[In the brewing conflict between Iran and Armenia, the] venerable Hmayeak...organized a brigade...[and] divided the brigade into two parts, appointing Arten Gabeghean and Varazshapuh Paluni as their military commanders. For a multitude of the fugitive Armenians—naxarars and sepuhs, ostaniks and rhamiks—had headed for the country of Tayk' and had assembled near Hmayeak, brother of the blessed general Vardan. Hmayeak had been delayed in the land of Byzantium, requesting troops from the emperor... Those travelling with him went before the emperor Theodosius. [The emperor] heard the reason for their arrival, and then listened to it again from them, affectionately. He agreed to aid them with a brigade. But while this holy man was preparing to fulfill his promise, his end overtook him and he passed from this life. He was succeeded by Marcian [450-457], who, when informed about what was needed for matters in Armenia, asked the seniors at court: "What reply do you think we should give to the men who have come to us from Armenia?" ... [They] replied, saying: "It is not agreeable to us to scorn the covenant and stability which has for a long time existed among previous kings, a covenant both written and sealed, and to aggravate a peaceful situation with warfare, and to remove a land from the service of its king...." ... With these words, they changed the emperor's mind, and the hopes of the Armenians [which the delegation] was concerned with and the reason that it remained there, were injured and not realized. While the matter of the [Byzantine] response was being delayed thus, the war between the Armenians and the Iranians had begun.
When the Armenian tanuters and naxarars who had gone to the land of Byzantium saw that they had not been able to accomplish anything that they had been working for, they returned and made haste so that perhaps they would not lose out in the hope of salvation, but be found worthy to drink the cup of martyrdom with their comrades. But they did not arrive in time for the battle. For the moment, they found an extremely secure place and stayed there, by the mountain called Parxar, close to the borders of Xaghteac', to prepare as they could for whatever happened next. At the break of dawn, prepared, armed [Iranians] informed [about the Armenians' whereabouts] through guides, fell upon Hmayeak Mamikonean and his companions in the village named Orjnahagh in the district of Tayk'. At the time they were coming down from the strongholds of Parxar mountain. [Iranians] with the speed of fugitives caught up with each one's horse... [The Iranians] made them flee. Many were killed there in the town, others, in the vineyard. It was there that the blessed sepuh Hmayeak received the crown of perfection, which he had greatly longed and sought for. His request to follow after his holy brother was quickly heard... God ... crowned him a saint.
Now when the oathkeepers who had gathered by the holy Hmayeak saw what had happened, they were overcome with great mourning, having no hope of consolation. For each man saw before him the verdict of an evil death and ruin, as though carried out. Terrified, they retreated back to Parxar mountain... 2
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