Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/360

 ��CHAPTER XL

The reamcilation of Vahan with the Persians^ through the medium ef the pfefects Nikhor and Andekan.

NiKHouVishnaspdattke prefect, on hisarrival a.d.484. in Armenia, not daring to advance into the middle of the country, halted at the village of Nuarsak, in the province of Heir, and thence sent two of the Persian nobles to Vahan, to inform him of his object in coming thither. Vahan, having consulted with his faithful chiefs, returned a reply to the prefect couched in these terms, "We can come to no agreement with you by means of letters and messages ; we must have a personal interview with the king, and obtain from him his assent to three conditions, which we now propose ; if Nikhor will execute these under the hand and seal of the Persian monarch, we will in all cases prove obe- dient to the Persians ; if not, we cannut submit. Now the first condition we propose, is, that we be allowed to profess openly the christian reli- gion, wherever we choose; and that you do not attempt the conversion of any Armenian to the

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