The Armenian History (25), attributed to Sebeos, tells of the restoration of the church of *Hripsimē (Armenian virgin and martyr of Roman origin, S00071) by the Armenian Katholikos Komitas in the early 7th c. and the miracles that followed the accidental discovery of the relics of the saint. Written in Armenian in the second half of the 7th c.
E00460
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)
Sebēos
The Armenian History attributed to Sebeos, Chapter 25:
Եւ եղեւ յամի ԻԸ� երորդի թագաւորութեանն Ապրուէզ Խոսրովու քակեաց կաթուղիկոսն Կումիտաս զմատուռ սրբոյն Հռիփսիմեայ ի Վաղարշապատ քաղաքի, զի կարի ցած եւ մթին էր շինուածն, որ շինեալ էր սրբոյն Սահակայ հայրապետի Հայոց կաթուղիկոսի, որդւոյ սրբոյն Ներսիսի:
Արդ՝ մինչդեռ քակէին զորմն մատրանն՝ երեւեցաւ յանկարծակի լուսաւոր եւ չքնաղագիւտ արքունական մարգարիտն, այսինքն կուսական մարմին սրբոյ տիկնոջն Հռիփսիմէի: Եւ քանզի անդամ անդամ յաւշեցին զնա, յաւշեալ ի միմեանց. եւ կնքեալ մատանեաւ սրբոյն Գրիգորի եւ մատանեաւ երանելւոյն Սահակայ Հայոց կաթուղիկոսի, զոր նա ոչ համարձակեցաւ բանալ: Եւ կնքեալ իւրով եւս մատանեաւ, որ արժանի իսկ էր կնքել զայսպիսի մարգարիտ երից հաւատարմաց երրորդ մատանեաւք:
Ո ̄վ մարգարիտ, որ ոչ ծովածին, այլ մարգարիտ, որ ծնեալ ի թագաւորական ազգէ, եւ սնեալ ի գիրկս սրբութեան եւ նուիրեալ Աստուծոյ, որում ցանկացեալ էին տեսանել զքեզ արդարք, եւ խանդակաթ էր ի սէր քոյ երանելին Կումիտաս:
Չափ հասակի էր երանելւոյն ինն թզաւ եւ չորս մատունս: Եւ դղրդեալ ամենայն կողմն հիւսիսոյ գայր յերկրպագութիւն. եւ բազում ախտաժետաց լինէր բժշկութիւն ամենայն ցաւոց: Շինեաց զեկեղեցին, եւ զերանելին եթող ի բացեայ վասն գիջութեան որմոցն, մինչեւ ցամաքել կրոյն: Ապա ամփոփեցաւ ի կայեանս իւր:
Վերացոյց եւ զփայտայարկս սրբոյ կաթուղիկէին. նորոգեաց եւ զխախուտ. որմոյն. շինեաց զքարայարկսն: Այս եղեւ յամս Յովհանկան վանաց երիցու սրբոյ կաթուղիկէին:
'In the 28th year of the reign of Apruēz Khosrov [= 616/617] the Catholicos Kumitas demolished the chapel (maturn = martyrion, martyr shrine) of St Hrip‘simē in the city of Vałarshapat, because the building was too low and dark which St Sahak had built, the patriarch and Catholicos of Armenia, son of St Nersēs.
Now while they were taking down the wall of the chapel, unexpectedly there was revealed a luminous and incomparable royal pearl, that is, the virginal body of the holy lady Hrip‘simē. Because they had dismembered it limb from limb, St Gregory had sealed it with his ring; as had also with his ring the blessed Sahak, Catholicos of Armenia, not daring to open it. He [Komitas] too sealed it with his own ring, who was worthy to seal such a pearl with the third ring of three faithful [prelates].
O pearl, not born from the sea, but a pearl born of royal descent, raised in the bosom of holiness and dedicated to God. ‘The just had desired to see you’, and the blessed Komitas ‘was devoted to love for you.’
The height of the blessed one was nine palms and four fingers. The whole northern region, stirred [by the discovery], came to worship; and healing of all [kinds of] illnesses was effected for many sick people. He built the church and left the blessed one in the open, because of the humidity of the walls, until the mortar dried. Then she was enclosed in her resting-place.
He also raised the wooden roof of the holy cathedral, and renewed the unstable wall. He built the stone roof. This occurred in the years of Yovhanik, priest of the monastery of the holy cathedral.'
Text: Abgaryan 1979, 97-98.
Translation: Thomson and Howard-Johnston, 76-77.
Cult building - independent (church)
Non Liturgical ActivityConstruction of cult buildings
Renovation and embellishment of cult buildings
MiraclesMiraculous sound, smell, light
Miracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Discovering, finding, invention and gathering of relics
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Source
The History attributed to Sebeos is one of the rare extant Christian chronicles from the 7th century. It was written near the end of the first phase of the Islamic conquest, when hopes temporarily rose among the Christians that the Islamic occupation would soon be over. Sebeos' task was to chronicle the events that, according to him, led to the disaster of the Islamic invasions. In a familiar Armenian tradition, he depicts himself as a continuator of earlier history writers, and sets out to connect his History with his immediate predecessor, Łazar P'arpec'i. Sebeos' principal interest lies in the reign of the Sasanian king Khosrow II (590-628).Sebeos' History is an important work, as he does not confine himself to a narrow account of affairs purely Armenian, but elaborates on the historical context and the influence of the mutual relations between Sasanian Iran and the East Roman empire on Armenia proper. Contrary to Movsēs Xorenac'i and other hellenophile authors, Sebeos considers Armenia an integral part of the Persian world and choses a Sasanian perspective. Therefore, Sebeos effectively chronicles the demise of the Sasanian empire, with a particular interest in the campaigns of Heraclius and the rise of Islam.
Discussion
The story of Hripsimē's dismemberment is quoted from Agathangelos (E00126). According to Agathangelos, Gregory wrapped each of the martyrs' remains in her clothing, placed them in separate caskets and sealed them with the seal of Christ. The sealing of the caskets by Sahak is not mentioned by sources before Sebeos.Komitas is named the third worthy prelate who sealed the relics of Hripsimē. Komitas was particularly revered as he was a rare staunch Armenian anti-Chalcedonian katholikos of the 7th century. Komitas, being 'devoted to love' for Hripsimē, is also known as the composer of hymns in honour of the martyr.
Bibliography
Edition:Abgaryan G. (ed.), Պատմութիւն Սեբէոսի [The History of Sebeos] (Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1979).
Translation:
Thomson, R.W., and Howard-Johnston, J., The Armenian History Attributed to Sebeos (Translated Texts for Historians 31; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1999).
Nikoloz Aleksidze
04/05/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00071 | Hripsimē, virgin and martyr of Armenia | Certain | S00251 | Gregory the Illuminator, converter of Armenia | Certain |
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