Page 26 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

Long History in Brief 27

came in the year 301. St. Gregory the Illu-
minator played a pivotal role in the total
conversion of Armenia to Christianity.
What were the historico-political circum-
stances that led Armenia to accept Chris-
tianity as a state religion? At the end of the
3rd Century, Armenia was caught between
two rival powers, the Persian Empire from
the east and the Roman Empire from the
west. In 226 Artashir established the Sas-
sanid Empire in Persia. When successive
military attempts by Persia to subjugate
Armenia failed, Artashir sent a Parthian
noble named Anak, to kill Khosrov, the
king of Armenia, and his family. During a
hunting trip Anak killed the king and
escaped. Before dying, Khosrov ordered his
princes to kill Anak and his family. Gregory
(Grigor), who was one of Anak's two infant
sons, was saved by his nurse and taken to
his uncle in Caesarea who raised him in the
Christian faith. Drtad (Trdat), the infant son
of Khosrov, who was also saved, was taken
to the Roman Empire. Fate would later bring
together the assassin's son, Gregory, and the
victim's son, Drtad, to forge together a new
epoch in the history of Armenia.
Gregory joined the army and became
secretary to Drtad, who, with the help of the
Romans, returned to Armenia to claim his
father's throne and regain the sovereignty of
his homeland. Gregory revealed his Chris-