Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/406

 imploring him to desist from compelling them to adopt others of which they knew nothing. The emperor, on becoming acquainted with the moderate extent of their desires, immediately desisted from all attempts to molest them. The Greeks whom he had left in Armenia, however, were less tolerant. Their priests, par- ticularly, were incessant in their endeavours to force the Armenians to accept the council of Chalcedon. During these disputes and dis- agreements Nierses the pontiff appeared to be well inclined toward the council in question, and indiscriminately administered the com- munion to Armenians and Greeks. This being remarked, some persons stirred up the anger of Theodorus the Rushtunian against him, which terrified the pontiff so much that he hastily took refuge in his native province of the Taics, where he remained six years. On his a. p. 649. flight, Theodorus appointed Johannes Ticorensis, era sSi otherwise called Manazkertensis, a disciple of Gregoratur Anzakhazorensis, to officiate in his room as deputy. Johannes being a bitter enemy of the Cbalcedonians, immediately on his assuming his dignity, took with him a few monks and repaired to Manazkert, where he held a meeting, and publicly condemned the council about which they had had so much dispute. a.d.651< We mentioned before that several Armenians cnioo.

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