Page:Armenian poems, rendered into English verse (IA armenianpoemsren00blaciala).pdf/13

 In the middle of the fifth century Armenia had already lost its national independence. It was ruled by feudal chiefs and princes who were subject to the King of Persia. The Persians at this time were aiming at the conquest and conversion of the world. In 450 the Persian King sent a letter to the Armenian princes, setting forth the excellence of fire-worship and the foolishness of Christianity, and formally summoning Armenia to embrace fire-worship. A great council was called, in which bishops and laymen sat together, and a reply of unanimous refusal was drawn up. Eghiché, an Armenian historian of the fifth century, one of the bishops who signed the refusal, has preserved in his history the text of this remarkable document. First they answered at considerable length the arguments of the Persian King against Christianity. In conclusion they said:—

"From this faith no one can move us,—neither angels nor men; neither sword, nor fire, nor water, nor any deadly punishment. If you leave us our faith, we will accept no other lord in place of you; but we will accept no God in place of Jesus Christ; there is no other God beside him. If, after this great confession, you ask anything more of us, lo, we are before you, and our lives are in your power. From you, torments; from us, submission; your sword, our necks. We are not better than those who have gone before us, who gave up their goods and their lives for this testimony."

The King of Persia was as much amazed as enraged by the boldness of this reply; for Armenia was a small country, and stood alone, without allies, against the vast power of Persia. A Persian army of 200,000 men was