Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Memoirs of Edessa And Other Ancient Syriac Documents/Moses of Chorene/Chapter 5

V.

Abgar sends princes to Marinus; these deputies see our Saviour Christ; beginning of the conversion of Abgar.

At this period Marinus, son of Storoge, was raised by the emperor to the government of Ph&#339;nicia, Palestine, Syria, and Mesopotamia.&#160; Abgar sent to him two of his principal officers, Mar-Ihap prince of Aghtznik, and Chamchacram chief of the house of the Abahouni, as well as Anan his confidant.&#160; The envoys proceed to the town of Petkoupine to make known to Marinus the reasons of Abgar&#8217;s journey to the East, showing him the treaty concluded between Ardach&#232;s and his brothers, and at the same time to call upon Marinus for his support.&#160; The deputies found the Roman governor at Eleutheropolis; he received them with friendship and distinction, and gave this answer to Abgar:&#160; &#8220;Fear nothing from the emperor on that account, provided you take good care to pay the tribute regularly.&#8221;

On their return, the Armenian deputies went to Jerusalem to see our Saviour the Christ, being attracted by the report of His miracles.&#160; Having themselves become eye-witnesses of these wonders, they related them to Abgar.&#160; This prince, seized with admiration, believed truly that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, and said:&#160; &#8220;These wonders are not those of a man, but of a God.&#160; No, there is no one amongst men who can raise the dead:&#160; God alone has this power.&#8221;&#160; Abgar felt in his whole body certain acute pains which he had got in Persia, more than seven years before; from men he had received no remedy for his sufferings; Abgar sent a letter of entreaty to Jesus:&#160; he prayed Him to come and cure him of his pains.&#160; Here is this letter:&#8212;