Armenian historiography is the oldest in Transcaucasia. At the time when the first Georgian chroniclers began to write their works in the 9th-10th centuries, the works of Khazar Parpetsi, Faustus of Byzantium, Koryun, Yeghishe and Movses Khorenatsi were already stored in Byzantine libraries. The latter received the nickname Kertohair, which translates as "father of historians." Information from his works sheds light on the ancient history of Armenia and is a source of information about neighboring countries that existed in Asia Minor until the 5th-6th century AD.
Movses Khorenatsi: biography in his youth
There is no reliable information about the life of the chronicler. The only source of information about the life of Khorenatsi is his work "History of Armenia", in which he sometimes digresses and gives some facts about the events that happened to him personally.
Traditionally, it is believed that the historian was born in the village of Khoren, Syunik region, in the 5th century. It is with its name that the nickname of the chronicler is connected. It translates as "Movses from Khoren". According to the author himself, he received his primary education innative village, where a school founded by the creator of the Armenian alphabet Mesrop Mashtots operated. Later he was sent to study in Vagharshapat, where Movses Khorenatsi studied Greek, Pahlavi (Middle Persian) and Syriac. Then, among the best students, he was sent to continue his education in the city of Edessa, which at that time was one of the most important cultural centers of the entire region. The success of the young scholar was so obvious that he received recommendations and went to study in Alexandria, one of the greatest cities of the Roman Empire of the late period, where he got acquainted with Neoplatonic philosophy in detail.
After returning home
It is believed that, having returned to Armenia, Movses Khorenatsi, together with Mashtots and his other students, translated the Bible into Armenian, becoming one of the first "Targmanich". Later, all these clergy were canonized as saints.
Death
In 428, Armenia was captured and divided between the Byzantine Empire and Persia. Before his death, Movses Khorenatsi wrote: “I cry and mourn for you, the country of Armenia… You no longer have a king, no priest, no symbol, and even a teacher! Chaos reigned and Orthodoxy was shaken. Our ignorance has sown pseudo-wisdom. Priests are arrogant self-lovers with penance on their lips, lazy, ambitious people who hate art and love holidays and libations…”
History of Armenia
This main work of the whole life of Movses Khorenatsi covers the period fromthe moment of the formation of the Armenian people until the fifth century AD. Its main value lies in the fact that this book is the first complete account of the history of the country. At the same time, it contains a presentation of mythology, works of oral folk art, pagan religion, half-destroyed at the time of writing the manuscript, the internal life of the state and its political and economic ties with the world. It also contains various data on the culture and history of neighboring countries.
The chronicle consists of three parts:
- "Genealogy of Great Armenia", which includes the chronicle of the country from its mythological origin to the founding of the Arshakid dynasty in 149 BC.
- "An account of the average history of our ancestors" (before the death of St. Gregory the Illuminator).
- Conclusion (before 428 AD, when the fall of the Arsacid dynasty occurred, which was witnessed by the Armenian historian himself).
Pseudo-Khorenatsi
There is also a 4th part, which, according to most researchers, was written by an unknown author, who brought the presentation of history to the time of the reign of Emperor Zeno, which fell on the period 474-491. The first 3 parts also contain anachronisms that contradict the information reported by Lazar Parpetsi and Koryun. At the same time, the latter in his writings confirms the existence of a bishop named Movses.
It still remains unknown why the author and anonymous editor of the 4th part of the "History of Armenia" used the name of Movses Khorenatsi. There is a version that he intended to glorify the Bagratid dynasty in this way, which from the end of the 7thcentury was dominant in the country. In 885, Ashot the First reigned on the throne. Most likely, the task of the Pseudo-Khorenatsi was to create the ground for the rise of this dynasty.
Creativity
The book "History of Armenia" by Movses Khorenatsi is not the only literary work written by the chronicler. He is also known as a hymn writer, poet and grammarian. Among his works are:
- "Rhetoric".
- “Geography” (some researchers tend to consider Anania Shirakatsi the author of this work).
- “Speech about the Holy Martyr Virgin Hripsime.”
- "Teaching on the Transfiguration of Christ".
- “Comments on Armenian Grammar”, etc.
As was customary among the first Armenian monk-writers, in his writings, regardless of their content, there are digressions in which he tells everyday details or describes events that happened to people around him at the time of work. Literary critics note the unconditional writing and poetic talent of Khorenatsi, which is especially evident in his hymns and sermons.
Scientific controversy
The fact that Movses Khorenatsi was a real person is not disputed at the moment. However, many Western historians do not agree that Khorenatsi lived in 400 years and insist that he carried out his activities much later, between the 7th and 9th centuries. The reason is the mention in the "History of Armenia" of a numbertoponyms belonging to a later period. However, Armenian researchers of the life of the chronicler claim that they were inserted later by the monks-scribes, who replaced the obsolete names of settlements, rivers and regions with modern ones.
The fact that Khorenatsi is a student of Mesrop Mashtots is also called into question, since he may have called himself that in a figurative sense. The latest version is also supported by the fact that the Armenians still call the creator of their writing the Great Teacher.
Some anachronisms in the text of the "History of Armenia" cast a shadow on the assertion that King Sahak Bagratuni was the customer of Khorenatsi. Perhaps his name was also written for political reasons.
The Armenian historian Khorenatsi played a huge role in the development of the culture of his people. Thanks to his monumental work, covering a period of several millennia, many myths and legends have come down to us, and a holistic picture of the events and disasters that the people experienced during his life has been built.
Armenians to this day treat Khorenatsi with great respect, and every schoolchild knows about his contribution to the culture of his country.
