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Life of St Nino

tr. Wardrop, 1900

Story Told by the Woman Sidonia, Who Was the Disciple of St. Nino, Who Saw and Described…

One day in summer, in the month of July (20th day), on the Sabbath day¹, [the king went forth to hunt, towards Mukhran. Unseen, that adversary, the devil, came unto him, and implanted in his heart the love of fire and idols, and he thought to massacre all the Christians, in order to do service to his false gods. The king said to four of his counsellors: ‘We are not worthy before our gods, for we are idle in their service, and have allowed these Christian sorcerers to preach their faith in our land; and they perform their miracles of sorcery. Now my advice is this: That we destroy all these trusters in the cross, unless they will serve the conquering gods of Kart’hli. Let us see Nana, my wife, if she will repent, and forsake her belief in the cross, and if not, I will forget my love for her, and, with the others, she too shall be destroyed.’ His companions agreed with this counsel; for they were zealous in this matter, having desired it from the beginning, but not daring to declare themselves openly.

The king passed the environs of Mukhran, and went up the high mountain T’hkhot’hi², whence he saw Caspi and Up’hlistzikhe; he was crossing the mountain towards the south when the sun was darkened, and it became like black, eternal night. The darkness seized upon the surroundings, and the men lost one another. In grief and anxiety the king was left alone. He wandered about on the thickly wooded mountains; then, fearful and trembling, he stood in one place, and hope for his safety forsook him. Then he bethought himself and took counsel in his heart: ‘Lo, I have called on my gods and have not found comfort. Now, can He whom Nino preaches, the cross and the Crucified, through hope in whom she does miracles, can He have power to deliver me from my grief? I am in a living hell, and I know not if over all the earth this change has taken place, and the light turned to darkness, or only on me. If this grief be for me alone, O God of Nino, lighten this night to me, and show me the world again, and I will confess Thy name. I will erect a wooden cross and worship it, and set up a house to pray in, and obey Nino and the faith of the Romans.’

When he had spoken thus, it became light, and the sun shone forth in his glory. Then the king dismounted from his horse, and, standing in that place, stretched out his hands towards the eastern heavens, and said: ‘Thou art a God above all gods, a Lord above all lords, Thou God of whom Nino tells, and Thy name is to be praised by all creatures under the heavens and upon the earth; for Thou hast delivered me from my woe and lightened my darkness. Behold, I know that Thou desirest my deliverance, and I rejoice, O blessed Lord, to come near Thee. In this place will I set up a wooden cross, by which they may glorify Thy name, and may remember this miraculous deed for ever.’ So he took note of the place, and then departed. Now the scattered people saw that light, and assembled; and the king cried out: ‘Give the glory to Nino’s God, for He is God for ever, and to Him only is glory fitting for ever³.’]

Queen Nana and all the people passed out to meet the king, for they had heard first that he had perished and then that he was returning in peace. They met him at Kindzara and Ghart’ha⁴. And St. Nino was in her bramble bush praying at that hour, as was her custom at eventide, and we with her were fifty souls. And when the king came, the town seemed to shake. The king cried with a loud voice: ‘Where is that stranger woman, who is our mother, and whose God is my Deliverer?’ When he heard that she was in the bush praying, he went towards her with all his army, dismounted, and said to Nino: ‘Now am I become worthy to call upon the name of thy God and my Deliverer.’ So St. Nino taught him, and bade him worship towards the east and confess Christ the Son of God. There was trembling and weeping among all the people when they saw the king and queen in tears⁵.

The next day King Mirian sent ambassadors to Greece, to King Constantine, [⁶and a letter from Nino to Queen Elene telling of all the miracles performed by Christ, which had been done in Mtzkhet’ha to King Mirian, and entreating them to send priests quickly to baptize them]. And St. Nino and her disciples preached to the people day and night unceasingly, and showed them the true way to the kingdom of heaven.

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