Life of St Nino

tr. Wardrop, 1900

The Letter Which Was Written by the Patriarch of Rome and the King of the Branji to Nino,…

In those days there came a letter from the holy Patriarch of Rome to Nino, to the king, and to all the Kart’hlian folk. He sent a Branj deacon to bring his praise and blessing, and to entreat of the blessed Nino her prayers and grace. The deacon brought also a letter from the king of the Branji to Nino, saying, that as her father had baptized all the Branji, a deed known to all in Jerusalem and Constantinople, so she had enlightened all Kart’hli with the sun of righteousness. Therefore he had written this welcome letter, as he had learnt of the wonders performed among them, and of the column, and the bramble bush and its power of healing. The deacon of the Branji saw and heard of the miracles of the pillar, which had been done in Mtzkhet’ha, and glorified God. He took with him letters, and departed.

Then the king said to St. Nino and the bishop: ‘I will convert the Mt’hiulians at the edge of the sword, and make my son-in-law, P’heroz, a servant of God and a worshipper of the honourable cross.’ Nino answered: ‘It is not commanded by God to raise the sword, but to show the way of truth by the gospel, and by the honourable cross which leadeth unto everlasting life. May God’s grace enlighten the darkness of their hearts.’ And St. Nino (and Bishop Ioane)¹ departed. And the king took with him an erist’hav (governor of province), and they came to Tsubeni², and summoned the Mt’hiulians³, those men in the shape of wild beasts, the Dchart’halians⁴, P’hkhovians⁵, Gudamaqrians⁶, and they preached the Gospel of Christian truth unto them, leading to eternal life, but they did not wish to be baptized; then the king’s erist’hav turned the sword upon them, and forcibly cast down the idols. They turned away from that place and went to Zhalet’hi⁷, and preached to the Ertso T’hianet’hians⁸, who received the gospel and were baptized. But the P’hkhovians left their land, and came into T’hushet’hi⁹, and there were other mountaineers who were not converted. The king laid heavy taxes on those who did not wish to be baptized; therefore they banded themselves together and wandered about. Some of them at last were converted by St. Abibos Necreseli¹⁰, the bishop, and some of them have remained heathens until this day.

Then St. Nino went into Cakhet’hi, and rested in Catsaret’hi and converted the people. Afterwards she passed into the village of Kwel, and called together the Cakhet’hian princes. They had not heard of the faith of Christ and the baptism of the king; with joy they received her teaching, and were converted and baptized by Jacob the priest. Thence she went to Bodi, and there came unto her Suji¹¹, the Queen of Cakhet’hi, and with her a great multitude of chiefs, warriors, and women-slaves. She told them of the secret (holy sacrament) of Christ, and with sweet words taught them the true faith. She related the miracles which had happened through the column of fire, of which they had not heard before. With joy they received the teaching of St. Nino, and the queen was baptized with all her chiefs and handmaidens.

When the blessed Nino had thus fulfilled her work and preaching, she knew that the time when her spirit would pass from her body was drawing nigh. She wrote a letter to King Mirian, and gave it to the Cakhet’hian queen Suji. She wrote thus:

‘To the servant of Jesus Christ, the faithful believer in the Holy Trinity, the ally of holy kings, King Mirian.—May God rain down the dew of His grace from above upon thee and all the palace, and on the camp of thy people, and may the cross of Christ and the mediation of His most holy Mother guard you. Lo, I have passed through many lands, and they have received the gospel of Christ, and been turned from their sins and baptized, and do worship God the Creator. Now shouldst thou be joyful, for in thy days God has looked down upon His creatures, and the light of His wisdom has shone forth upon them. Hold fast unto the true faith, that with Him thou mayest reign for ever in the kingdom of heaven. My days upon earth are fulfilled, and I am passing from life to go the way of my fathers. Worthy of mention among the holy ones of God is Queen Suji, for she became a believer in the true Christ, and cast down the idols and converted the people to the service of God, and called her brother and her daughter, also Artereon, a chieftain, and taught them the true faith, and all in Budi have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Now send unto me the holy chief of the fathers, that he may give me provision for my soul’s eternal journey, for my time is nigh.’

Queen Suji took Nino’s letter, and, moved by desire to do homage to the life-giving pillar, set out in haste. All that long journey she walked barefooted, and her tears watered the ground. When they arrived opposite the pillar of life, they saw that the river Aragva had increased greatly, and none of the warriors could cross; when they descended, they were turned back, hindered by the impetuosity of the volume of water. But as Peter walked to the Lord upon the water, so was it with that woman, full of faith in Christ, and desire for the life-giving cross, and with confidence like a grain of mustard seed. She crossed herself and leaped down, as upon a steed. On the other side was Bishop Ioane, with all the people, and when she entered the stream the waters fled back and she passed dry-footed. The king and the chief bishop met her in fear and wonder, and they went into the church to the pillar of life, and prayed with fervent tears. She offered, as a sacrifice, herself, her children, and all her servants, and the little town of Bart’hiani, and the great village of Budi; and she rejoiced in spirit. Then Queen Suji drew forth the letter of the blessed Nino and gave it to the king, and he read it aloud, weeping bitterly.

They sent Bishop Ioane to bring her, but St. Nino did not choose to come. So the king, Queen Nana, and many of the people set out and came to her. The people assembled in innumerable multitudes, and they saw the face of Nino, which was like that of an angel from heaven. They tore the hem of her garment and took it and kissed it with faith; and all those seated around passionately prayed, with tears pouring from their eyes because of the departure of their leader and benefactress and the healer of the sick. Salome Ujarmoeli (i.e. of Ujarma) and Peruzhavri Sivneli (i.e. of Sion) and the erist’havs (governors) and mt’havars (chiefs, lords) inquired of her, saying: ‘Who art thou, whence art thou, and wherefore didst thou come into this land to give us life? Where wert thou brought up, O queen? Tell us of thy life, for thou hast spoken of captivity, O divine freer of captives. Thou hast taught us concerning the prophets who came before the Son of God, and then of the twelve apostles, but God has sent none to us save thee, and all that thou sayest of thyself is that thou art a captive or a stranger.’

Then Nino began to speak, and said: ‘Daughters of the faith¹², queens near to my heart, ye see the faith and love which those first women bare to Christ, and yet ye wish to know of my life, the life of a poor handmaiden! But I shall tell you; for now my days are fulfilled, and I am about to fall asleep for ever in the sleep of my mother. Bring writing materials that ye may write down my poor, unworthy life, so that your children may hear of your faith, and how I was received by you, and the divine miracles which ye have seen.’ Salome Ujarmoeli and Peruzhavri Sivneli quickly brought writing materials, and she told them all her pure and blessed life as we have written it above, and they wrote it down. She entreated the king that the priest Jacob might be bishop after Ioane.

Bishop Ioane offered sacrifice to the Lord, and St. Nino partook of the body and blood of Christ which was to serve her for the journey to eternity. Then she gave her soul into the hands of God, and passed into everlasting righteousness (January 14). Thus, adorned with apostolic grace, shining in her pure life, beautiful by her many labours, bearing the gift of many works, she presented herself before the Holy Trinity, taking, as an offering, many peoples, and the sufferings borne in this world. She ascended to heaven in the twenty-fifth year from her entry into Georgia, three hundred and thirty-eight years from the death of Christ, and from the beginning of the world five thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight.

The inhabitants of Mtzkhet’ha and Ujarma and all Kart’hli were deeply moved by her death, and a great multitude of people came, and crowded together to touch the skirt of her garment. By force, the king put an end to the uproar, and commanded that her body should be taken away and interred near the pillar of life. When they were about to lift her body, their hands became powerless and¹³ they could not move her. Then they understood, and buried her in that place, in Cakhet’hi, in the village of Budi. The saint herself had begged the king, in her modesty, that she might be buried there, for the place was humble. But the king and all the nobles grieved to bury her there; yet, in order to fulfil her will and desire, they did so. And they built a church and appointed a bishop over it, in honour of the holy, blessed enlightener of Kart’hli, Cakhet’hi, and Heret’hi¹⁴, the thrice divinely blessed, noble Nino.

When the divinely enlightened King Mirian had done this, he strengthened all Kart’hli and Heret’hi in the faith of the triune God, without beginning or end, the Creator of all; and they were thoroughly confirmed in their belief.

The Emperor Constantine, who held as a hostage Mirian’s son Bakar, sent him home with many gifts, and wrote:

‘I, Constantine the king, absolute sovereign, a new servant of the kingdom of heaven, formerly a captive of the devil, but delivered by the Creator, I write to thee, King Mirian, the divinely enlightened, like me newly planted in the faith. Peace be unto thee, and the joy of those who know the Trinity, the infinite God, the creating God of all. It is no longer needful for me to have a hostage of thee, for it suffices to have between us as mediator Christ, the Son of God, existent from all eternity, who became man for our salvation, and His honourable cross which is given to us as a guide. By faith in it, and by the mediation of God the Creator, let us be in brotherly love one to another. I give unto thee thy son; see him and rejoice, and may the angel of peace coming from God be with you. May the Creator God always drive the wicked devil from your land.’

When Prince Bakar and the messenger from the Emperor Constantine came to Mtzkhet’ha, King Mirian and Queen Nana were filled with joy, and thanked God for all the gifts He had bestowed on them. King Mirian finished the cathedral, and consecrated it with great solemnity in the twenty-fifth year from his conversion. Rev, his son, died; he was son-in-law of T’hrdat, king of the Armenians, who had given him the kingdom in his own life. They buried Rev in the tomb which he himself had built. In the same year King Mirian fell sick, and was nigh unto death. He said to his son Bakar and his wife Nana: ‘I do not pass hence as I came, and I thank the bounteous God, Creator of heaven and earth, who delivered me from the mouth of hell when I was a captive of the devil, and esteems me worthy to sit with Him on His right hand. Thou, Nana, in due time after my death, divide our royal treasure into two parts, and give (half of) it for the burial-place of Nino our enlightener, so that the spot may never be disturbed, for it is not a royal city, but a poor place; also tell the bishop to glorify the place, for it is worthy of honour.’

And he said to his son: ‘My son, my darkness has been turned into light, and death into life. To thee I give the crown of my realm. May God, the Creator of heaven and earth, strengthen thee in perfect faith. Obey all the commands of the Son of God, and rest entirely upon them and upon the name of Christ. Death will become life to thee. . . . Wherever thou findest those fire-worshippers and idols, burn them with fire, and cause them to drink the cinders¹⁵. And teach thy children the same, for I know that in the Caucasians idolatry will be extirpated. Put thy heart into this matter, and pray unto the Son of God born in the first times, who became man and suffered for our salvation, and lead before thee the honourable cross to conquer thine enemies, for even so do true believers. Honour the divinely raised pillar, and let all thy hopes be towards it; and mayest thou fall asleep in the faith of the holy Trinity.’

They caused the cross of St. Nino to be brought, the cross which she had at first, and hung the royal crown upon it, and led forward Bakar and made the sign of the cross on his head, and took the crown from the cross and put it on his head. And King Mirian died, and they buried him in the Upper Church, by the southern corner of the pillar in which is a piece of the divinely raised column. Next year, Queen Nana died, and was buried to the west of the pillar, in the same place as King Mirian.

Bakar, Mirian’s son, was king, and he was a believer, like his father. He converted very many of the people of Caucasus whom his father had not been able to turn to the true faith.

Notes

A.V. omits ‘and Bishop Ioane.’
Kart’hl. Tzkh. ‘Tsorbani’ (?). The place referred to is probably Tsobeni, about seven miles east of the Aragva and fifteen miles above Mtzkhet’ha.
Mt’hiulet’hi (i.e. ‘the highlands’) is a district above the junction of the Gudamaqari and Aragva.
Dchart’hali, river and mountain west of the Aragva, south of Mt’hiulet’hi.
Ancient name of the P’hshavs and Khevsurs, who dwell on the White Aragva, east of Mt’hiulet’hi and Gudamaqari and north of T’hianet’hi.
At the source of the Black Aragva.
Zhalet’hi, or Zhaliet’hi, on the river Iori in T’hianet’hi.
i.e. Lesser T’hianet’hi, south of T’hianet’hi and east of Saguramo.
To the extreme north of Cakhet’hi.
Abibos, bishop of Necresi, was one of the Syrian Fathers, who came to Georgia about the middle of the sixth century.
A.V. does not mention Suji.
A.V. ‘near to God, my queens.’
A.V. ‘two hundred men could not move the couch on which she lay.’
A province south of Cakhet’hi.
Mr. Conybeare says it is a common trait in the wars of the Christian Armenians with Persian fire-worshippers for the latter, if conquered, to be made to drink the cinders mixed with water.