These temples were the source of enormous riches and owned large properties. The priests and their many servants were dependent on them. In the city of Ashtishat alone their number was over a thousand.
This was the religion of the Armenians until the end of the 3rd century A.D., when the country accepted Christianity. This religion caused in no way any harassment from the European powers or the Persians. Everyone is aware of the liberal treatment of the Romans towards the issue of religion, something that was one of the basic reasons for the creation of the Roman Empire. Renan wrote: "Rome acknowledged all the old religions and let them be and only destroyed religions which were inhuman, rebellious and that degraded others." 96
Even the Arsacid Persians held this liberal view of religion, since they did not at all attempt to convert the Armenians by force to Mazdeism.
|
|
|
