’s infinite love towards men, whereby, having planned our salvation, He sent us teachers and prophets, who told beforehand of His Son being made flesh, of His sufferings, of His cross, of His death which He suffered of His own accord, and of His resurrection; men who foretold fully our being renewed through Him, and restored to our former state of innocence in God. S. Gregory also told them of the second coming of the Son of God, to judge the world and to make those who do well inheritors of the kingdom of heaven, and the evil-doers, on the contrary, partakers of the torments prepared for them—the fire that is not quenched, the outer darkness, the worm that dieth not, and all the everlasting punishments which the servants of sin treasure up for themselves.

The holy Father Gregory of Nareg makes mention of S. Gregory the Illuminator in his exposition of the Song of Songs, in these words, “Ten men, during seven days, ceased not to beat him while he was thus hanging, but they could not lessen the watchfulness of his heart by such grievous torments. For during those days he incessantly conversed with God in prayer, and poured forth in supplications his earnest longing for our salvation.” We will now give some idea of his prayers at that time; not all of them, but a few only for the sake of brevity, yet complete such as they are. These few prayers will prove no great interruption to the narrative, but will rather help us to follow it.

The saint beginning to pray to the Father, said thus: “I thank Thee, Lord, for having made my unworthiness worthy of Thy favour. For from the beginning Thou didst love the creatures of Thy hands, and didst give them the first delights of the rest of Thy glorious Paradise. And if we had continued stedfast in the commandments which Thou gavest us, in order to guard us against the tempta­tions into which we easily fall, Thou wouldst have given us a life both healthy, immortal, innocent, and pure, free from pain and sorrow, as well as from old age. For even after our blessed state in Paradise, and after getting into our present earthly condition, Thou tookest man to Thine immortal state; as, for instance, Enoch into the company of angels, and broughtest him at once into Thy kingdom, which Thou hadst prepared for our glory, even before the world was. Since the eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which, from the first, Thou didst prepare for them that love Thee, and which Thou wilt give to them who love the day of Thine appearing in glory.

“But when the enemy saw us thus blessed by Thy loving-kindness and good-will towards us, he envied us the crown of glory we then wore; and from his jealousy came into the world all manner of calumny, of disorders and debauchery, that shut out man from life and from rest, and spoiled and de­filed all that in Thy goodness Thou hadst vouch­safed unto him.

“ But when Thy divine nature took pity on our human infirmity, and would not let us go out of Thy hands, Thou' didst send upon earth Thy beloved ones, the Prophets, as lights in the world, who made known the mysteries of Thy light, by preaching Thy holy will, and foretelling the coming of Thy Son into the world, who was to come in order to take away the sins which had shut out men from the glory of God. They preached Thy Word in the world, and for that, they were put to death by torture, after living for Thee in the world, in the midst of various troubles and trials.

“Wherefore, even though they rise up in war against me, shall not my heart be afraid, neither will I cease to put my trust in Thee, even when they stand up to fight against me. I will put my trust in Thee, who didst send into the world Thine only begotten and beloved Son, Light of Light, and Life of Life; who came to put on our human likeness from the womb of the Virgin, that He might bring us back to Thy divine nature through His own likeness. Neither did He suffer any change from His divinity: for He now is what He then was. But because He loved men, therefore did He become like ourselves, that He might bring us under the influences of His divine grace.

“Because men loved to worship images in the similitude of men, made of wood, the work of the carpenter, therefore came He in the similitude of man, that He might bring the makers, the lovers, and the worshippers of idols into obedience to their own image of the Deity. And instead of carved figures of wood, He planted the Cross in the midst of the world, that those who were accustomed to bow to images of wood, might, from habit, also bow to the wood of the Cross, and to Him who is on that Cross in the likeness of man.

“ And as men were also wont to delight in temples of idols, and in sacrifices which they offered to dumb images, therefore also didst Thou call the whole world to the sacrifice of Thy Son, saying, ‘ Behold, I have prepared My dinner, My oxen and My fat- lings are killed.’ And Thou didst increase the joy in the Cross of Thy Son, and didst satisfy the whole world with His life-giving Body, which became the food and sustenance that is sufficient for all Thy worshippers all over the world. But for them that would not come at Thy bidding to Thy spiritual marriage feast at Thy Table, hast Thou prepared an imperishable destruction in eternal torments and endless condemnation.

“Then, because men ate and drank of that which was offered in sacrifice to their gods, therefore did Thy Son shed His Blood on the Cross. For that wood is to men instead of their carved images of wood; and He Himself, instead of the human simili­tudes of impurity; His Blood also is in place of the cup of their joyful libations of blood. For He came and redeemed us with His Blood from our hard bondage, and set us free from the servitude of the wickedness of sin, by His divine nature. For we are the price of the Blood of Thy Son; being saved and made free by the Blood of His Body.

“For we are not masters of our own selves, that we should walk according to our ideas of ease and comfort, or according to the opinions of any mortal man, even though he be our lord and master after the flesh. We must honour them only as Thou hast commanded; for they can only torment our bodies; but Thy Son Jesus Christ has power to cast into everlasting torments both our souls and bodies, into the fire that is not quenched and the worm that dieth not.”

Then, addressing his prayer to the Lord Christ, he said—

“But, O Lord, give me patience to bear the sufferings of this present fight of affliction, and have on me the same pity which Thou hadst on the thief who was with Thee sharing the tortures of the Cross. And, O Thou Friend of sinners, vouchsafe unto me Thy grace, whereby all the righteous live, as well as sinners also, by reason of Thy forgiveness and long suffering. Thou causest Thy sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendest rain over the just and the unjust. For Thou restrainest Thy wrath, but showest mercy and pity to all men in every place.”

Then again, praying to the Father, he said—

“ Lord, give me grace to endure all these bitter torments that tear me to pieces; that I may be worthy to hold fast the treasure of the light of faith Thou hast committed to me, which is to know Thee and to do Thy will. For Thou wilt not despise them that put their trust in Thee, who have once gloried in Thine only begotten Son Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. For Thou didst send Him to die for sinners, that He should take our sins upon Himself, and bear on His Body the chastisement of our transgressions in His agonies on the Cross; that He.should accomplish that for which He was sent, and give the graces of His favours to them that believe in Him. Grant me, O Lord, to receive my crown with those whom Thou hast counted worthy to die for Thy Name’s sake, whose deaths are remembered before Thee in glory; that I may be worthy to rise in presence of Thy Son, with all them that long for Him, in the brightness of His light. Now have pity on  Thy creatures, according to Thy great goodness, and look with favour upon the land of Armenia; that her people may also know Thee and Thine only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was sent from Thee to us, and Who put on the body of our human nature.”

Then again, addressing his prayer to Christ, he said—

“ And now, merciful Lord, Who saidst, ‘ Behold, I am with you even unto the end of the world,’ let us not go out of Thy hand, but strengthen us to do Thy will, that we may be able to endure unto the end the struggle and warfare we bear for the sake of Thy great Name; that the merit of our faith may be evident to Thy servants, to the praise and the glory of Thee, my God ; for it will then appear unto all that no enemy can prevail against those who put their trust in Thee. And now, Lord, in Thy great mercy and kindness, make us of the number of the righteous, and leave us not in the sins of our fathers, nor in the worship of fire to which our ancestors were given, nor yet in the lawlessness of those that came before us. And give us all to know the power of Thy divine nature in creation, that we perish not in the vanity of heathenism.

“And now, Lord, strengthen Thy servant for Thy Name’s sake, that he may overcome the power of the enemy. Raise and scatter the gloom of wickedness, of idolatry, and of heathenism from the earth, out of mercy and loving-kindness towards Thy creatures; for Thou gavest Thyself for Thy flock. Leave not the sheep of Thy pasture, but lead them in righteousness; for Thou alone art able to forgive sins, to blot out transgressions and the unrighteousness of Thy creatures, that they may worship Thee alone and do Thy will only; until they glorify Thee as their God, to stand before Thee in Thy judgment, and at last to enjoy Thine infinite goodness in Thy kingdom above.

“ But Thou, who givest abundantly to all, grant us to bear witness to Thy divine nature. For Thou didst come and didst die for Thy creatures, and didst mingle our mortal nature with Thine immortality. Therefore will we bear witness to the life that is within Thee, even unto death; so that we be numbered among Thy witnesses. For what else can we do for all the good we have received at Thy hands, if it be not to give up ourselves to do Thy commandments, and to fulfil Thy holy will? that we may become inheritors of Thy kingdom with those who pleased Thee and found grace with Thee, and offer ourselves in sacrifice unto Thee, our God. Let us lose our lives, that we may find them again on the day of resurrection, and then live evermore at Thy right hand, clothed in spotless robes, and free from sin, with the company of those who live in Thee, at the right hand of the Lamb, in the joy of Thy saints, of those who love Thee, theirGod.

 “ And again, 0 benevolent Lord, Who didst come in great humility, and didst take upon Thee the form of a man ; Who didst give Thyself up in all patience, and Who didst not turn away from insults, nor Thy face from the spittle; Who didst give Thy cheek to him who smote Thee, and who for our sakes didst drink the vinegar mingled with bitter gall—strengthen the heart of all men in Thy service, that they yield themselves obedient to Thy yoke, which is light, and escape everlasting tor­ments. Then will the earth be filled with the fear and service of God, and those that dwell in it shall be led by Thee, so as not to go astray from the paths of Thy Truth, but be invited to Thy table in Thy kingdom, and delight themselves therein. For Thou didst come to be slain like a lamb for the sake of all, whom Thou hast caused to rejoice by reason of Thy Body, which Thou didst give for the salvation of all men; and of the river of Thy pleasures Thou gavest them to drink of Thine own precious Blood, shed for the life of the whole world. Have pity on them, that they may remember, and turn and come to Thee from all the ends of the earth, and that all they that go down into the pit may worship before Thee. For Thou art able to raise them again, to quicken them, and to make them worthy of Thy love for them; since they, too, are saved by Thy Blood, and by Thee delivered from the thraldom of darkness.

“ Then will they, for whom Thou didst die, know Thee; for they, too, are Thy servants, and they will become worshippers of Thee ; for let not Thy wrath be kindled against them. Make them children of the light, and sons of the morning, that Thy name be glorified all over the world; since Thou art glorified in Thine everlasting kingdom, Thou who art one in Thine essence, in Thy truth and in Thy Urtwre; who in Thine own sufferings didst give an example to Thy beloved ones of what it is to suffer in humility, while Thou didst show Thy saints by Thine own doings how they may come to Thee by enduring insults for Thy sake.

“ Wherefore we of the earth, earthly, should bear some little trouble on account of our sufferings ; for Thou, Lord, didst humble Thyself, and didst take every thing upon Thyself, and didst bear the afflictions and the sufferings of the whole world. Now, therefore, strengthen me readily to endure with firmness the strait in which I am, that I may rather glory in my sufferings, so that I be reckoned with Thy beloved ones, in the day when Thou shalt give them the unspeakable boon of Thy glory, which is in store for those who put their trust in Thee, unto all eternity, world without end, Amen.”

These and other prayers and discourses did the blessed saint utter during the seven days he was hanging and being beaten. His words were then written down by the head scribes and shown to the king, who, however much he felt surprised and wondered, yet did not relent from his cruelty, for fear of his idols. He commanded to take him down from his hanging position, and to inflict on him another kind of torture, which we are now about to relate.

CHAPTER IX. Of the third and fourth tortures of S. Gregory, and of the heavenly joy with which he replied to the questions the king put to him,

After S. Gregory had thus been hanging eight days by one foot, being all the while beaten with green sticks all over his body—sufferings which he counted as nothing,—the king commanded him to be taken down and brought to him. He then began to converse with him and said, “What is the matter with thee, Gregory, or what is thy choice: still to share life with me, as thou hast hitherto done from thy childhood, or to die for no reason, for the vain imaginations and fancies of thy mind, which thou wilt still cherish?” To this the blessed Gregory replied, I hasten to leave the body and to put on life everlasting. And now give what orders thou wilt concerning me, even to put me to death.”

“No,” said the king, “I will not grant thee thy wish, and an early death as thy reward, to give thee rest from thy torments into what thou callest everlasting life; but I will command that these be continued bit by bit, that thou mayest not be buoyed up by the thought of dying soon; thus bringing upon thee the vengeance of my gods for thine insults and self-will, in not consenting to worship them.”

So saying, the king commanded that two wooden clubs, the size of a shin-bone, be brought, and then fitted like the bars of a wine-press; then placing both his legs in between them, they tied them tight with knotted cords, which they twisted until the blood gushed on the fingers of the men who did it. But the saint continued joyful with wonderful endurance, magnifying Christ God, so firm and so rooted in the faith of Christ, as to prefer having his heart of flesh taken out of his body, and giving himself over to the executioners, rather than denying and forsaking Jesus Christ.

While he was so tormented the king addressed him thus,  How art thou, Gregory ? How bearest thou all that? Hast thou yet any consciousness, or feelest thou yet any pain?” Then answered the saint, “Yes, because I asked the Creator of the world, the Maker and Framer of all things therein, both visible and invisible, and He gave me the strength to bear this torture.”

The king seeing that not even these fresh torments could make the saint yield in his valour, gave orders that he should be tried in another way.

He sent to fetch iron nails and had them stuck into the soles of his feet, and taking him by the hand he made him run hither and thither on this and on that side, until the ground was sprinkled all over with the blood that spurted from his wounds. Then the king asked him again, “How art thou, Gregory?” He then answered with joy, “Such torture as this saves a man from everlasting torments, and brings him to his endless rest.” Then the king said to him, “I will torment thee here, and thou shalt rest there.” And the executioners made him run to and fro incessantly.

But the saint remembering that by such acute torture he was made like unto the Saviour when crucified, whose hands and feet were cruelly pierced with nails, greatly rejoiced within himself; and while thus running to and fro, he in his joy sang this song of the Psalmist, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth on his way weeping and beareth forth good seed shall doubtless come again with joy, and bring his sheaves with him.” Then the king said to him,“Are these the invisible works of thy God, which thou seest?” S. Gregory answered, “Thou hast well said, these are the invisible works wrought by my God, because the body of God’s beloved ones is sown in weakness in this life, being dissolved in the throes of death; but in the life to come it rises again in freshness of life that nothing can impair: it is sown in dishonour, but it is raised in glory.

Therefore, though they weep who sow their seed in the earth, that is, who have to endure the troubles and afflictions that come upon them, because they love and serve God; yet when harvest­time comes, and they carry their sheaves and the rich yield of their labour, do they with‘it receive gladness of heart with joy and pleasures for evermore.”

Then said the king, “ Now will I torment thee, and thou shalt rejoice.” And he commanded the attendants to cuff him, and beat him until he shed a cup full of tears, and his gladness leave him. They then smote him with heavy blows upon the head and beat his eyes repeatedly. And the king began to inquire of him, saying, “Is this joy?” and he replied, “Even so, it is joy, for if the labourer does not bear the heat and burden of the day, and return home sun-burnt and covered with sweat, he will not enjoy the sweet fruit of his labour when the winter comes.” The king answered and said, “Work then now, in the torture in which thou art, for anon wilt thou with joy gather thy fruit yonder there.” Thus saying, the king commanded him to be put to a fresh torture, which we are going to relate.

CHAPTER X. Of the fifth, sixth, and seventh torture of S. Gregory, and of the godly words in which he replied to the king's inquiries.

Not only was the king not softened at the sight of so much suffering, but he even prepared to inflict on S. Gregory yet more cruel tortures, in order, if possible, to make him do his will respecting the worship of his idols. He therefore commanded to boil together salt, nitre, and strong vinegar, and all was soon ready; he then placed the saint on his back, put his head in a carpenter’s vice, and introducing a reed in each of his nostrils, he ordered to pour through it the horrible matter into each nostril when the saint drew his breath.

Thus, while his head was in the vice they turned the screw with a bar, and poured into his nostrils, by means of the reeds, the hot mixture of salt, nitre, and vinegar, in order that, reaching his brain, it might disturb it; and by thus bringing him to a state of frenzy, to persuade him at last to worship the idols.—What senseless folly, that of idolatry! They were thus trying to bring the saint’s mind from its sane state to that of madness, while he, strengthened with almighty power, endured such horrible tortures and, with God constantly before his eyes, ceased not to confess and to magnify Him. To such a state did their folly bring them, so far had their imagination misled them—poor things!

Here, however, let us notice, as regards what has just been said, that the tortures of S. Gregory were twelve in all, as Nerses Shnorhali also writes; yet if we do not consider the cuffing he received as a separate torment, as some do not consider it, we must reckon the torture of the boiling salt and vinegar separately, and then it becomes the sixth torture after the torture of the vice, which we reckon the fifth. But if we reckon the cuffing separately, making it the fifth torture, as some do, then we cannot reckon the torture of the boiling salt and vinegar by itself, but we must reckon it together with that of the screw as the sixth. Having said thus much on the subject, in order to make every thing clear, we now continue our narrative.

After these things the king commanded a large bag of sheep-skin to be brought, and be filled with soot from a chimney and with ashes of a furnace. They did not fill it tight, but only so as to appear full, and only so as to hinder his breathing, for they put it over his head and tied it round just below his chin, in order that in breathing he might stuff his nose and mouth with the soot and ashes till it reached the brain and injured him; or if it choked him, well and good, let him be choked. And they left him thus six days. But by the grace of Christ the saint remained marvellously well and unhurt, nay, he was even strengthened above his other trials, and with joy glorified Christ God. Tiridates, however, although eyewitness of these wonders, did not yet awake to receive the words of truth proclaimed by the saint, but still continued in his hardened state.

When the six days were over, the king commanded Gregory to be brought to him. He came, and the king said to him joking, “Where hast thou been hitherto ? or, where art thou, Gregory?—maybe in that kingdom of which thou speakest, or among those good things which thou art looking forward to receive.”

The holy martyr then answered boldly, “That happiness, O king, has not yet come to me, for I am still burdened with the body. But since I have been found worthy to suffer all these things for the name of my God, there truly is and abides for me an imperishable kingdom, in exchange for them all, and after a little while I shall enter into the glory thereof. Then shall every thing be laid bare and naked before that tribunal, when the Word of God shall sit to judge not only the works but even the thoughts of men, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and body, in order to reward every man according to his works. Alas! woe is thee, for awful is the lot that awaits thee at that day; awful are the toils that will hold thee, and the torments thou also shalt endure.”

Then the king tried again to persuade him, and said, “What is this change that I see in thee, Gregory? What then has cast thee down, from a life of happiness and state with me, into such dishonour and misery; not only that, but also of rebellion against thy sovereign? Know, however, that abundant gifts and honours are ready for thee, if only thou wilt receive them; if, coming to thyself and repenting of what thou hast done, thou wilt alter thy mind, so will I mine. For it is the wont of great men readily to forgive those that have offended them, when they see them sincerely sorry at their feet, begging to be forgiven. But if, on the contrary, thou wilt still persist in thy presumption and obstinacy, and continue to run after thy mistaken faith and ideas, then will it behove me to avenge on thee the insults thou hast heaped on the gods I worship. By them and by their great power I swear that I shall make an end of thee.”

The saint then replied in a clear voice, but with great boldness, and said,“ Success in the life that now is, is no sign of happiness, but happiness is rather a want of prosperity therein; for tribulation is but the touchstone that shows openly the real value of Christian firmness by testing it; when a man counts it a great gain to lose his life for the defence of God’s honour and for the glory of His name, that he be not found having, in any way, departed from the worthiness of his faith. It matters very little if, according to those who love the present life, they who serve God in spirit and in truth appear to thee vile and contemptible, as they also appear to those who love the world, when setting at nought such things. For if this be judged of according to right, it is both proper and fitting to look to Him who judges, not according to what now appears, but according to what will be revealed at the last day, when Christ, coming down in glory from heaven, shall requite every man according to his works.”

And then, showing his kindness of heart, the earnest desire he felt for the salvation of the king’s soul, he said, “Oh that thou, O king, wouldst hearken, if it were but a little only, to some of the words thou hearest from me, as it behoves thee to do! for thou oughtest to do something in order to cause God’s wrathful indignation to pass from thee. And taking the road to eternal salvation, which I show thee distinctly, thou wouldst then cease to thrust Him away from thee, who desires the salvation of thy soul. But, O king, thou wilt do to me what the spirits of hell tell thee to do, yet shalt thou also behold the help sent me from heaven at the proper time, until thou find thyself more weary of tormenting me than I shall be of being tormented for my love of Christ.”

Such boldness of speech on the saint’s part only further roused the king’s wrath, who ordered him to be given over to yet more infamous tortures, as we are about to relate.

CHAPTER XI. Of the eighth torture to which they put the saint, and how sore it was; of the questions the king asked him, and with what holiness of soul he replied to them

 The king, seeing that such tortures of the body could not in any way bend the saint’s will to the unlawful worship of idols, commanded both his feet to be tied together, and boiling water to be poured down into his stomach, in order not only to hurt him, but also to put him to open shame. And the tor­mentors did as the king commanded them.—Horrible feeling and passion of the wicked, who were not satisfied with only torturing him, but with the torture must also cover him with shame; but he was wonderfully supported in this trial also, wherein he must have died but for the strength vouchsafed unto him from above.

When this was over, the king commanded him to be let down, and he then began to ask him, “Wilt thou obey my orders or not? Wilt thou worship the gods who are the life and support of the world ?” S. Gregory answered him, saying, “ I worship my God, for He alone is the maker of the world, and on Him it rests. And I place my trust in His Son, Who is One with Him, of equal power and majesty; and in the Holy Ghost, Who fills the world with wisdom. I never held by idols carved and made by hand, but only by the true God; neither will I worship any one else as long as there is breath in my body.” Then the king began with entreaties to remind him of the greatness and of the supreme honour he enjoyed in the palace. And he then promised to restore him unto his former rank and dignity, if he would but once offer incense in worship to the gods.

To this the blessed Gregory replied, “I offer incense and sacrifice only to the true and living God, our Lord Jesus Christ, Whom I love. But never will I do so to idols which neither speak, breathe, nor feel; no, not even if thou command that I be made to suffer yet more than I have done hitherto. God forbid that I, who have been made partaker of the intelligent Spirit of God, who have been saved from the horrible bondage of Satan by means of His precious Blood, and who was by Him adopted at the font of holy baptism, should again be brought into captivity to the sworn enemy of man. I once for all detached and severed myself by my vows, in presence of the Angels of God, from the vanities and pomp of the world, and from all that in which the flesh alone delights, and nounced them all, and this will I not forget, then is it possible for me to return to them? But now, put me to every kind of torture, to any thing thy gods tell thee to do; for, however great and terrible they be, they cause me no terror whatever; neither will they make me break my vows, pledged as they were to my Lord Jesus Christ, and kept until this day. Yea, moreover, am I so much more joined to Him, as I become more really partaker of the sufferings and torments He endured for my sake.”

The king, having heard these words, became very angry and said, “ Since thou hast dared to say of the gods, that they are carved images without life, I will avenge it on thee.” So saying, the king ordered the executioners to bring him to another painful torture, as follows.

CHAPTER XII. Of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh tortures of S. Gregory, and of his words to the king.

When a man is lifted up by power, while he yet is a stranger to the grace and to the faith of Christ, in his heathen worship of idols, and in his thirst for vengeance, no word spoken by man is able to soften him and to bring him to a better mind; but he rather becomes more and more hardened, until he even excel wild beasts and leopards in cruelty. Such was king Tiridates ere he received the light of grace and of faith. For although he saw the wonderful patience of S. Gregory, and repeatedly heard the witness he bare to the truth, yet never did he reason himself into a better way of thinking. But on the contrary, being yet more irritated, he commanded him to be hung by his two hands to a piece of wood in the shape of a cross; then to tie his hands with thick ropes, and his feet also, like the Saviour Jesus; and then with iron scrapers to tear his sides until the whole place was sprinkled with his blood.

Then the king drawing near said to the saint, “Wilt thou not hearken to me, Gregory, now that thou art in such torments?” The blessed man answered, “I will keep the vows I made when even a child—to worship God and to serve Him, who is able to deliver me out of any tribulation, and to cast thee, who knowest Him not, into torments. And yet thinkest thou to terrify by the threat of torments those who know and serve Him, and thus to sever them from His love and from His service ?” Then said the king, “Who is that God of thine who can deliver thee out of my hands, and who judges, as thou sayest, of his own judgment ?”

So saying, he commanded a number of iron spikes to be brought, in basketfuls, and to be spread thick over the ground. Then they placed him naked on those spikes, and dragged and buried him in them, and rolled him about, until his whole body was pierced through, and there was not a place in it whole. And the earth that was sprinkled with his blood blossomed and budded forth, not with corrup­tible, passing flowers, but with incorruptible, unfading plants of faith, and with abundant fruit, as we shall see shortly.

Then said the king to him, “Where is thy God, Gregory, in whom thou trustest? Will he now come and deliver thee out of my hands?” But the saint endured his sufferings with extraordinary patience, and remained alive by the power of God, praising Christ God with unmingled joy; and all his tortures were easier to bear than if they had been a pleasure, by the grace of Christ. After this they again cast him into prison.

The next day they brought him before the king, who said to him, “I greatly wonder to see thee yet alive, still thinking nothing of torture, and to hear thee speak, thou who shouldst have already perished in such tortures as these.” So spake the king, because he did not know how the saint could have been healed from within of the wounds he had received with the iron spikes and flesh-hooks. But S. Gregory answered, “My patience in enduring torture does not come from my own strength, but by the help of the grace of my God, and from my efforts to endure, which I have asked Him to enable me to make. So then mayest thou try the servant of God; but thou shalt also know that nothing can separate from His love those who put their trust in Him. For He it is who gives patience and strength to endure tribulations and trials, until the wicked like thee be made to blush for their own vain folly, and be ashamed in the day of visitation and of rebuke.”

The king, being enraged at these words, commanded to have certain iron instruments of torture, made like caps, put upon his knees, whereby the knees were made to swell in great lumps, upon which the iron caps were tightened with wedges. They then hanged him thus garotted by his two hands and left him three days in that state, until his knees mortified and dropped off his body. But the saint continued glad and happy, glorifying Christ God. Yet during all this, that rational leopard of a king did not lose the spots of his heathenish cruelty. But on the fourth day he gave orders to take down S. Gregory and bring him before him. The king, however, seeing that the more he tormented him the firmer he was, and that he would rather be tortured than not, was ashamed of himself, especially after the trial of the iron spikes and flesh-hooks to which he had put him, so that, instead of promising him honours and distinctions if he would recant, he now began to revile him, saying: “Where is now thy God, whom thou praisest continually? See thou, Gregory, that thy vain trust in Him has not delivered thee as thou hadst thought it would, neither has it taken thee out of my hands.”

The saint replied and said, “See thou, rather, that thy confidence is vain: for thou hast not been able to frighten me with all thy tortures, nor to con­strain me to stoop to the worship of thy gods. What thou worshippest is vain and a lie, and the cause of all thy error. Seeing, however, that I am not afraid of any of thy threats of torture, but that, in the strength of my God, I have fought with the enemy who is hidden within thee, and who wars against the truth, and that I have given my body to the fiery ordeal of all those torments—if thou wert not blinded by thy passions, oughtest thou not to understand from this unconquerable strength of mine, which is God’s gift, that it is God who is with me, and that it is He who with me also struggles and fights against thee, 0 king ? But He will also crown me after I have endured; one day He will place upon my head the crown of eternal glory with Him. Wherefore is it that I do not care to have my body torn to pieces; for as my outward man perishes, so also is my inward man renewed. Thus are we taught by Holy Scripture and by faith.

“But although He is able at once to deliver me out of thy hands, He does not do it, because He wishes to give me an opportunity of bringing forth fruits of patience; and to thee, one of repenting, ere He cast thee into the torments and the unquenchable fire of hell. For sooner or later does the body of man grow old and decay; but the Maker thereof will one day come to find the sons of men, and once more to renew into life their bodies decayed and mouldered into dust. Those whom He shall find established in chastity, in holiness, in meekness, in humility, and in the fear and service of God, will He then renew, and quicken, and adorn, with a new spirit and a new body. But those whom He shall find in trespasses, in wickedness, in estrangement from God, and in idolatry, although He will also make their bodies bud afresh with life, yet will He cast them, with their new bodies and new spirits, into the unquenchable fire of hell, and into torments that shall never end; yea, and especially those who, like thee, are living in idolatry.”

On hearing this, the king became very angry and said, “I care not whether thy God renew thee or not, but for what thou hast just said, ‘that He would throw me into unquenchable fire,’ will I cast thee into fire that may be quenched; we shall then see what thy God will do.”

Then the king commanded him to be again brought to this new and awful torture, the last of all, but also the most horrible, as we are about to relate.

CHAPTER XIII. Of the twelfth torture to which S. Gregory was put, and how wonderfully the Martyr of Christ remained through it unhurt and invincible. Of the pit into which he was cast to die, and how long he remained in it.

King Tiridates having heard the Saint say, that the more his outward body perished the more also was he renewed inwardly, and that, like the Phoenix, he came again into fresh existence; and also, that if he, the king, did not turn to Christ, he would assuredly be burnt in the fire of hell that is not quenched— his wrath was kindled against the saint, and he said, “For that thou saidst all this, will I cast thee into burning fire, and thou shalt there be made to know thy deluded state.” So saying, he commanded to melt some lead in an iron crock and to pour it upon his body, which was singed and shrivelled all over; but he did not die. Then they proceeded to pour some of it down the mouth of the valiant martyr of Christ; it reached his inward parts, yet withal did it not kill him, by the strength of Christ. Thus was he strengthened with courage and fortitude, until it was to him as if water were poured over his body; and it became evident to all that also in this torture the king’s madness was being loudly and openly reproved; while the bystanders treasured up in their minds all the saint’s words touching the service and fear of God.

Meanwhile the king wondered, marvelled, and trembled at the saint’s endurance, and at his being able to live through such awful tortures, and he said to him, “How is it thou hast breath left after all the torture thou hast gone through?” Then the saint answered, “Said 1 not to thee just now, that thou mayest try the endurance of God’s servant, because God gives strength to His servants, and puts to shame those who are without Him in the world, and who, like thee, strive and fight against Him? Because He said Himself: ‘I will neither leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ This, therefore, is the way in which He preserves and blesses His creatures and His beloved ones; He maintains and keeps them in their faith in Him, until He reward them with glory at His second coming.”

At the end of two years thus spent in torturing the saint, Tiridates thought it was of no avail for him to talk to him any more. He therefore sent messengers to him promising him both life and honours—for which he did not care—if he would recant; but if not, and if he still continued obstinate, then to tell him, that he would be put to fresh tortures; so as, at last, to overcome and break down his resistance. So anxious were the king and his nobles to bring S. Gregory to the worship of their gods; not that the king himself should benefit much by it, but that, if S. Gregory was not made to do it, injury might thence accrue to the heathen

At this particular time, however, one of the noble­men, Ardavazd by name, said to the king, “O king, live for ever: that man,” meaning S.Gregory, “ought not to live, because he is not worthy of life, nor yet of seeing the light of the sun. For, though he has been with us so many years, yet have we not known who he is, until at last we have found it out. He is the son of Anak, who killed thy father Chosroes, and brought the kingdom of Armenia into captivity and ruin. Now, therefore, it is not fit he should live; for he is the son of a man both guilty and worthy of death.”

The king having made inquiries, and having ascertained the truth of the matter, commanded Gregory to be bound hand and foot, and taken to the province of Ararat, and there be kept in the fortress of the town of Ardashat, where he should be cast into a pit, and left there till he died. He then went to his winter quarters, and pubhshed an edict throughout his dominions, that whoever was caught unawares dishonouring the gods, should be brought forth with hands and feet tied, and a rope round his neck, and that his goods should become the property of his informer. But the pit in which they had cast the saint was a hole full of stinking mud, used only for malefactors, and therefore filled with snakes and with other venomous reptiles, the mention alone of which filled every one with terror. For when a malefactor happened to be thrown into it, he died that same day on account of the stench of the place, of the filth and mire, and of the snakes and other creeping things that lived therein. But by the grace of God the saint was kept from all harm.

Such was the quantity of venomous snakes and reptiles in that pit, that he sank, and was buried in them swarming and crawling around him. Yet was he in no wise afraid of them; for they, having lost all their cruel nature, did him no hurt. But although, when at first the saint was cast into the pit by the executioners, and fell among the reptiles, they then sharpened their teeth in order to bite him, as they did others; yet when they saw him coming down softly, borne unhurt upon the wings of angels, they trembled at his presence, and were afraid of him. And albeit they only saw the saint come down, and did not perceive his angelic escort, nevertheless were they surprised at feeling deprived of their wonted nature; so that, contrary to that nature, they now crawled near the saint, gently to minister to him, and not to hurt him.—Oh the wonders God can work in behalf of His beloved ones! For the very same venomous reptiles which, thought the wicked king, would at once bite the saint to death, now on the contrary watched over him, and came to lick his feet. He was thirty years old when cast into that pit, and he remained in it fourteen years alive, by the grace of Christ. Those, however, who say that he spent fifteen years in it, reckon the year he was thrown in, and the year he came out; whereas they who write that he only spent thirteen years in the pit do not reckon the last. Thus neither departs from the truth.

According to one account, there was in that fortress a widow woman who believed, named Anna. She received in a vision an order from God daily to prepare a loaf of bread, and to throw it to the saint, whose body was thus supported with necessary food; while he never ceased to praise the most Holy Trinity in company with angels, as if he were in a temple, rejoicing with joy unspeakable in the Divine presence. For every day of his stay in that pit he saw with his eyes open the angels of God, who by their constant attendance upon him evermore gave him fresh strength and happiness, and by the revelation of many hidden things made him glad and joyful in giving glory to God. And there also did he not cease to entreat God in his prayers for the enlightenment of the Armenian nation; and being heard, he was, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, fitted to become the Illuminator of the Armenian race.

What marvellous long-suffering and endurance in that holy Father! It was vouchsafed to him by the Lord as a special gift in answer to his prayers. Thus only was he enabled to exist during those fourteen years in that pit, full of deep slime and mire, and of venomous beasts of all sorts, as if he were all the time in Paradise giving glory to God, and gladdening his inward heart by doing God’s holy will.

At the end of these fourteen years, S. Rhipsime and her companions came into Armenia, when Tiridates, having made them suffer martyrdom, was changed into the appearance of a hog. Meanwhile S. Gregory was taken out of the pit through a revelation from God, and by his prayers restored the king to his former human form; after which he enlightened him and all Armenia with the knowledge of God.

Therefore must we now turn our narrative to these holy women, S. Rhipsime and her companions, and in the next chapters tell in detail how every thing happened.

CHAPTER XIV. Concerning S. Rhipsime and her companions; who they were and whence they came into Armenia.

Here must we depart a little from our course. It is all the more necessary, as by so doing we shall more fully bring to light the love of God and the circumstances under which it was displayed in behalf of the Armenian people.

In the days of the wicked emperor Diocletian, when the Church of Christ was being fed with the graces of the Spirit, and increased in the midst of bitter persecutions, blossoming like a lily among thorns, there was in a place set apart for the training of virgins given to God, in the outskirts of Rome, a virgin, called Rhipsime. She was born of Christian parents, who, after enlightening her by baptism, had devoted her to God from her birth, and had placed her in that abode, where she grew up in purity and holiness of life, under the fostering care of S. Gaiane, who was at the head of it.

Rhipsime was a maid of royal descent, of a noble countenance, remarkably handsome, and in her life, angelic. Moreover, the community of modest virgins among whom she lived tended to mortify her body to sin, and to make her resemble Christ by taking up her cross in purity of life, and following Him. For, being like them, satisfied with daily food, and clothed in the modest apparel that becomes a solitary life of self-denial, they ceased not to praise and glorify God by their heavenly conduct, cheerfill dispositions, and daily prayers morning and evening; thus turning the life of the body into a spiritual existence, and setting the example of a pure and godly life to all who saw them.

About this time Diocletian thought of taking to himself a wife. He therefore gave an order to painters to go round about Rome, and to draw the likenesses of the richest, handsomest, and best grown maidens found therein, and to bring him those portraits, that he might take to wife the one he liked best. His order was at once obeyed by messengers sent round about the country for that purpose; while he who had the management of the business, having heard of the maidens who were in the convent, under the care of Gaiane, hastened to send thither painters, who, having examined them, should make portraits of the best looking.

Those painters went, and entered by force that abode of innocence, where, beholding the ravishing beauty of Rhipsime, they were struck with it, and at once made a picture of her, and brought it to the emperor. When he beheld the majestic beauty of Rhipsime, he at once became enamoured of her, and sent to her an invitation, with the good news that preparations were made for her espousals to him, the emperor. The rejoicings were to last over many days; and ambassadors were also despatched in haste to make the event known every where, that, according to royal custom, they should bring presents and offerings from every quarter, and celebrate the emperor’s marriage with every possible mark of public rejoicings.

But what was all that to the holy virgin of Christ, who, joined to Him with all her heart and in the straitest love, had chosen to suffer the most cruel pangs of death, rather than to be separated from Christ and to defile her pure, unsullied maidenhood? No one can tell the dangers to which she and all her companions found themselves at once exposed; we can only relate what is written about it. But when these innocent lambs became aware of the schemes of the old enemy, who lay in ambush for them under cover of the wicked emperor, intending to shoot in secret his arrows on these maidens devoted to Christ, they remembered their vows of purity, the rules of the order they had embraced, and they put on mourning and wept. Then they poured forth their grief in the most earnest supplications and prayers to God, entreating Him to send them help in the hour of need against all the snares and dangers with which they were then surrounded.

And their prayers were after this wise. We will not give them in full, but only in part, that the thread of our narrative be not broken:—

“Lord of lords, God of gods, O Thou eternal God, who madest man out of the dust of the earth, and who hast been, in all ages, the helper of them that put their trust in Thee, help us now, O Lord, in our present struggle, that we may overcome the wiles of the enemy; that Thy great Name be glorified, that the horn of Thy Holy Church be lifted up, and that we also may be found worthy to dwell with Thee in Thy kingdom. Grant that the oil of our lamps may not fail; that the light of faithfulness to our vows of purity may not be put out, and that the dismal night of perdition and ruin fall not on our path of light, lest our feet swerve from Thy pure and holy ways. So let not the eyes of our souls be darkened, and lose sight of the gladdening light of Thy truth.

“ Let not the tearing wild beast destroy Thy holy flock; neither let the cruel wolf get the mastery over the lambs that are in Thy keeping; neither let the enemy of our vows scatter abroad the sheep of Thy holy Apostolic Church. O Lord, our God, who didst send Thine only begotten and beloved Son, who came and filled the whole earth with Thy spirit of wisdom, we have heard that Thou saidst, ‘When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another; and if they drive you from that, seek rbfuge elsewhere therefore, Lord, do Thou now watch over us who have taken refuge in Thy holy Name, and defend us, lest we be mixed up with the wickedness of the heathens, and the abode of our innocence be defiled by their lawless deeds. Direct us to do Thy will, and cover us under the shadow of Thy wings, until we reach in safety the haven of Thy rest. And if it be Thy will, give us to drink the cup of martyrdom, that we may receive in exchange for it the crown of life at the just judgment of Thy second appearing in glory. Amen.”

Having finished this prayer, the virgins were moved by Divine leading to take counsel among themselves, and they decided on fleeing to a far country; not as wishing to avoid a timely death, but in order that, by escaping from their own many wicked passions, they might keep themselves in innocency of life. So then, while the emperor, who had not the least doubt about the consent of S. Rhipsime, was making preparations for his coming marriage with her, S. Gaiane took her foster-child Rhipsime and her other companions, with priests and others who favoured them, fled towards the East, and taking ship, came to Alexandria.

As to the several stations in their journey from Alexandria until they came into Armenia, both Agathangelos and other historians omit to mention them; but the writers of the Lives of Saints in our days speak of several places visited by S. Rhipsime and her companions, some of which we will quote. We are told, that from Alexandria they came to Jerusalem, and that they visited in pilgrimage the principal holy places around the city; but when they came to Gethsemane and to the sepulchre of the ever-blessed Mother of God, they tarried there to pray, when S. Gaiane, taking Rhipsime by the hand, brought her near to the tomb of the Blessed Virgin, and said, “O Mother of our Lord, I commit this one to thee; keep as a deposit this maid, who is wedded to thine only Son, and signed with the life-giving sign of His Cross.”

Then the Blessed Virgin appeared to her in a vision, and told her to go to Edessa in Mesopotamia. And while there, visiting the congregations, the Virgin appeared to her a second time, and told her to go into Armenia. And they, coming all together to the eastern parts of the country, went about the mountains of both provinces of Armenia; and halting at several places, they at last came to Valarshabad, the royal capital of the province of Ararat. There they built a convent of their own, outside the city, towards the Wine-presses of the vineyards, to the north of the eastern side. They had, however, no means of subsistence. But one of them knew how to make glass beads, and another how to weave blankets; so that, taking these things into the city, they sold them, and bought the necessaries of life. And they thus lived away from the dwellings of men, as a small community of nuns, occupied in prayer and praising God.

CHAPTER XV. How king Tiridates heard of the arrival of S. Rhipsime; what means he used to have her; and how, when taken, she was brought to the king's palace

When Diocletian heard that Rhipsime and her companions had fled, he became very angry, and sent at once messengers in all directions, as well as ambassadors to divers countries, to see if haply they might find them. One of these came from the emperor to Tiridates at Valarshabad, with letters patent, written as follows:—

“Diocletian the emperor, to our beloved brother and colleague Tiridates, greeting: I hereby make known to my brother and ally concerning certain wicked men, Christians, who go about among us, ever given to a false superstition; for their commu­nity is always blaining our government; they serve and honour One who was crucified and then died, and they worship a piece of wood; they keep the bones of those who are put to death, and among themselves reckon death for their God an honour and glory. They have blunted our swords, and death has no terror for them. They take no account of the heavenly bodies, of the sun, and of the light of the stars, and teach thoroughly to despise the images of our gods. They have turned away the whole world from the worship of the gods until they have severed men from their wives and wives from their husbands, making them five apart from each other. I chanced to see among them a handsome maid whom I wished to take to wife; her, too, have they dared to take from me, and to cheat me of her, whom they have accompanied, when she with her foster-mother fled in secret hence to somewhere in your parts. And now, brother, give diligence to find their whereabouts, and to condemn to death her foster-mother and those that are with her; but send her, the handsome damsel, back to me. But if thou delightest in her beauty, then keep her for thyself, for the like of her is not to be found in our land. May the gods grant thee health; with all respect,

Diocletian.”

When Tiridates had read this letter, he gave strict orders that every where in his dominions search should be made for Rhipsime and her friends; and at the same time he despatched ambassadors to every quarter, to say that, if found, the maid and her companions should at once be brought to him; promising to reward with rank and honours the man who found them. Thus commanded he to watch every road in all the provinces. After a few days, however, tidings were brought to the king from the Wine-presses where Rhipsime and her companions lived. For it could not be that the real innocence of those witnesses for Christ should long remain hidden, that their light be covered under a bushel, or be placed under a bed; but rather was it fit that the rich oil of their love for God, that fed in them the wick of faith, should, from a golden lamp set on a golden candlestick, shine all over the world, as it was meet it should do.

So then, after the publication of the king’s order, when these things became noised abroad, a band of men lay hidden for some days around the dwelling of Rhipsime and her friends, and at the end of three days brought intelligence to the king of her exqui­site beauty, extolled as it was from mouth to mouth; for when she appeared, all men flocked around her rich and poor together, even the nobles of the realm, all came in crowds to gaze at her beauty. But when the blessed virgins became aware of their intentions, and heard their licentious talk, they poured forth their prayers to God in tears and with uplifted hands, that of His great mercy He would deliver them from the hands of these impious heathens, as He had done before. Then, covering their faces for shame of those who had come in troops to stare at them, they bowed their heads and looked down.

One of those who thus gazed and wondered at Rhipsime’s beauty was an intimate friend of Tiridates, to whom he related it. The king then greatly desired to see her; and the next day gave an order that Rhipsime should be brought to the palace, but that Gaiane and the other virgins be kept within the walls of their dwelling. Then were seen golden­decked canopies, with a troop of attendants, issuing from the gates of the palace, and wending their way towards the abode of Rhipsime, until they reached the door of her abode, bringing with them a suit of beautiful and gorgeous dresses, with other orna­ments, carried by some of the first men of the land, for her to put on, that she might make her entrance into the city with all due pomp and splendour, and, after her entrance, should then be brought into the presence of the king. For, albeit he had not seen her, yet, from the reports he had heard of her great beauty, he was thinking of taking her to wife.

S. Gaiane seeing the danger that now befell Rhipsime, went to her, and began to say to her, “Remember, my child, that thou didst renounce and despise the pomp and magnificence of the golden throne and the regal purple of thy ancestors, and that thou didst sever thyself from it all; and that to those thou hast preferred the brightness of the kingdom of Christ, who created thee, who keeps thee in life, who shall raise thee again from the dead, and who has in store for thee the unspeakable goods He has promised to those who put their trust in Him. Thou, child, didst despise and renounce thy father’s house and thy purple robes therein, for the sake of keeping unsullied the purity of thy maidenhood; why then now wouldst thou throw such a sacred deposit as food for dogs ? God forbid, child, that thus it should be! but rather let Him who has directed us from our childhood until this day, make us with thee acceptable unto Himself in His eternal kingdom.”

When Rhipsime heard these words and saw the procession and crowd come on her account, she was strengthened by the Holy Spirit, as it were with an armour of strength; and putting on her youthful frame the breastplate of faith, like a valiant soldier clad in his armour from head to foot, on the look-out and ready, she hastened to take refuge by prayer in the help of her almighty and all-powerful heavenly Bridegroom, and spreading her arms in the form of a cross, she began her supplications to God as follows:—

“ O Lord God Almighty, who hast established all Thy creatures in order through Thine only-begotten and beloved Son, and who hast adorned and fashioned all things, both visible and invisible, through the Holy Ghost, Thou art He who did create all things out of nothing, and at Thy command all powers, both visible and invisible, do bow and obey. Thou who didst preserve Abraham in the midst of all the lawless nations of Canaan, and who didst keep Thy maidservant Sarah from the shame and defilement of the heathens; who hadst pity on Thy servant Isaac, and didst deliver Thy maidservant Rebekah from the wicked Philistines, leave us not; let us not go from Thy hand, O Lord, we beseech Thee, for Thy great Name’s sake. Thou who hast taught us, trained us, and put Thy Word in our mouths, that we might thereby escape from the snares of the enemy, and saidst, ‘My Name is called upon you,’ and ‘Ye are the temples of My Divine Nature, and shall bear My holy Name’—lo! many wicked men are now gathered together against us, to defile Thy holy Name, which is called upon us. Weak and frail as we are, we are yet Thy maid­servants, however unworthy we be. Keep and defend us, O tender and pitiful Lord, from the hands of wicked and lawless men. Thou who hast brought us into this great trial, give us to come out of it conquerors in Thy strength; for victory is Thine, and Thy Name will not only bring us out of trouble, but it will also keep us in wisdom and prudence by our trust in Thee. Thus shall we share the inheritance of Thy righteous ones and receive at Thy hands the reward of our work; who establishest every one of those who abide in Thy fear and keep Thy commandments.”

While Rhipsime was offering these supplications to God with strong crying, the crowd outside was gathering together on her account. It consisted of a number of the king’s officers, who came with great pomp from the Court to lead her away to her espousals with the king; wherefore came they with rejoicings, bringing her the good news of what awaited her, namely, to be the queen of the whole Armenian nation. And they said, “Hail, thou lovely maid, beautiful daughter! for thou art now reckoned to the race of the Arsacidae, and shalt become the best-beloved of our king! Glorious queen of the houses of Aram! Great sovereign of the Eastern nations! Lo! we are come to lead thee away as the bride of our great and glorious king, like whom there is no one in all the world, under the whole heaven, so handsome and so strong. Make haste, deck and adorn thyself, thou lovely maid, and come to the gilded chariot in which thou art to be brought into the presence of Tiridates, our king. Strip thyself of the mean garments of thine affliction, and put on the regal purple woven with gold and pearls which the king sends thee. Fear not to come into the awful presence of our glorious sovereign, when thou appearest before him in the hall of his palace; for thou hast the wonderful beauty of the gods, excellent as thou art in all respects.”

With such words did they come to congratulate her. But S. Rhipsime and all her companions, who, on the contrary, counted all these glad tidings and addresses as the sorrowful news of death and evil, lifted up their voices and wept, and with upraised hands and pitiful sighs entreated God mercifully to deliver Rhipsime from the disgrace and shame of such espousals.

And they all said together, “ God forbid that the greatness of this world should seduce us, or that the pleasures thereof should allure us, or that the kingdoms thereof should alarm us, or that persecutions should make us yield, or that sufferings and blows should compromise us; yea, even though our enemies be many, and though they torture us in all manner of ways: shall we then be now afraid of the death you threaten against us ? God forbid we should exchange the life eternal that is to come for that which now is and passes away; wherefore, neither afflictions nor sufferings, neither bonds nor tortures, neither fire nor water, neither the sword nor pleasures, neither life nor death, nor any thing else, shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ. We have committed to Him the ward of our purity. We abide in Him; and, delighting in His love, we will abide as we are until we stand without shame before Him in glory.”

Then a violent thunder from heaven terrified the crowd, while a loud voice was heard saying to S. Rhip- sime and her fellows, “Be strong and of good courage; quit yourselves bravely, for I am with you. I have kept you in all your ways; and after preserving you from all evil, I have guided and brought you to this place, that here also My Name be by you glorified among the heathens of these northern parts of Armenia. I will preserve you from the assaults of the cruel enemy, and ye shall come with Me into My chamber, and receive at My hands the kingdom prepared for you. And thee especially, Rhipsime, according to thy name indeed, together with Gaiane and with thy other fidends, have I made to pass from death to life. Fear ye not; for ye shall come to the place which My Father and I have prepared for you; a place of untold joys for you and those who are like unto you.” Thus spoke that voice while it went on thundering aloud.

This awful thunder continued until all those who stood there were stunned and terrified at it, while others sought to run away from the place; and many of the horsemen, rushing one against another, unable as they were to master their horses that were prancing and neighing, were trodden under foot and killed. Footmen also, in the general panic and confusion, fell one against another and died. Thus many perished, and a loud wailing cry was raised. Then some of the courtiers, who had heard the words of Rhipsime and her companions, ran and reported them to the king, and told him that the maid would not put on the robes he had sent, nor come. For there were among them scribes learned in the Latin tongue, who wrote down all that Rhip- sime and her companions had said. So they brought and read them to the king.

Then he answered and said, “Since she will not come with pomp and magnificence to the palace, she shall be brought by force and introduced into the royal chamber.” The king’s officers then went and seized Rhipsime, and brought her—now dragging her along, now carrying her in their armtf. But she, seeing herself fallen into such great and near danger, cried with a stout heart; and firmly trusting in the help and succour of her Almighty Heavenly Bridegroom, she said, “ Lord Jesus, help me; deliver me from the sword, and save me, helpless as I am, from the hands of these dogs.” Meanwhile, the crowd that followed blew their horns until the ground resounded under them; and thus did they bring her to the king’s palace, even into the royal chamber.

CHAPTER XVI. Haw S, Rhipsime, strengthened from above, struggled with the king; how she overcame him; and how gloriously she and her companions ended their course on earth,

But when Rhipsime found herself shut up in the royal chamber, she began with earnest prayer to entreat the Lord to come to her aid. “Lord of all powers,” said she, “Thou art the true God, Thou art He who did cleave the Red Sea and did cause Thy congregation to pass through it; who madest the barren rock flow with streams of water, to give drink to Thy people panting with thirst. Thou art He who did cause Jonah to descend into the depths of the sea, and then did bring him out thence and place him without hurt and whole among the living. Thou art He who did save Daniel when cast as food to wild beasts, and rescued him with glory from their fangs. Thou also didst bring out of the fiery furnace the three children who were cast into it because they worshipped Thee, so that those who beheld Thy marvellous deeds magnified Thee. Thou art He also who changed into the appearance of a brute the wicked and cruel king of Babylon, and made his abode among the beasts of the field, and gave him pasture among the wild asses of the desert, because he would not learn to acknowledge and worship Thee for all Thy marvellous deeds done in his behalf. Thou also didst twice over deliver Thy maidservant Susanna from death. Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end, and Thou, Lord, givest not Thy glory to another. Thou also art glorified all over the world, let not the heathen reproach Thy holy Name; Thou art able to save me now from all defilement, so that I may die pure and innocent for Thy Name’s sake.”

While the holy maid was yet pouring forth her ardent supplication to God, the king came into the chamber in which she was detained. Meanwhile the king’s servants outside began to prepare the marriage feast, to sing songs of joy, and to be merry all over the palace. Outside the palace, in the city also, they hastened to make preparations according to the heathen customs of those days, to celebrate the king’s marriage, with the blowing of trumpets and public rejoicings.

But at the same time also the King of kings, the Almighty, All-powerful, and All-merciful Lord God, looked upon His beloved child Rhipsime, and heard her prayer, and those of S. Gregory, who, from the bottom of the pit in which he lay, entreated the Lord to strengthen her, and to deliver her from the king’s violence, and thus to enable her not to lose the sacred treasure of her innocence, which she had carefully kept until then. So that, when the king thought of having his own way with her, she at once received such an amount of manly strength and power from the Holy Ghost, and fought and struggled like a man with the king. She battled with him, giant-like as he was, from the second hour of the day until the tenth hour, and overcame him.

How wonderful that he—who was known to have such extraordinary strength, who, when among the Greeks, won for himself renown by his deeds of valour, and who, when he came to his own country, regained his ancestral kingdom of Armenia, then under the power of Persia, through his strength of arms and valour in war—should now lie on the ground beaten and overcome by a maid, by the will and in the strength of Christ! It was to show that the strong are not so in their own strength, but that the Lord makes weak the strong men who rise against Him, as the holy Hannah said of old very distinctly.

Then the king, thus beaten and overcome, came outside and commanded that S. Gaiane be taken, her head put in stocks, and that she be thus brought to the door of the chamber. And he put words in the mouth of his officers, and commanded them at once to bring her, that she, from outside the door, should desire Rhipsime to give way to him, and so save herself and her companions alive. Because the king, having become aware that, as Gaiane was Rhipsime’s foster-mother, and had taught her to preserve her innocency of life, if only she wished Rhipsime to change her mind, Rhipsime herself would have no objection. S. Gaiane then determined to talk to her, and from outside the door Bpoke to her in Latin words of comfort that gave her courage. “My beautiful maid,” said she, “my lovely daughter, let not thy stout heart give way, which thou hast had from thy childhood; for from thy mother’s womb hast thou been devoted to the Lord, and united to God from thy birth, at holy baptism. Be of good courage, and be not shaken from thy hope and trust in Him. Remember that thou wast nourished in holiness and adorned with purity of life. Remember, my daughter, that thou wast espoused to Christ, signed with the sign of His holy Cross, and given in charge to the blessed Virgin. Stand fast in thy purity and innocence, that thou be worthy of the wreath that withers not, and of the marriage feast of Christ. This world is vain and passes away, its promises are but a shadow, and all its pomp is only vanity. Be strong a little longer, and thou shalt see the glory of God. He will keep thee from defilement and be thy support. God forbid, daughter, that thou shouldst lose the inheritance of the life that is with God, for the sake of that which passes away and is not, which today is and tomorrow is no more.”

When those of the officers who understood Latin heard these words, they smote her on the mouth with a stone, thereby breaking several of her teeth, urging her at the same time to tell Rhipsime to do the king’s pleasure. She, however, did not alter her way of speaking. How wonderful that albeit the holy woman had lost so many teeth, she was nevertheless strengthened by Christ to say as distinctly as before, “ Be strong, be of good courage, and thou shalt soon see Christ, with whom thou longest to be. Bear in mind the cup of death which we are to drink together, remember also the resurrection of all men; remember the rebuke given to the rich man, and the burning in the endless torments of hell; remember the voice from heaven which thou hast heard to-day with thine own ears; be strong, therefore, for He who will give thee strength, as well as to ourselves, will also make us worthy of the crown and of the rest He has promised, that we be like brilliant lights in His everlasting habitations.

“Remember the Lord, who for our sakes humbled Himself that He might raise us up on high; who shed His blood on the cross, and was put to death for our salvation and in order to give us life. Set Him before thee in thy mind, and call upon Him with thy heart; and behold, He will at once come to thy aid, He will strengthen thy arm as He did that of the stripling David against the lion and the bear. And He who by his hands slew the giant, will also put to silence with David’s faith the wickedness of the lawless one with whom thou art at this moment. O thou daughter of prophecy, brought up in righteousness, He who in His mercy and pity has showed us these things today, will give thee and us to see Him face to face without shame! ”

Thus did Gaiane converse with her foster-child Rhipsime, in the Roman tongue, from the door of the king’s chamber. But the officers who stood by and who understood that language, hearing her conversation, pushed her aside from the door. Then the king once more tried to prevail with Rhipsime, and struggled with her from the tenth hour to the first watch of the night. But the holy virgin, strengthened by the Holy Ghost, defeated and overcame the king, and left him on the floor utterly and disgracefully beaten, with his crown off his head and his purple robes torn and in disorder; while she walked towards the door in her own poor gar­ments, all tattered and tom, having gained the victory in her purity, by fighting, in the strength of Christ, her invisible and spiritual enemy, secretly disguised under the form of king Tiridates, until she had fought and overcome him.

Then opening the door of the room, she ran away with all her might, and, favoured as she was by the darkness of the night, she escaped safely through the midst of the city, led by her good angel, and unseen by the crowd of people, of whom no one either took any notice of her or went after her. Thus did she come to S. Gaiane and her companions outside the town towards the Wine-presses, and greeted them with these glad tidings, “Be glad, O ye women, that I have not been humbled, and rejoice, O ye wise virgins; for I have smitten down the giant king, and I have overcome the adversary in the strength of Christ. Now, then, go ye to the city of Rome, and give good news to the Apostles; for this is the day of my espousals. Come and see me espoused to Christ; blow the trumpet and make ready, clothe yourselves in red blood, and bring me to the nuptial chamber, and with me be joined to our heavenly Bridegroom.” Having said this, she went over to a high place on the north side, near to the highway that leads to the city of Ardashat; and kneeling down she offered prayers of praise and thanksgivings as follows:—

“ Lord God, God Almighty, who is able to requite Thee for all the good things Thou hast vouchsafed unto us ? We thank Thee, and we magnify Thy holy Name, for Thou hast kept firm our trust in Thee, and Thou hast saved us alive from the teeth of ravenous beasts, that would have defiled us. What is there in us with which to repay Thee, unless we give ourselves up to Thee, in return for the salvation Thou hast wrought for us? For Thou Thyself, O Lord, madest us worthy, in our service of Thee, to bear Thy Holy Name, whereby Thou hast delivered us. Beside Thee, O Lord, we know no one; and we call upon Thy great Name continually. Now, therefore, is it better for us to die in our innocence, than to lift up our hands to strange gods that are not. We long, O Lord, to come out of our bodies, that we be numbered among the witnesses [martyrs] for Thine only-begotten and beloved Son. Let us only escape from being defiled, and if we have to suffer torments for Thy sake, we are ready to bear them, that we may not lose our reward. And Thou knowest, O Lord, that I never coveted the rewards of this life, because I had an eye unto Thy faithful Word. Look, O Lord, upon Thine inheritance, and upon the works of Thine hand, and direct us to Thy city of Jerusalem above, where Thou wilt gather together all Thy righteous ones, Thy saints, and all those who love Thy Name; and let the light of the Lord shine upon us.” Thus did the holy maid Rhipsime pour forth her prayer from her heart burning with love for God.

But ere it was day, some one having told the king where she had fled, he sent at once a troop of officers and executioners, with lighted torches before them. Then coming to her, they bound her hand and foot, and, first of all, sought to cut off her tongue; but she of her own accord put it out. Then they stripped her of her tattered clothing, and striking four posts into the ground, two for the hands and two for the feet, they tied her to them, and placed hand-lamps under her for a long time, roasting her body with the flame. They then thrust sharp flints into her bosom, and cutting open her body, they emptied it out.

But while she was yet alive, they dug out her eyes, and then cut her to pieces limb by limb; For they thought that it was by some magical art that she had been able to baffle the king. They said, therefore, that whosoever resisted or disobeyed him should be treated after this manner.

Thus was the blessed Rhipsime’s martyrdom accomplished in Christ. She counted as less than nothing all the pomps of this vain and passing world, with all the glory, luxuries, and pleasures in which women delight, and which she would have enjoyed in the royal palace, and decked herself in the most precious ornaments of a spotless innocence. Thus clad in the pure garments that befit the spiritual espousals in heaven, was she honoured with the valour of a martyr, and in company with angels ad­mitted at the marriage feast of her heavenly Bridegroom above.

S. Rhipsime’s companions, having heard of her end, came and gathered together what was left of her remains. But the executioners rose against them and put them all to the sword, in number three-and-thirty virgins, all of whom offered themselves with a willing heart in sacrifice for the Name of Christ, and said, “We love Thee, Lord, for that Thou hast heard the voice of our supplications. Thou didst incline Thine ear unto us, loving God, when we cried unto Thee. We magnify and glorify Thee, O Lord, for that Thou didst not withhold Thy goodness from our unworthiness. O Thou lover of men, Thou hast kept us like the pupil of Thine eye, and under the shadow of Thy wings have we taken refuge from the gathering of evil men. And now we die for the sake of Thy glorious Name.” Having said this, they all ended their life together in the Lord.

One of them lay at home sick, at her dwelling, near the Wine-presses, and could not join the rest. They went and massacred her also, who, when about to expire, said, “I thank Thee, good Lord, that also of Thy bounty Thou hast not left me, because through illness I could not follow my companions, and die with them; but Thou, Lord, who art good and gracious, receive me and mingle my spirit with the band of Thy martyrs, my sisters and companions, who have joined Thy beloved Rhipsime.” Having said this, she was put to death, and died in the Lord; so that thirty-four virgins in all suffered martyrdom that day with Rhipsime, whose bodies were drawn asunder, and given for food to the wild beasts of the field and to the birds of the air, but they would not touch them; neither did any smell of corruption come from them. But who among human writers will be able to tell in detail, and sufficiently to praise, all their glorious deeds, their reward for an unsullied life, the white lily of their maidenhood, their crown of martyrdom, the marriage-feast in light, where, in company with legions of angels, they received the wreath given them at their espousals to Christ their immortal, heavenly Bridegroom, bidden to sit together around His table on seats of untold beauty, that were prepared for them?

Meanwhile the king—who was so widely celebrated for his exploits, who had carried off prizes at the Olympic games, whose gigantic stature and whose manly courage were in the mouth of every body, who had won so many victories this side the Eu­phrates, and who, after sundry great battles, had by his power alone rescued his ancestral dominions from the grasp of the Persian king—did not seem to feel his shame and reproach at having been overcome and beaten by a young maid, neither did he take it to heart. Yet, having been ravished by her exquisite beauty, he sorrowed at her death. “See,” said he, “the witchery of that Christian race: how many they ruin for ever, by drawing them away from the worship of the gods, cheating them out of the pleasures and honours of this earthly life, and are not afraid to die. But especially see their bewitchment of that wonderfully lovely Rhipsime, the like of whom there was not any where in the world among those born of women; see the craft of them who, by their arts, gave her strength enough to get the better even of me!”