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

HISTORY OF ARMENIA. 277
mg the church for a period of five years, he
died. On the election of Melitey, the chiefs set
out for the court of Persia.
Mihrnerseh at first
received them with much outward respect and
honour, but quickly changing his demeanour,
caused them to be arrested and thrown into the
gaol where the priests were confined. Here
they were tormented in various ways, to
force
them to embrace the Persian religion. Just
about this period Hazkert, having considered
the charges before alleged against the wretched
apostate Vasak, found him guilty, divested him
of all
his power, and committed him to prison.
Here he died a most miserable death, after
proving the most bitter and successful foe that
iiad ever taken arms against his country.*
His
son-in-law, the apostate Varazvalan, was appointed
by the king his successor, as chief of the
Seunies.
This individual was tormented, it is
said, by an evil spirit, and strangled himself.
The vile Vazgen, governor of the Georgians, at
this time in Persia, and an apostate, on his
return to Georgia proved a great tyrant. He
was continually urging his wife, St. Susana, the
eldest daughter of Vardan, to embrace the Persian
religion, and on her determined refusal, he
tormented her for a period of six years, when
she perished through her sufferings, A. D. 458.
* See Hist. Book III, c 14, 15.