Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/399

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358 HISTORY OF ARMENIA.

It is worthy of remark here, that after the conclusion of the council of Carin, many of the Armenians situated in the Greek division, and who had hitherto conformed to the religious ob- servance of their own people, suddenly changed their ecclesiastical ceremonies, particularly in three instances : First, they leavened the bread used at the sacred offerings, and mixed water with the eucharist. Secondly, they celebrated the feast ofour Saviour's birth on the 25th Decem- ber. Thirdly, in singing the anthem^ *' Holy Ged^ ^c." they omitted the word '* crucified." These irregularities they wished to introduce into the Persian part of Armenia, which induced consi- derable disturbance, and finally caused the Ar- menians to separate again from the Greeks, and renounce the council of Chalcedon. These remarks being prefaced, we resume the thread of our history. A.D.€3i. About this period, Rostom, the governor era 80. of Atropatia, began to intrigue for the purpose of dispossessing Varaztiroz of the prefecture, which he had long ardently wished to have himself. Varaztiroz, dreading the consequence of remaining exposed to the machinations of his rival, quietly relinquished the government, and retired with his family and property to the division of the Greeks, after holding the office of prefect seven years. The government of the Greek division of Armenia was some time after

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