Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/155

 no HISTORY OF ARBIENIA.

spared, and allotted them a maintenance at Hashtens. He sent queen Helena, the relict of Abgar, to Charran, giving her the government of Mesopotamia, in return for the kindness he had experienced by her means from his uncle. Queen Helena remained firm in the christian faith ; highly endowed with the gifts of divine grace, she went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and on a famine breaking out there, in the days of the Emperor Claudius, she sent for a large quantity of com from Egypt, and distributed it to the poor. On her death sbe was pompously interred before one of the gates of Jerusalem, as a public benefactress, and a magnificent mausoleum was erected over her remains. On the news of the apostacy of Ananey and Sanatruk reaching Thaddeus, he was greatly grieved, and although he was then in Cappadocia he determined on returning to Armenia, to preach again the gospel to Sanatruk. On his reaching the borders of Mesopotamia, he fell in with an embassy sent by the Romans to Sanatruk, composed of five persons, patricians, of whom the chief was called Khrysos, whicii signifies gold. Thaddeus convinced them of the truth of Christianity, converted and baptized them. On Khrysos he conferred priest*s orders. They all shortly after became preachers of the gospel, and were known by the name of

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