հՍ՚ՕԷ
VEfiHlSHEH
ՀՐԱՏԱՐԱԿՈՒԹԻՒՆ
ՎԱՐԳԱՆԱՆ8 ԱՍՊԵՏՆԵՐՈՒ ԵՎՐԱՅՐԱԿ8ՈՒԹԵԱՆ
ԱՒԱՐԱՑՐԻ ՃԱԿԱՏԱՄԱՐՏԻ ՀԱԶԱՐ ՀԻՆԳ ՀԱՐԻՒՐ ԱՄԷԱԿԻՆ
ԱՌԻԹՈՎ
PUBLISHED BY
THE KNIGHTS OF VARTAN, INC.
ON THE OCCASION OF
THE FIFTEEN HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
OF
THE BATTLE OF AVARAIR
Second Edition
—
1975
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
“
The heroic battle of Avarair was the ecstatic and inaccessible
peak of the struggle for freedom. That is why it has been, now
is and shall ever remain the most glorious page of Armenian
history;
a
magnificent page which has inspired and comforted
many generations of Armenians and has shown the paths of
national and political virtues to the Country, the People and
the Church.
”
KEVORK VI.
CatholiCos and
s
upreme patriarCh
of all the armenians
.
Dedication
TO THE MEMORY OF THE PEERLESS AND FEARLESS WARRIORS
OF THE HEROIC COUNTRY OF ARMENIANS, WHO, UNDER THEIR
BRAVE AND VALIANT LEADER, VARTAN MAMIGONIAN, AND, IN
-
SPIRED BY THE RESOLUTE AND ELOQUENT MINISTER OF THE
ARMENIAN FAITH, GHEVONT YERETZ, WAGED HOLY WAR FOR
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE, OF MIND, AND OF SOUL, AND FELL ON
THE FIELD OF AVARAIR, AND THUS BECAME THE EVERLASTING
SYMBOL OF THE IDEAL OF RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL
INDEPENDENCE.
LET THE PUBLICATION OF THIS GOLDEN VOLUME, DEDICATED TO
THEIR HEROIC STRUGGLE, BE
A
TOKEN OF OUR ADMIRATION,
TRIBUTE TO
REVERENCE, AND PROFOUND GRATITUDE, AND
A
THEIR BLESSED MEMORY, ON THE OCCASION OF THE IMPASSIONED
AND FERVENT COMMEMORATION OF THE FIFTEEN HUNDREDTH
ANNIVERSARY OF THAT HEROIC BATTLE.
WE OWE TO THEM OUR GLORIOUS PAST, OUR BRILLIANT PRESENT,
AND HOPEFUL FUTURE.
“BLESSED BE THE MEMORY OF THE RIGHTEOUS”
The Second Edition
of the
History of Vartan and
tHe armenian War
by
YEGHISHEH
is dedicated to the Memory of
Nakhgin Avak Sbarabed
DICKRAN H. BOYAJIAN
Historian Prolific Writer, Attorney
,
and Community Leader
THE KNIGHTS OF VARTAN
Contents
KevorK VI (Excerpt from Encyclical).............................................page
v
eDication.........................................................................................vii
reface......................................................................................xiii
introDuction.............................................................................xvii
p
aDDress to priest DaviD
MaMigon.....................................
1
first chapter
The Times.........................................................................
3
seconD chapter
Events Brought About by the Prince from the East
.
9
thirD chapter
The Unity of the Holy League of the Church
33
fourth chapter
The Disruption of the Seceders from the Holy League
.
.
55
fifth chapter
The Attack of the Easterners................................................... 61
s
ixth chapter
The War of the Armenians................................................... 73
s
eventh chapter
The Prolongation of Disturbances
.......................................................79
eighth chapter
Concerning the Tortures and Martyrdom of Holy Priests
.
91
Concerning the Armenian Confessors Khoren and Abraham
The Armenian Nakharars in Bondage....................................
notes...............................................................................................1*1
KahnaMag......................................................................................152
partial list of naMes phonetically
spelleD
153
Acknowledgment
154
THE bi-lingual translation of what is commonly known as Yeghisheh
has come to light in response to great popular demand. The publishers
felt that reproduction of this golden volume of Armenian classical litera
ture might be fitting tribute to the memory of the gallant warriors, whose
a
a
-
a
undaunted courage and supreme sacrifice in defense of the Christian faith,
the cultural achievements and the national aspirations of the Armenian
people, became and remained
generations that followed.
a
constant source of inspiration to all the
The original text was written in the fifth century, shortly after the
Battle of Avarair which is generally assumed to have taken place on the
26th day of May, 451. The language used by the author reaches
peak in its choice of words, poetic expressions, descriptive character, and
extraordinary construction, language that has suffered the fate of Vergil's
Latin and Homer Greek, and is no longer spoken, and yet it still com
pletely dominates the services of the Armenian Church because of its enchant
a
sublime
a
’s
--
ing beauty, majestic expressions and euphonic effect, as if intermixed with
the breath of God.
The difficulty of understanding the language even by those who are
more or less familiar with modern Armenian, was
deciding to embark upon the task of this translation. Furthermore, the
need for an English translation for the English speaking public was con
sidered much greater. In this volume sincere attempt has been made to give
true version of the original text, both in modern Armenian and in English.
The work proved to be exceedingly more difficult than first antici
a
compelling force in
-
a
a
-
pated, but it was carried on with utmost diligence, untiring effort and
unyielding perseverance, the translators being fully conscious of the fact
that their struggle was to be
a
labor of love and duty, far more rewarding
and satisfying than any other ordinary undertaking.
In this connection it may be appropriate to quote from the Preface of
the English translation by C. F. Neumann, to whom reference shall be made
later:
“.
.
.
industry and perseverance were requisite in translating Elisaeus
.
Difficulties of
a
quite peculiar nature are presented by the Armenian
language; as will be readily believed when
I
mention, that the words are
xiii
arranged, not as the course of thought might require, but as they best
suit each other with regard to euphony. The Armenian authors of the
fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries were formed in the schools of prostrate
Greece. There they acquired all the forms of writing, known under the
names of rhetorical figures, antitheses, inversions, and parentheses, and
transferred them to the Armenian language; thus doing no little injury to
the clearness and easy flow of the language.
”
Twenty-eight different editions of Yeghisheh in classical Armenian
are known to us. We have, however, chosen for our text one of the most
popular and authentic editions, the Antzevatziatz edition, with occasional
references for comparison to the one published in Venice in 1859.
Yeghisheh has been translated into Russian, Italian, French and
English, and there have been five different translations into modem Arme
-
nian, four of which are in the Eastern branch and one in the Western branch
of the modern Armenian language.
These two branches are not dialects, but are equally well and inde
-
pendently developed modem Armenian, taking their roots exclusively
from the basic mother tongue—the classical language of the Golden Era of
Armenian culture. The Eastern branch is used within the Soviet Armenian
Republic and in other parts of the Caucasus and Trans-Caucasia, as well
as in Russia; the Western branch is predominant principally among the
Armenians in the Near East west of the Caucasus, in Europe and in the
Western Hemisphere including the United States of America.
The following books were used or referred to for the translation of
Yeghisheh:
First: The Antzevatziatz edition in classical Armenian, as the principal copy
Second: The translation into Eastern Armenian by Professor Y. Der Mina
-
sian
,
published in the Soviet Armenian Republic in 1946. It is most
very valuable
Introduction and extensive notes, most of which we have used for
appropriate to note that this excellent volume contains
a
a
guide in the preparation of the notes appearing in our bi-lingual
volume.
Third: Yeghisheh, History of Vartan
,
by KiuD aghaniantz
,
published in
1911, in Eastern Armenian, with notes some of which we have
incorporated in this volume.
xiv
Fourth: The translation in Western Armenian by Stepan panian, of Bridge-
water, Massachusetts, still in manuscript form, has been useful in clari
-
fying some difficult passages in the classical text.
Fifth: The English translation by C. F. neumann
,
a
commendable work
published in London, England, in 1830. It is unfortunate, however,
that this work is incomplete. The Eighth Chapter, constituting almost
one-third of the book, has been left out in its entirety and many pas
sages from almost every chapter have been omitted and so noted by
the translator: Here some spiritual reflections are omitted. There
are, also, numerous errors which, however, may be justified by reason
of the fact that the translator, student of history, was not thoroughly
familiar with the difficult Armenian language. The book has an elab
-
“
”
a
-
orate Preface and valuable notes. We have used it not only for its
notes, but for occasional guide and comparison.
To all these men of letters we owe
The translators are fully aware of their limitations and accept the entire
responsibility for any and all errors and defects in this volume. Notwith
standing that, they wish to believe that their efforts will not have been in
vain, and that this bi-lingual volume will serve as contribution to the
a
debt of gratitude.
-
a
spread of Armenian culture in the United States of America and abroad.
That will be the reward and satisfaction of those who labored for the
publication of this volume.
HovHanneS Zovickian
Dickran H. Boyajian
Boston, Mass.
April 25, 1952.
Intraduction
THE publication of this volume in Armenian and English is believed
to be
Avarair, on the occasion of the 1500th Anniversary of their sacrifice.
Yeghisheh History of Vartan and the Armenian War describes vividly
a
fitting and long-enduring tribute to the memory of the heroes of
’s
the true spirit, the faith, the will, and the heroism of the Armenian people
of the fifth century. It is an eye-witness story, replete with emotion and
fervor, portraying the events in magnificent prose which has stood the test
of time. The book is still recognized as one of the most notable volumes
of classical Armenian.
It is regrettable, however, that so little is known about Yeghisheh
even though he has been looked upon with admiration and reverence as
the most beloved and sweet-tongued author of the Golden Era. Numerous
attempts have been made to cast doubts upon the authenticity of his work
’s
life,
“
”
and upon his being an eye-witness to the events he describes. Notwithstand
ing all that, he has persistently dominated the hearts and the minds of gen-
erations of Armenians who have accepted his story of Vartan and Vartanank
as an accurate and complete account of the struggle between the Armenians
and the Persians.
-
According to legend, Yeghisheh, the historian, was
a
clergyman, an
ordained celibate priest (vartabed) of the Armenian Church. He was one
of the youngest pupils of St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Mashdotz, the two most
remarkable and learned figures of the Golden Era of Armenian culture.
He was born probably in the year 415. His elementary education included,
besides Armenian, Greek, Persian, and Assyrian. In 434 he was sent to
Edessa, Palestine, and Alexandria, together with his classmates David,
Mampreh, Goryune, and others. He was tutored in the school of Cyril of
Alexandria, where he studied contemporary literature and liberal arte.
After visiting Rome, Athens, and Constantinople he and his group of
students returned to Armenia in the year 441 or 442, after the death of
their former teachers and spiritual fathers.
Father Ghevont Alishan of the Mekhitarists of Venice in his book
entitled Soperk Haigagank (Armenian writings) relates that after Yeghisheh
returned to Armenia, he
“devoted himself to St. Vartan and served him
faithfully in divine and secular matters
”,
continuing later as personal secre-
xvn
tary to the Sbarabed Vartan Mamigonian. He accompanied the Armenian
Nakharars when they were summoned to Dizpon (Ctesiphon) by Hazgerd
(Yezdigerd) II.
Toward the end of his life Yeghisheh became
a
monk, and died in
a
hermit cell some time between 470-475. Historians believe that he wrote
’s
and completed the History of Vartan and the Armenian War during the
years 458-464.
The authorship of
a
number of canonical writings and commentaries
has also been attributed to him, but his historical essay on Vartan and Var-
tanank has immortalized him and has captured the heart and soul of every
Armenian through the centuries, even beclouding the monumental work
of another famous historian, Lazar of Parbe, who rendered an objective
account of the same historical episode, calmly and cautiously, describing the
events chronologically and factually, without emotion or passion. Yeghisheh,
on the other hand, taking the same historical data, composed
a
poetic prose,
saturated with fervor, thrill, and pathos.
Yeghisheh
’s
book manifests the eloquence and imagination of divinely
a
inspired poet. The author swells with emotion, becomes indignant, and
explodes into tears while he is narrating history. He appears fully cognizant
of his subject—persons and deeds, bravery and cowardice, loyalty and trea-
son, virtue and wickedness; boldly and courageously he rebukes and con
-
demns the guilty, praises and deifies the virtuous, his sole purpose being
the glorification of passion for freedom, devotion, and patriotism.
The rebellion of the Armenian people against the tyranny of the Sassa-
nids of Persia constitutes the main theme of the book, wherein is described
in eloquent words the most remarkable episode of Armenian history, the
battle of Avarair, fought on the 26th day of May, 451, on the banks of the
Dughmood River. It was, according to the author,
a
terrific and sanguinary
clash between two unequal forces: sixty-six thousand poorly equipped
Armenians against three hundred thousand well-trained and well-armed
Persians. It lasted from sunrise to sunset, and as the last rays of the sun were
disappearing behind the horizon, leaving the battleground strewn with
bodies, so die last ray of life left the mortal remains of Vartan and 1035
of his faithful followers.
From
a
military point of view the Armenians were defeated, but fate
had decreed otherwise. The spirit of the heroes of Avarair emblazoned the
path of countless other heroes and martyrs through the centuries, and
xviii
deeply impressed on the hearts of the Armenians the love of freedom, and
convinced the rulers of Persia that Christianity in Armenia could not be
replaced by sun-worship; nor freedom, by slavery.
The history of Armenia has recorded many valorous deeds and mag-
nificent triumphs. Armenians have had great heroes and famous kings; they
have had their Tigranes the Great, King of Kings and ruler over vast terri
tories and neighboring countries; but they chose vanquished hero for their
idol, as symbol of patriotism, faith, courage, and devotion. Fifteen cen
-
a
a
-
turies of time and space have failed to diminish the glory of his sacrifice and
his influence on the hearts and souls of our people.
A
glimpse into the origin, the traditions, the cultural development,
and the geographical location of the Armenians may reveal important
factors in determining the reasons for their unique attitude toward Vartan
and Vartanank.
Armenia, as recognized in history, is
a
beautiful country with vast
plateaus and lofty mountains over which superbly reigns the snow-capped
Ararat. Many streams originating in and flowing from the mountain sides
form the famous rivers of the Near East
(Kur), Alice, and Chorokh which irrigate not only the plains of Armenia,
but those of neighboring countries. Araxes alone is confined within the
borders of Armenia, upon whose banks once stood magnificent cities, sev
—Euphrates, Tigris, Araxes, Gour
—
-
eral of which served as metropolises, at one time or another. Many lakes,
located on mountain tops and high altitudes, add to the natural beauty of
the country.
The geographic position of Armenia has had
a
decisive influence upon
juncture
the fate of its inhabitants. It was, for long period of time,
a
a
between East and West, dominating the military and commercial roads of
the old world, and, because of that, it served as an arena of conflict between
rival nations and became the victim of many invasions and suffered conse
-
quential hardships.
These factors have been instrumental in the moulding of the character
of the Armenian people, and have provided them with moral strength,
flexibility, sturdiness, and determination to survive. Many races and peoples
invaded their country and brought disasters upon them, but the victims
survived, whereas their persecutors were lost in the tide of time.
Ethnological factors have also played an important part in the growth
and development of the Armenian people. Anthropologists have classified
xix
them with the Albian or Armenoid races, the characteristics of which are
sturdiness, sagacity, and resoluteness. The Armenian ancestry has been
traced to the Nairi-Urartians, the Hittites and the Hayassans, all of whom at
one time or another inhabited the Armenian plateau and left important
traces of their civilization. In the seventh or eighth century B.C.
group of people, crossing the Hellespont from Thrace, invaded Asia Minor
and advanced to the Armenian plateau, forming new nation with the
a
new
a
inhabitants of the country. From then on the name Armenian began to
appear in historical records and inscriptions. The legendary history of the
Armenians had come to an end and their authentic history had begun.
As heirs to the customs, traditions, and characteristics of the former
inhabitants of the country, the Armenians created
a
new civilization of their
own. They continued to remain in the center of all the conflicts between
warring nations from the east, west, and south. In their quest for world
domination Persians, Romans, Greeks, Macedonians, Saracens, and others
trod over the Armenian plateau and caused untold miseries to its inhabit
-
ants, but were never able completely to dominate the people, nor destroy
their will to live. They all, however, left
the people.
a
trace of their own culture with
The Armenians never had
world power, except possibly during the reign of Tigranes the Great, just
prior to the advent of the Christian Era, and that for short time only.
The reason for their survival, therefore, may be found in the moral and
spiritual values which they cherished. Christianity offered great oppor
tunity for the development and the strengthening of these values.
From the middle of the first century to the close of the third century
this new faith was not tolerated by the pagan ruling classes, and the wor
a
lust for conquest, and never became
