History of Armenia, by Father Michael Chamich; from B. C. 2247 to ...

HISTORY OF ARMENIA. 183
immediate superintendence of bis deacon, whose
name was Kliad, a native of the vilhige of Mart^o,
in the province of Carin. The holy St. Nierses
himself was unremittingly employed in furthering
the welfare of his church, the whole of his
time being taken up in visitmgthe cities, villages,
churches, convents, and hermitages, throuj^hout
the kingdom. King Arsaces, and the nobles of
a. d. 366.
Armenia, having observed the zeal of their holy
pontiff, convened a meeting, in
which they determined
to constitute him
high pontiff of their
religion, anxious to reward him by this high title,
though it gave him no more power than he had
before. From this period the pontificate of
Armenia, which had been created by St.
Silvester,
for St. Gregory, became entirely unconnected
with other christian churches. The
head of it was deemed by the nation supreme
in all spiritual concerns, and no longer obli"-ed to
receive consecration at Cesarea, that ceremony
being performed thenceforw^ard by the Armenian
bishops.
In this year the emperor Valentinian sent
ambassadors to Arsaces, to prevail upon him to
renounce obedience to the Persians, and to place
bis kingdom under the protection of the Greeks.
Arsaces despised the exhortations of the ambassadors,
and drove them away from his court with
disgrace. He determined to rule his kingdom