The prosperity of Greater Armenia during the reign of Tiridates III the Great
Tiridates III took staps to ensure the Armenian church economically. Four lands were given to the priests of rural churches in farms and seven lands in boroughs. The Armenian Catholicos and the King set for the development of education. The part of Armenian children from different provinces got Assyrian education, while the others got Hellenic one. Their aim was to prepare professional translators to make the Armenian oral translation of the Gospel available to people, as well as to facilitate the state proceeding.
With the proclamation of the Edict of Milan by Emperor Constantine the Great in 313, Christianity was declared as a free religion and equal to other religions in the Roman Empire. The Kingdom of Greater Armenia and the Roman Empire became coreligionist countries аnd friendly relations were established between them.
St. Gregory left the secular life and led a solitary life in the Mania Ayrq cave of Mount Sepuh situated in Daranagh province of Greater Armenia. King Tiridates with the sons of Gregory Vrtanes and Aristaces went there. By the King’s request Gregory ordained Aristaces a bishop.
The latter participated in the First Council of Nicaea, which defined the Creed. Aristaces brought Nicaean canons to Armenia. St. Gregory added his own group of canons to them.
By the request of the King’s governers of Paytakaran province of Greater Armenia Tiridates III ordained Grigoris’s son Vrtanes a bishop. The Eastern part of Armenia, i. e. Artsakh, Utiq, and Paytakaran, as well as episcopacies of Virq and Aghvanq, which were under the control of Armenian Apostolic Church were under his spiritual control.
Grigoris was cruelly killed during the Christian preachment by the order of King Sanesar of Mazkuts land that was situated on the western coast of Caspian Sea.The body of St. Gregoris was buried by his brothers in faith in the church built by his grandfather St. Gregory the Enlightener in Amaras village of Artsakh.
Danielyan E.
