So Artasires, when the banquet had only just begun, was purposing to set to work, and he was already touching the hilt of his sword.  But Gregorius prevented him by saying in the Armenian tongue that Gontharis was still wholly himself, not having as yet drunk any great quantity of wine.  Then Artasires groaned and said:  “My good fellow, how fine a heart I have for the deed, and now you have for the moment wrongfully hindered me!” And as the drinking went on, Gontharis, who by now was thoroughly saturated with wine, began to give portions of the food to the body-guards, yielding to a generous mood.  And they, upon receiving these portions, went outside the building immediately and were about to eat them, leaving beside Gontharis only three body-guards, one of whom happened to be Ulitheus.  And Artasires also started to go out in order to taste the morsels with the rest.  But just then a kind of fear came over him lest, when he should wish to draw his sword, something might prevent him.  Accordingly, as soon as he got outside, he secretly threw away the sheath of the sword, and taking it naked under his arm, hidden by his cloak, he rushed in to Gontharis, as if to say something without the knowledge of the others.  And Artabanes, seeing this, was in a fever of excitement, and became exceedingly anxious by reason of the surpassing magnitude of the issue at stake; he began to move his head, the colour of his countenance changed repeatedly, and he seemed to have become altogether like one inspired, on account of the greatness of the undertaking.  And Peter, upon seeing this, understood what was being done, but he did not disclose it to any of the others, because, being well disposed to the emperor, he was exceedingly pleased by what was going on.  And Artasires, having come close to the tyrant, was pushed by one of the servants, and as he retreated a little to the rear, the servant observed that his sword was bared and cried out saying:  “What is this, my excellent fellow?” And Gontharis, putting his hand to his right ear, and turning his face, looked at him.  And Artasires struck him with his sword as he did so, and cut off a piece of his scalp together with his fingers.  And Peter cried out and exhorted Artasires to kill the most unholy of all men.  And Artabanes, seeing Gontharis leaping to his feet (for he reclined close to him), drew a two-edged dagger which hung by his thigh—­a rather large one—­and thrusting it into the tyrant’s left side clean up to the hilt, left it there.  And the tyrant none the less tried to leap up, but having received a mortal wound, he fell where he was.  Ulitheus then brought his sword down upon Artasires as if to strike him over the head; but he held his left arm above his head, and thus profited by his own idea in the moment of greatest need.  For since Ulitheus’ sword had its edge turned when it struck the sections of arrows on his arm, he himself was unscathed, and he killed Ulitheus with no difficulty.  And Peter