Catholicos Peter I Getadardz (? – died 1058) ( hy, Պետրոս Ա. Գետադարձ ) was the
Catholicos of the
Armenian Apostolic Church
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, icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg
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, a ...
between 1019 and 1058. He was the brother of a former Catholicos
Khachik I. He was the author of several works of sermons, anthems, and elegies on early
Christian martyrs
In Christianity, a martyr is a person considered to have died because of their testimony for Jesus or faith in Jesus. In years of the early church, stories depict this often occurring through death by sawing, stoning, crucifixion, burning at th ...
.
He was surnamed Getadardz because he was said to have miraculously turned the current of a river toward its source. In later years Peter moved to
Sebastia but later returned to
Ani
Ani ( hy, Անի; grc-gre, Ἄνιον, ''Ánion''; la, Abnicum; tr, Ani) is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia.
Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of the ...
, at which point he was viewed with suspicious due to his long time away. He was induced to retire to
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan (, Western Armenian pronunciation: ''Vasbouragan'') was the eighth province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered on Lake Van. Located in what is now southeaster ...
and remained shut up in a convent for four years in the early 1030s. The king appointed Deoskoros, abbot of
Sanahin
Sanahin () is a village in the northern province of Lori in Armenia, now considered part of the city of Alaverdi (a cable car connects it with Alaverdi). The village is notable for its Sanahin Monastery complex, founded in the 10th century an ...
, as the new pontiff but the bishops would not recognize his authority. Deoskoros named a number of people described by historian Michael Chamich as "low" and "vile" to the priesthood and reinstated bishops who had been expelled for vices. This caused great disorder within the church and the clergy declared the king and other supporters of Deoskoros as anathema. To avoid this the king sent for Catholicos Peter to restore him to the pontifical chair. Deoskoros and those he appointed were defrocked.
In 1042 after an interregnum in Armenia an assembly of generals named
Gagik II
Gagik II ( hy, Գագիկ Բ; c. 1025 - May 5/November 24, 1079) was the last Armenian king of the Bagratuni dynasty. Known as Gagik II King of Ani ( Ani being the capital of the kingdom at the time) he was enthroned as Gagik II and ruled for a br ...
the new king who Peter crowned. Gagik was overthrown after three years by the
Byzantines when they captured Ani. A new governor was sent to Ani form Greece and Catholicos Peter was exiled from the city. He was soon seized by order of the emperor and taken to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
where Peter was given a residence to keep him away from Armenia. He was taken to Sebastia by one who had pledged to the emperor that the Catholicos would not escape and he lived there for five years in the convent of the Holy Cross. He was eventually able to return from Armenia and died at an advanced age after a reign of 40 years. His nephew was elected as
Khachik II of Cilicia.
Catholicoi of Armenia
1058 deaths
Year of birth unknown
11th-century Armenian people
11th-century Oriental Orthodox archbishops
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