History of Aristakes Lastivertts'i

those who came and turned the world into ruins. Woe to them for coming to the east, and woe to where they went and returned. Behold, an evil and merciless nation, a nation bitter-hearted and oppressive. It is fitting to address to them the prophetic 5 lament: "Before it is the garden of delight, and after it is a field of destruction." Joel 2:3 And this is enough of this; but let us return to the order of this history.

In the year four hundred and sixty-four of our era, the King of the Abkhaz, Bagrat, died, and his son, Gevorg George, reigned in his stead. The autocrat King Basil wrote a letter to him, 10 which contains this model: "Leave what you gave as a gift to your father from the kouropalates Byzantine title portion, and be only a ruler of your own fatherland." But he did not accept it; instead, having become proud in his youthful mind, he answered him, saying: "What my father held by authority, I will not give even one house of it to anyone." And the autocrat, having heard this, 15 sent troops to take control of the country by force. They came against the brave men of Tayk a region, near the great settlement of Ukhtikʻ, and put the armies of the Horomots Romans/Byzantines to flight. But they did not harm the city or other settlements. This was the beginning of the ruin of the house of Tayk.

REGARDING THE KINGDOM OF THE ARMENIANS

20 At that time, the King of the Armenian land was Gagik, son of Ashot, brother of Smbat and Gurgen, of the Bagratuni Armenian royal dynasty lineage, a man powerful and victorious in battles. He held the Armenian lands in peace. In his time, the orders of the Church flourished, and