Nicholas Adontz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nicholas Adontz (Armenian: Նիկողայոս Ադոնց, Nikoghayos Adontz; January 10, 1871 – January 27, 1942) was a prominent Armenian historian, specialist of Byzantine studies and philologist. He is also known under his Russianized name Adontz Nikolay Georgievich (Russian: Адонц Николай Георгиевич). His last name is also sometimes transliterated as Adonts.

Adontz was born in Sisian, Zangezur uezd of Elisabethpol Governorate(modern Syunik marz) with the birth name of Nikoghayos Ter-Avetikyan (Armenian: Նիկողայոս Տեր-Ավետիկյան). He graduated from the parochial school of Tatev, studied later in the Gevorgian Seminary of Echmiatsin and the Russian gymnasium in Tbilisi. Adonts graduated from the University of St. Petersburg, from the departments of Oriental languages and History and Philology with golden prize. Adonts wrote the dissertation Armenia in the Period of Justinian and defended his MA Degree in 1908. Adontz was appointed as the private-assistant professor at the University of St. Petersburg in 1909. He received his Ph.D and the title of professor by the work Dionysius of Thrace and his Armenian interpretations written in 1916. In 1920 he left for London and later for Paris. Adontz was invited to deliver lectures at the University of Brussels in 1930 and was appointed to the position of the head of the newly organized Department of Armenian Studies. In January 27, 1942 he died in Brussels. Adonz left more than 80 monographs on the history and literature of Medieval Armenia, Armenian-Byzantine relations, Armenian-Greek philology, mythology, religion, linguistics in Armenian, Russian and French languages. Some of his other notable works include: The peasantry of Ancient Armenia, The Art of Dionysius Grammarian and his Armenian Interpretations, and Political parties in Ancient Armenia.