CHAPTER VII

THE ARMENIAN CHURCH IN THE FIFTH CENTURY

THE patriarchate of St. Sahak took up entirely the early third part of this century. Apart from the literary success, which has been previously noticed, this period has no distinguishing events worthy of mention, so that we are compelled to recognise the direct intervention of Providence in this particular success. It is this alone which gave the nation strength to battle against certain ruin, by bestowing on her the elements of a Iliglier and independent existence at a time when both social and political circumstances were con spiring against her. The country of Armenia had been divided between the Greeks and the Persians, when, in 387, at the desire of Rhosrov (Chosroes), king of Persian Armenia, St. Sahak was Aected to the patriarchate and at this time Arschak reigned in Greek Armenia. St. Sahak was obliged to act with judgment in order to he recognised and approved by both sides at the same time. A short time afterwards Greek Ar menia was handed over to the administration of Byzantine governors and Persian Armenia, after the relatively pacific reign of Vramschapouh, came under the rule, at first, of the Persian, Schapouh, and then of the Armenian, Artasches, who was young and of an unbridled temper. The Armenian satraps brought an accusation against their king before the Persian sovereign, and begged for his removal and the appointment of a Persian governor general in his place. There was no difficulty in granting this petition, and the Persian satrap Vehmihrschapouh was at once nominated as governor-general of Persian Armenia (428). The Armenian satraps, by employing all manner of means, both by promises and threats, endeavoured to urge St. Sahak to unite with them in coming to an understanding; but, being unable to attain their end, they accused the patriarch of plotting with the king against the Persian sovereign. As a result of this maneeuvre, St. Sahak was deposed and exiled into Persia, and an anti-patriarch was nominated in the person of Sourmak (428).

This change led to great disturbance in the affairs of Armenia. The administration of the patriarchal see came into the hands of anti patriarchs, who diverted to their own use the revenues and the endowments of their office. They followed each other in quick succession Sourmak (428), Birkiseho (429), Schimnel (432), then Sourmak once more regained authority in 437. Through this period the bishops, the clergy, and the people refused to countenance the new state of affairs for, in the eyes of the nation, St. Sahak always remained their spiritual head. When he returned to Armenia (432), lie withdrew to Blour (Yahnitepe), in the province of Bagrevand (Alaschkert), where St. Mesrop and St. Ghevond bad attended to religious and spiritual matters ; at no time had his flock been forsaken by him.

In spite of such a critical situation, he did not cease to take an active part in the affairs of the Universal Church. The Council of Ephesus (431) bad been summoned to condemn the heresy of Nestorius. The decrees relating to the matter had been brought to St. Sahak from Constantinople by his disciples. But the books of Theodore of Mopsueste, the precursor of Nestorius, had escaped the attention of the Council. Likewise the Nes torians took advantage of this omission to cover up their errors in the name of Theodore. St. Sahak, intervening, summoned the Council of Aschtischat (435), and then criticised the errors of Theodore in a dogmatic letter which he wrote to Proelus at Constantinople. This letter served as the grounds for the Council of Constantinople in 553, in order to condemn the Three-Chapters.

The death of St. Sahak (439) was the prelude to a position which was even more painful. Sour mak still occupied the patriarchal see as the head, recognised by the government, while St. Mesrop was continuing to administer spiritual matters but it was not long after that he followed St. Sahak to the grave (440). St. Hovsep (Joseph) of Hoghotzim was called as his successor in the management of spiritual affairs, and the inter vention of the Armenian Vassak Suni, governor- general, was successful, at the death of Sourmak (444), causing him to he recognised as patriarch by the Persian government.

The king-of-kings, who had annexed Armenia to his dominions, was besought by the priests of the Zoroastrian religion to abolish Christianity in Armenia, by compelling the people to adopt the worship of the sun and of fire. To gain his ends, the king set about, in the first place, to strip Armenia of her military forces, which he diverted for the purpose of waging war against the barbarians of the Caucasus. Having done this, he published (449) a decree by which he made the religion of Zoroaster obligatory upon all his subjects wIthout distinction. This was the beginning of an era of persecutions, in the course of which St. Atom Gnouni and St. Manadjihr Risebtouni with their followers suffered martyrdom. The episcopate, called together at Artasehat (450), proclaimed, in an apologetic letter, their inalien able fidelity to the faith. Notwithstanding this ananimous resistance, the chief of the Armenian satraps, to the number of ten, were summoned to Persia and compelled to renounce their religion. They were given the alternatives of either yielding or of quitting their country under instant exile. They made a pretence of abjuring their religion so as to be able to return to their homes and there organise resistance.

The priests of the religion of the sun and of fire, carrying their symbols, escorted in triumph the pretended renegades, but they were dispersed in the plains of Bagrevand by the armed populace, who were led by the arch-priest St. Ghevond. The interval of a year-from August, 450, to August, 451 -the term which had been granted for renouncing Christianity, had been turned to account by pre paring resistance to the troops, who were about to arrive in order to watch over the fulfilment of the royal decree. It is probable that if the Armenians had, in these circumstances, joined their forces, they would have been able with ease to get the better of the enemy's army. Unfortu nately a party of safraps, having come to an understanding with the governor Vassak, was definitely given over to the Persian cause. When, on the 26th of May, 451, at the battle of Avarair, sixty-six thousand Armenians, under the command of Vardan Mamikonian, encountered an army of two hundred and twenty thousand Persians, a large number of Armenians reinforced the enemy's ranks. Vardan and eight other generals, as well as one thousand and twenty-seven men, fell on the field of battle. The death of these martyrs is commemorated in the Armenian calendar on Shrove-Thursday.

Reckoning from this time, the Armenian Church entered upon an era of disorder which was caused, above all, by the external difficulties with which she was wholly engrossed. The patriarch, St. Hovsep, accused of having been instigator of the religious movement, was arrested, taken to Persia, and martyred with other members of the clergy (454), whose memories are celebrated under the name of SS. Ghevondian (Leontii). His successors were Melitus (452-456) and Movses (45-46I); then came the celebrated Gijt of Araheze (46I-478), who was able to hold his own against the incessant efforts of the Persians to force their religion upon the nation. Once again the Armenians were obligcd to take up arms under the leadership of Vahan Mamikonian, a nephew of St, Vardan. Hostilities were continued under the patriarch Hovhannes Mandakouni (478-490), who was the successor of Gut. This state of affairs threatened to be perpetual, when the new king Valarse, realising the uselessness of these efforts, at last put an end to them. He wisely proclaimed religious liberty, and nominated Vahan, first as military commandant (484), then as governor- general of Armenia (485), a step which ensured the civil and religious peace of Armenia. The venerable patriarch Hovhannes hastened to trans fer his see to the new capital, Doume, where it could be under the protection of government, and from that place he was able to devote all his attention to the internal reforms both of the Church and of the people. Thanks to the wisdom of his administration, he knew well how to repair the accumulated ruin caused by the wars of these latter years, and his name remains the most honoured after that of St. Sahak.