Ghazar P'arpec'i's History of the Armenians

Table of Contents/Title Page
Translator\'s Preface
A Note on Pagination
Ghazar\'s introduction to his work
PART ONE
The division of Armenia between Byzantium and Iran [A.D. 387].
Description of the natural beauty and wealth of the district of Ayrarat.
King Arshak, unworthy of Ayrarat, moves to the Byzantine sector
The Armenian lords ask the Iranian shah Shapuh to depose King Xosrov [Xosrov IV, 384-389].
Mashtoc\', and the creation of an alphabet for Armenian.
Rule of Iranian shah Yazkert [Yazkert I, 399-421]
Kat\'oghikos Sahak and the Armenian lords clash over King Artashes.
The Armenian lords have their king and kat\'oghikos replaced.
The curse of Saint Nerses.
The death of Saint Sahak (in 439), and his burial.
PART TWO
Yazkert [II, 439-57], shah of Iran, and Mihrnerseh, the Zoroastrian hazarapet exploit a family grievance in the district of Siwnik\'.
Yazkert and Mihrnerseh plan to forcibly convert the Caucasus to Zoroastrianism, and they issue an order.
The Christian Armenians respond in writing.
The furious Persian king orders the Caucasian lords to appear at court.
What happened at the royal court.
Vardan Mamikonean speaks.
The lords want to pretend to convert to Zoroastrianism, with the aim of escaping from Iran.
The problem convincing Vardan.
Strategic conversion.
The unhappy return home, and the problems the lords faced there.
Vardan and his family plan to go into exile, but marzpan Vasak Siwnik\' and other lords convince him to turn back.
Vardan and his supporters plan a revolt against the Persians.
The rebels\' first plans.
Vardan leads the rebels east to Aghuania, and Vasak Siwnik\' shows his hand.
Vardan arranges his troops, and the battle begins.
Vardan gets bad news: the treacherous Vasak Siwnik\' is collaborating with Iran behind his back.
Religious inspiration and ceremonies before the battle.
Arrangement of the troops.
Names of the martyrs.
The death of Vardan is mourned even by the Iranian shah.
Byzantium is unable to assist the rebels.
The Iranians capture an important group of rebels
What happened at the Iranian court.
The speech of Arshawir Kamsarakan, spokesman for the defense.
The Iranian court turns against Vasak Siwnik\'.
A list of names of the Armenian captives in Iran.
After a defeat by the Kushans, shah Yazkert blames the Armenians.
The torture and execution of many Armenian priests and lords.
King Yazkert in Hyrcania.
PART THREE
Ashusha, the borderlord, gets custody of the captive Mamikonean children, in 456.
Yazkert\'s successor, Peroz, lightens the burdens on the captive Armenian lords, in 459. They are gradually rehabilitated.
The goodness of the oath-keeping lords and their families.
The badness of the pro-Iranian lords and their families.
Kat\'oghikos Giwt is summoned to Iran to answer accusations.
Kat\'oghikos Giwt addresses the court in person.
Vahan Mamikonean is forced to convert to Zoroastrianism to extricate himself from the shah, and his own detractors.
Events in Iberia/Georgia favor the oath-keeping Armenian lords.
Vahan Mamikonean returns to Christianity, and begins a new rebellion against the Persians.
Vahan\'s partisans.
The desertion of Garjoyl Maxaz.
False news is spread, to demoralize the Armenian oath-keepers. However, the tactic is unsuccessful.
The king of Iberia/Georgia, Vaxt\'ang [Vakhtang I Gorgasal (Gurgenes), 447-522], sends an auxiliary force of Huns to aid Vahan.
The Iranian officals who come against the Vahaneans.
The material and spiritual successes of the oath-keepers.
False news and duplicity, this time from King Vaxt\'ang of Iberia/Georgia.
Discord among the Armenian forces, and a rout by the Iranians.
Vahan, from a retreat in Tayk\', responds to Mihran\'s proposal.
What happened during Mihran\'s return to Iran.
More false news from Iberia/Georgia.
The arrival of Iranian troops under Zarmihr Hazarawuxt.
How the Armenian troops became fragmented, and how the wives of the oath-keeping lords were taken captive by the Iranians.
Hazarawuxt is ordered to go to Iberia/Georgia, to seize king Vaxt\'ang.
Unsuccessful Iranian attempts to capture Vahan.
The activities of Gdihon Siwnik\'.
How Vahan repelled an attack by the Iranian general Shapuh, and what happened to Gdihon.
Bad news arrives for Shapuh, and forces his return to Iran.
Shapuh criticises the policies which led to Vahan\'s uprising.
Zarmihr Hazarawuxt quickly returns to Iran, and a new shah is crowned: Vagharsh [Valash/Balash, 484-488].
A review of Iranian foreign policy is conducted.
Nixor Vshnaspdat is sent to Armenia to reconcile with Vahan and the rebels.
Vahan replies to Nixor with three demands.
Exchange of messengers.
Assured that his demands will be met, Vahan visits Nixor.
Nixor denounces the late shah Peroz and his policies.
Vahan speaks about parasitism.
Over the next few days, an agreement is forged.
Vahan agrees to send a brigade to Iran, to put down a revolt by the son of the previous ruler.
Vahan goes to Iran in person and is praised by the Iranian shah Vagharsh.
Vahan\'s speech before the Iranian assembly.
The king will grant the demands in writing.
The king returns lands and offices to the Mamikoneans and to the other oath-keeping Armenian lords.
Vahan and the lords return to a rapturous welcome in Armenia.
Vahan is appointed marzpan of Armenia.