Moses of Chorene

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Moses of Chorene (left) on a 14th century manuscript.

Moses of Chorene (Armenian Մովսէս Խորենացի — Movses Khorenatsi) (5th century AD) is traditionally regarded as the author of the most significant mediaeval Armenian history. One of the outstanding representatives of world historiography, Moses is considered to be the "father of Armenian history" (patmahayr). More recent scholarship has cast doubt on his authorship of the work. According to Robert Thomson, "there are indications that the book itself was written after the fifth century. Not only does Movses use sources not available in Armenia at that time, he refers to persons and places attested only in the sixth or seventh centuries."^[1]

The History of Armenia attributed to Moses of Chorene covers the time-frame from the formation of the Armenian people to the fifth century A.D.. It contains the richest and most unique material on ancient Armenian legends, the pagan (pre-Christian) religion, the internal life of the country, and its relations with the world. It also contains plentiful data on the history and culture of contiguous countries. The book had an enormous impact on Armenian historiography.

According to the author, he was a disciple of Saint Mesrop, and he composed his work at the request of Isaac (Sahak), the Bagratuni prince who fell in battle in 482.

The book is divided into three parts:

"Genealogy of Armenia Major", embracing the history of Armenia from the beginning down to the foundation of the Arshakuni Dynasty (149 BC);
"History of the middle period of our ancestors", extending from 149 BC to the death of St. Gregory the Illuminator and the reign of King Terdat (A.D. 149-332);
the third part brings the history down to the overthrow of the Arshakuni Dynasty (A.D. 428).

There is also a fourth part which brings the history down to the time of the Emperor Zeno (474-491).

Moses of Chorene is also known as a poet, or hymn writer, and a grammarian. A native of Choren or Chorni in the province of Darou, when young, he was sent by Mesrop, the founder of Armenian literature, to study in Edessa, Constantinople, Alexandria, Athens, and Rome. Upon his return, he is said to have assisted Mesrop (407-433), in the translation of the Bible into Armenian.

The following works are attributed to him: «Treatise on Rhetoric»; «Treatise on Geography»; «Letter on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary»; «Homily on Christ's Transfiguration»; «Oration on Hripsime, an Armenian Virgin and Martyr»; «Hymns used in Armenian Church Worship»; «Commentaries on the Armenian Grammarians»; and «Explanations of Armenian Church Offices». The most celebrated work, however, is the «History of Armenia», practically the only work preserving the early history and traditions of pre-Christian Armenia.

The first edition of the «History of Armenia» was published at Amsterdam, 1695; the second at London, with a Latin translation, 1736; the third at Venice, 1752; it was translated into French (Venice, 1841), and Italian (ibid.).

[edit] References

^ Robert K. Thomson, "Armenian Literary Culture through the Eleventh Century", in R.G. Hovahanissian (ed.), Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times(Volume 1, 2004)