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Life of St Nino

tr. Wardrop, 1900

Passage Relating to Nino in the Armenian History of Moses of Chorene (ch. lxxxvi)

. . . A certain woman named Nuné, one of the scattered companions of St. Riphsime, came in her flight to the land of the Iberians, to their royal city Mtzkhet’ha. By her strict life she gained the gift of healing, through which she healed many that were afflicted, and among others the wife of Mikhran, ruler of Iberia. And when Mikhran asked her by what power she did these wonders, he received from her the knowledge of the gospel of Christ.

At that time it happened that Mikhran went to the chase: in rough country he lost himself in the mountains in dull weather, but not in consequence of a vision, for it is said: ‘Darkness He calls forth with His voice’ (Job xxxviii. 34), and in another place: ‘He darkens the day into night’ (Amos v. 8). Such was the darkness with which Mikhran was engirt, and it was to him the cause of everlasting light: for in his terror he remembered what had been said of Terdat, who was struck by God when he was preparing for the chase; Mikhran bethought himself: the same thing might happen to him. Fear-stricken he prayed that the air might be cleared, and that he might return in peace, promising to worship Nuné. His prayer was heard, and he fulfilled his promise.

Then the blessed Nuné demanded faithful men, whom she sent to St. Gregory to ask what he would have her do, seeing that the Iberians had willingly accepted the preaching of the gospel. And she received his command to destroy the idols, following his example, and to raise the sign of the honourable cross, until that day when the Lord should give a pastor to govern them. She immediately cast down the image of the thunderer Aramazd, which stood outside the city, separated therefrom by a great river (Kura). The people were wont at early morn to worship from their housetops that image aloft before their eyes; those that wished to offer him sacrifice, crossed the river and fulfilled the immolation before the temples.

The satraps of the city arose and said: ‘Whom shall we worship instead of the idols?’ They were told that they should worship ‘the sign of the cross of Christ.’ This they made, and set it up to the east of the city on a fair hill, which was also separated from the city by a small river (Aragva). In the morning, according to their custom, people worshipped it from their housetops. But when they went up to the hill and saw a piece of wood, roughly hewn, many said, with contempt, that all their forests were full of such wood, and then went away. But God in His goodness looked down on their error. He sent from the heavens a pillar of cloud, and all the hill was filled with fragrance: a melodious voice sounded, of many singers of psalms, and there appeared a light with a representation of the cross, of the size and shape of the cross of wood: twelve stars stood over the wooden cross; all believed and worshipped. And from that time many were healed by that cross.

But the blessed Nuné set forth, to instruct with her pure lips the other regions of Iberia: she went about everywhere in a dress of exceeding simplicity, having nothing superfluous, a stranger to the world and all that belongs to it, or rather nailed to the cross, exercising her life in continual death, confessing by her word the divine Word, and crowned with her readiness as with a bloody crown; we make bold to say that she, having become an apostle, preached, beginning from the Kekharchians (in Greater Armenia), at the gates of the Alans (? Ossets—Dariel Pass) and Kasbians¹, even unto the bounds of the Maskuts (Massagetae), as thou mayest learn from Agathangelos.

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