��mSTORr OF ARMENIA.
��monastic devotion. In the third year of his pontificate. Howl the governor was recalled by the caliph, after ruling the Armenians seventeep
A D 835 y^^^^* ^^'^ ^^ much happiness to them as cre- Hakan dit to himsclf. The next governor was Basrarat
tra284. o o
or Bagrat, a Bagratian, chief of Mount Shem, and a relation of Sumbat the general, to whose interest, and the influence of a few others, he owed his appointment. At this period flourished Nana, a Syrian archdeacon, a man of great ac- quirements and a philosopher. By order of Bagarat, Nana made commentaries on the gospel of St. John, following the example of Johannes Chrysostom. He afterwards translated these commentaries into the language of the Saracens, and presented them to Bagarat, who was well versed in that tongue. Sometime afterwards, Sumbat the Bagratian caused these A. p. 839. works to be translated into Armenian. Durinfif era 288. the government of Bagarat, a Persian chief of the name of Baban, an arrogant and haughty man, having collected an immense army, began to make inroads into Armenia, under the idea of reducing it to the Persian power. He was op- posed by an army consisting of 100,000 men,, sent against him by Mavun, the caliph of Bag* dad, under the command of Afshin. A battle ^ ensued which terminated in favour of Baban,. 30,000 of the Saracens being slain on the field.
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