TO ALL SAINT SARKIS ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH BROTHERS AND SISTERS
Sunday, February 27th, 2022, Poon Paregentan
Vartan Mamikonian and the Battle of Avarayr in 451 A.D.
“From this faith no one can shake us, neither angels nor men, neither sword nor fire nor water, nor any kind of cruel torture.” (Eghishe, 5th century).
The battle at Avarayr plane, in historic Vaspourakan, today southeastern Turkey and northwestern of Iran, was fought on 26th of May 451 A.D. This is one of the first battles in defense of the Christian Faith in history.
Yazdgerd II (r. 439-57 CE), the Sasanian king of Persia, who was aided by his capable grand vizier, Mehr-Narseh, launched a devoted persecution against the Armenian Christians in their homeland by promoting Zoroastrianism. In 445-46, Yazdgerd II sent Mehr-Narseh to Armenia to impose Zoroastrianism on the members of the Armenian noble houses, the naxarars. Mehr-Narseh sent an edict to the Armenians requiring that they accept the Mazdean religion. The nobility and the Church hierarchy convened a national council where a response to the edict was sent to the Persian Monarch, in which Armenian clearly and with a solid tone declared, “From this faith (Christianity) no one can shake us, neither angels nor men, neither sword nor fire nor water, nor any kind of cruel torture.”
This resulted in an uprising by the Armenian people and the nobility, led by Vartan Mamikonian. The Sasanian king dispatched Muškan Niusałavurt to Armenia with an army of around 300,000 warriors and war elephants.
On May 26th 451, Armenian forces, numbering 66,000 warriors, met the Persian army at the province of Artaz on the field of Avarayr, at the river banks of Teghmoud. The armies stood confronting each other on both sides of the river. The night before the battle the whole army received Holy Communion. That night, Fr. Ghevond Yerets gave an inspiring sermon, while Sparabet Vartan reminded his warriors of the resistance of the Maccabees and the Jewish revolt against the Roman insurgencies that he had learned from the bible. At the conclusion of Vartan’s speech, the Armenian soldiers shouted in a joyful voice and loud: "Let our death be as the death of the righteous, and our spilt blood with the blood of the martyrs. May God be pleased with our offering, and may He give His Church not into the hands of the heathens."
At sunrise, trumpets were blown. The Persian army front was lined with gigantic war elephants who were utilized as a watchtower, having a thousand warriors on both sides each, divided into three, left, center and right having at its rear the Madyan Forces (The cavalry of the Immortals). The Armenian forces had the same division but with compact number of warriors. Prior to the battle, the Persian appointed and pro-Parthian Governor of Armenia Vasak Syuni and his companions deflected to the Persian side and now were on the lines against their compatriots. The battle began first with archers, then the Armenian cavalry attacked and clashed with the enemy. Vartan and his warriors passing the river attacked the right wing with more vigor causing the rear ‘Madyan’ cavalry into havoc.
The Persian commander-in-chief who was seated on one of the elephants, seeing that the rear left wing of the Armenian forces was retreating, perhaps that was a military tactic to attract the Persian right wing into the hills and mountains, urged him to reorganize his troops and restore their lines. Vartan’s forces who now were almost behind the Persian left-wing forces pressing the Persian army dispatches to retreat, were abruptly surrounded from all sides. A fierce fight took place, and many fell that day. Armenians lost their leader Vartan together with his companions, around 1036 warriors, while the Persian side was afflicted with 3544 casualties. The battle lasted until evening. After the battle, Armenian forces withdrew to the mountains and castles remaining in resistance.
Yazdgerd II, seeing his failure in the turnout of his religious policy against the Armenians, sent a misleading letter of reconciliation promising the Armenians freedom of worship. The Nakharars numbering 35, with them the rebellious clergy, including the Catholicos, were summoned to Ctesiphon for an inquiry. Vasak Syuni was summoned too, of course in the hope that he would be honored for his loyal services to the Persian monarch. A proper court was formed up to which the king himself chaired. After the inquiry, the Nakharars and the clergy were all imprisoned. Later, Vasak was proven a traitor and thrown in a prison where he died in oblivion. After Yazdgerd’s death on 457, the Nakharars were released after 12 years of imprisonment. The clergy were martyred prior to Yazdgerd’s death. But here the Armenian resistance does not end, for the Persians kept trying to implement what they started.
For about 30 years, under the command of Vahan Mamikonian the nephew of Vartan Mamikonian, Armenians continued to resist against the Persian imperial army. Armenians sought vengeance for the martyrs of Avarayr. In 481 A.D. Vahan Mamikonian took Dvin, the seat of the Governorate of Armenia and defeated a Persian army in 482. It was in 484 A.D., with the accession of one of Yazdgerd’s sons Vagharsh to the Persian throne, that a treaty was signed between the Armenians and Persian empire at Nvarsak, according to which freedom of worship was granted and autonomy under the leadership of Vahan Mamikonian. From 485 and until his death, Vahan ruled Armenia as its governor, during his tenure, churches were restored, and the country enjoyed relative peace.
Thus, the Persian efforts to convert the Armenians failed and relinquished. After 3 decades of resistance and rebellion, a country without a king confronted a world power and eventually won! Vartan and his companions who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Christian faith and homeland were immediately canonized and declared as national saints. Since then, they have been revered and their legend held alive in the heart of every Armenian.
With love and blessings,
Very Rev. Fr. Pakrad Berjekian
