156 HISTORY OF AHMEKIA.
wife of Anak» conceived her child, afterwards St. Gregory the Illuminator, according to her A.D.257. iiiformation after delivery. Anak removed thence, for the completion of his project, to the city of Valarshapat, where the king Khosrove had taken np his residence. Here, and at this period of our history, St. Gregory was bom, in the year of our Lord 257. Anak was received by the king with honour and respect, little suspecting the horrid fate that awaited him. The assassin having perceived his opportunity, i^truck the unfortunate Khosrove to the heart, and fled. ' He was immediately pursued by the Armenian soldiers, to avoid falling into whose hands he plunged into the river Arax, and was drowned. The troops then seized the family of the assassin, and massacred every member of it except our blessed Illuminator, St. Gregory* who was saved by his nurse Sophia, assisted by her brother Euthalius, both of whom were christians and natives of Cesarea, whither they fled with the child. He was there baptized by them, and named Gregory^ agreeably to a divine revelation which had shortly before been made concerning him. When he attained the age of maturity, Sophia caused him to marry Mary, . the daughter of one David, a christian proselyte, from whom two sons were born named Vertannes and Aristakes, The latter
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