Movses Khorenatsi (ca. 410–490s AD; hy,
Մովսէս Խորենացի, , also written as ''Movses Xorenac‘i'' and Moses of Khoren, Moses of Chorene, and Moses Chorenensis in Latin sources) was a prominent
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
n historian from the
late antique
Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English has ...
period and the author of the ''
History of the Armenians.''
Movses's ''History of the Armenians'' was the first attempt at a universal history of Armenia and remains the only known general account of early Armenian history. It traces Armenian history from its origins to the fifth century, during which Movses claimed to have lived. His history had an enormous impact on Armenian historiography and was used and quoted extensively by later medieval Armenian authors. He is called the "father of Armenian history" () in Armenian, and is sometimes referred to as the "Armenian
Herodotus
Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria ( Italy). He is known f ...
." Movses's history is also valued for its unique material on the old oral traditions in Armenia before its conversion to Christianity.
Movses identified himself as a young disciple of
Mesrop Mashtots Mesrob or Mesrop ( hy, Մեսրոպ) is an Armenian given name.
Mesrob / Mesrop may refer to:
*Mesrop Mashtots, also Saint Mesrop, Armenian monk, theologian and linguist. Inventor of the Armenian alphabet
**Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manu ...
, inventor of the
Armenian alphabet
The Armenian alphabet ( hy, Հայոց գրեր, ' or , ') is an alphabetic writing system used to write Armenian language, Armenian. It was developed around 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and wikt:ecclesiastical, ecclesiast ...
. Moreover, he claimed to have written his history at the behest of Prince
Sahak of the
Bagratuni dynasty
The Bagratuni or Bagratid dynasty ( hy, Բագրատունի, ) was an Armenian royal dynasty which ruled the medieval Kingdom of Armenia from c. 885 until 1045. Originating as vassals of the Kingdom of Armenia of antiquity, they rose to beco ...
. He is recognized by the
Armenian Apostolic Church
, native_name_lang = hy
, icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg
, icon_width = 100px
, icon_alt =
, image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, a ...
as one of the
Holy Translators The Feast of the Holy Translators ( hy, Սուրբ Թարգմանչաց տօն, ''Surb T'argmanchats ton'') is dedicated to a group of literary figures, and saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who founded the Armenian alphabet, translated the ...
. The exact time period during which Movses lived and wrote has been the subject of debate among scholars since the nineteenth century, with some scholars dating him to the seventh to ninth centuries rather than the fifth.
Biography
Early life and education
Movses's biographical details are given at the very end of the ''History of the Armenians'', but additional information provided by later medieval Armenian historians have allowed modern scholars to piece together additional information on him. Movses was believed to have been born in the village of Khorni (also spelled as Khoron and Khoronk) in the Armenian province of
Taron or
Turuberan
Turuberan ( hy, Տուրուբերան) was the fourth Armenian region that was part of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC to 387 AD. Then it was part of the Sassanid Empire, Byzantine Empire, Arab Caliphate, medieval Kingdom of Armenia, ...
sometime in 410. However, some scholars contend that if he was born here, he would have then been known as Movses of Khorneh or Khoron. They instead move the location of his birth from Taron to the Armenian
province of Syunik, in the village of Khorena in the region of Harband.
He received his education in Syunik' and was later sent to be taught under the auspices of
Mesrop Mashtots Mesrob or Mesrop ( hy, Մեսրոպ) is an Armenian given name.
Mesrob / Mesrop may refer to:
*Mesrop Mashtots, also Saint Mesrop, Armenian monk, theologian and linguist. Inventor of the Armenian alphabet
**Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manu ...
, the creator of the
Armenian alphabet
The Armenian alphabet ( hy, Հայոց գրեր, ' or , ') is an alphabetic writing system used to write Armenian language, Armenian. It was developed around 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and wikt:ecclesiastical, ecclesiast ...
, and
Catholicos
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient ...
Sahak Partev. In having considerable difficulty translating the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
from
Koine Greek
Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...
to
Classical Armenian
Classical Armenian (, in Eastern Armenian pronunciation: Grabar, Western Armenian: Krapar; meaning "literary anguage; also Old Armenian or Liturgical Armenian) is the oldest attested form of the Armenian language. It was first written down at ...
, Mesrop and Sahak felt the need to send Movses and several of their other students to
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, at that time the center of education and learning, so that they themselves learn the
Koine Greek
Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...
and
Syriac language
The Syriac language (; syc, / '), also known as Syriac Aramaic (''Syrian Aramaic'', ''Syro-Aramaic'') and Classical Syriac ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ (in its literary and liturgical form), is an Aramaic language, Aramaic dialect that emerged during ...
s, as well as
grammar
In linguistics, the grammar of a natural language is its set of structure, structural constraints on speakers' or writers' composition of clause (linguistics), clauses, phrases, and words. The term can also refer to the study of such constraint ...
,
oratory,
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
.
[ Sargsyan, Gagik Kh. s.v. "Movses Khorenatsi," ]Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia
The ''Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia'' ( hy, Հայկական սովետական հանրագիտարան, ''Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran''; ASE) publishing house was established in 1967 as a department of the Institute of History of the Armeni ...
, vol. 8, pp. 40–41.
Return to Armenia
The students left Armenia sometime between 432 and 435. First they went to
Edessa
Edessa (; grc, Ἔδεσσα, Édessa) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, founded during the Hellenistic period by King Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Seleucid Empire. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Osroene ...
where they studied at the local libraries. Then they moved towards Jerusalem and Alexandria. After studying in Alexandria for seven years, Movses and his classmates returned to Armenia, only to find that Mesrop and Sahak had died. Movses expressed his grief in a
lament
A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about somethin ...
at the end of ''History of the Armenians'':
To further complicate their problems, the atmosphere in Armenia that Movses and the other students had returned to was one that was extremely hostile and they were viewed with contempt by the native population. While later Armenian historians blamed this on an ignorant populace,
Sassanid Persia
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
n policy and ideology were also at fault, since its rulers "could not tolerate highly educated young scholars fresh from Greek centers of learning." Given this atmosphere and persecution by the Persians, Movses went into hiding in a village near
Vagharshapat
Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is com ...
and lived in relative seclusion for several decades.
![Moses of Chorene](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Moses_of_Chorene.jpg)
Gyut,
Catholicos of All Armenians
The Catholicos of All Armenians (plural Catholicoi) ( hy, Ամենայն Հայոց Կաթողիկոս; see #Other names), is the chief bishop and spiritual leader of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the worldwide Arme ...
(461–471), one day met Movses while traveling through the area and, unaware of his true identity, invited him to supper with several of his students. Movses was initially silent, but after Gyut's students encouraged him to speak, Movses made a marvelous speech at the dinner table. One of the Catholicos' students was able to identify Movses as a person Gyut had been searching for; it was soon understood that Gyut was one of Movses' former classmates and friends. Gyut embraced Movses brought his friend back from seclusion and appointed him to be a bishop in
Bagrevan.
''History of the Armenians''
Serving as a bishop, Movses was approached by Prince Sahak Bagratuni (died in 482 during Charmana battle against Persian army), who, having heard of Movses' reputation, asked him to write a history of Armenia, especially the biographies of Armenian kings and the origins of the Armenian ''
nakharar
''Nakharar'' ( hy, նախարար ''naxarar'', from Parthian ''naxvadār'' "holder of the primacy""նախարար" in H. Ačaṙean (1926–35), ''Hayerēn Armatakan Baṙaran'' (Yerevan: Yerevan State University), 2nd ed., 1971–79) was a heredi ...
'' families. Armenian historian Artashes Matevosyan placed Movses' completion of ''History'' to the year based on his research on the ''Chronicle'' by the sixth century Armenian historian Atanas Taronatsi.
One of his primary reasons for taking up Sahak Bagratuni's request is given in the first part of ''Patmutyun Hayots'', or ''History of the Armenians'': "For even though we are small and very limited in numbers and have been conquered many times by foreign kingdoms, yet too, many acts of bravery have been performed in our land, worthy of being written and remembered, but of which no one has bothered to write down." His work is a first historical record that covered the whole history of Armenia from a very ancient period until the death of the historian. His ''History'' served as a textbook to study the history of Armenia until the eighteenth century. Movses' history also gives a rich description of the oral traditions that were popular among the Armenians of the time, such as the romance story of ''
Artashes and Satenik'' and the birth of the god
Vahagn
Vahagn or Vahakn ( hy, Վահագն), also known as Vahagn Vishapakagh ( hy, Վահագն Վիշապաքաղ, lit=Vahagn the Dragon-reaper, label=none), is a warrior god in Armenian mythology. Scholars consider him to be either the thunder, or s ...
. Movses lived for several more years, and he died sometime in the late .
Literary influence
Three possible early references to Movses in other sources are usually identified. The first one is in
Łazar Parpetsi’s ''History of the Armenians'' (about 495 or 500 A.D.), where the author details the persecution of several notable Armenian individuals, including the “blessed Movses the philosopher,” identified by some scholars as Movses Khorenatsi.
[ Hovhannisyan, Petros. "Review of ''History of the Armenians''." ''Banber Yerevani Hamalsarani'' 45 (1982), pp. 237–239.] But there is no indication in Parpetsi that this Movses had "composed any historical works." The second one is the ''Book of Letters'' (sixth century), which contains a short theological treatise by "Movses Khorenatsi." However, this treatise, not being an historical work, cannot be convincingly attributed to the historian Movses.
[ See Annie and ]Jean-Pierre Mahé
Jean-Pierre Mahé (, 21 March 1944, Paris) is a French Oriental studies, orientalist, philologist and historian of Caucasus, and a specialist of Armenian studies. Kh. Karadelyan, « Մահե, Ժան-Պիեր Հանրի Մարի » (« Mahé, Jean-P ...
's introduction to their translation of Moïse de Khorène ''Histoire de l'Arménie'' (Paris: Gallimard, 1993), p. 13. The third possible early reference is in a tenth-eleventh centuries manuscript containing a list of dates attributed to Athanasius (Atanas) of Taron (sixth century): under the year 474, the list has "Moses of Chorene, philosopher and writer." This mention is, however, considered as too uncertain.
Early scholarship
Beginning in the nineteenth century, as a part of a general trend in those years to reexamine critically classical sources, Movses' ''History'' was cast into doubt. The conclusions reached by
Alfred von Gutschmid
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*'' Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interl ...
ushered in the "
hypercritical phase" of the study of Movses' work. Many European and Armenian scholars writing at the turn of the twentieth century reduced its importance as a historical source and dated the ''History'' to sometime in the seventh to ninth centuries.
[Topchyan, Aram. ''The Problem of the Greek Sources of Movsēs Xorenacʻi's History of Armenia''. Leuven: Peeters Publishers, 2006, pp. 5–14, notes 21–22, 31–33.] Stepan Malkhasyants
Stepanos Sargsi Malkhasiants ( hy, Ստեփան Սարգսի Մալխասյանց; – July 21, 1947) was an Armenian academician, philologist, linguist, and lexicographer. An expert in classical Armenian literature, Malkhasiants wrote the cr ...
, an Armenian philologist and expert of
Classical Armenian
Classical Armenian (, in Eastern Armenian pronunciation: Grabar, Western Armenian: Krapar; meaning "literary anguage; also Old Armenian or Liturgical Armenian) is the oldest attested form of the Armenian language. It was first written down at ...
literature, likened this early critical period from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries to a "competition," whereby one scholar attempted to outperform the other in their criticism of Movses.
Modern studies
In the early decades of the twentieth century, scholars such as
F. C. Conybeare
Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare, (14 September 1856 – 9 January 1924) was a British Oriental studies, orientalist, Fellow of University College, Oxford, and Professor of Theology at the University of Oxford.
Biography
Conybeare was born in Co ...
,
Manuk Abeghian
Manuk Abeghian ( hy, Մանուկ Աբեղյան, , alternatively Manouk Abeghian, or Manuk Abeghyan, March 15, 1865 – September 26, 1944) was a scholar of Armenian literature and folklore. He is best remembered as the main designer of the Arme ...
, and
Stepan Malkhasyants
Stepanos Sargsi Malkhasiants ( hy, Ստեփան Սարգսի Մալխասյանց; – July 21, 1947) was an Armenian academician, philologist, linguist, and lexicographer. An expert in classical Armenian literature, Malkhasiants wrote the cr ...
rejected the conclusions of the scholars of the hypercritical school and placed Khorenatsi back in the fifth century.
Additionally, ethnographic and archaeological research during this time confirmed a number of claims made by Khorenatsi.
[Hacikyan et al. ''Heritage of Armenian Literature'', pp. 305–306.]
Earlier critical points were revived in the second half of the twentieth century. For instance
Robert W. Thomson
Robert William Thomson (24 March 1934, Cheam, London UK – 20 November 2018, Oxford) was Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies at Oxford University.
Thomson graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in classics, then ...
, the former holder of the chair in Armenian Studies at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
and the translator of several classical Armenian works, claimed that Movses' account contained various anachronisms. His approach in evaluating Movses's work was criticized when the English translation of ''History of the Armenians'' appeared in 1978.
[ Nersessian, Vrej. "Review of ''History of the Armenians''." ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' 30 (October 1979): pp. 479–480.] The points he raised have since been challenged.
Vrej Nersessian
Vrej Nersessian ( hy, Վրէժ Ներսէսեան) (born 1948) is the Curator of the Christian Middle East Section (Asia, Pacific and African Collections) at the British Library, London.
Life
He is a senior priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church ...
, the Curator of the Christian Middle East Section at the
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
, took issue with many of Thomson's points, including his later dating of the writing and his contention that Movses was merely writing an apologist work for the Bagratunis:
Gagik Sargsyan
Gagik Sargsyan ( hy, Գագիկ Խորենի Սարգսյան; 6 April 1926, in Yerevan – 25 August 1998, in Yerevan) was an Armenian historian, who served as the vice president of the Armenian Academy of Sciences.
Biography
He studied at Yer ...
, an Armenian scholar of the
Classics
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
and a leading biographer of Movses, also criticized Thomson for "anachronistic hypercriticism" and for stubbornly rehashing and "even exaggerating the statements once put forward" by the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century scholars, particularly by Grigor Khalatiants (1858–1912). Sargsyan noted that Thomson, in condemning Movses' failure to mention his sources, ignored the fact that "an antique or medieval author may have had his own rules of mentioning the sources distinct from the rules of modern scientific ethics." Thomson's allegation of Movses'
plagiarism
Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...
and supposed distortion of sources was also countered by scholars who contended that Thomson was "treating a medieval author with the standards" of twentieth century
historiography
Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians ha ...
and pointed out that numerous classical historians, Greek and Roman alike, engaged in the same practice.
Aram Topchyan, a research fellow at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
of Armenian Studies, agreed with this view and noted that it was odd that Thomson would fault Movses for failing to mention his sources because this was an accepted practice among all classical historians.
Today, Movses Khorenatsi's work is recognized as an important source for the research of
Urartian
Urartian or Vannic is an extinct Hurro-Urartian language which was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (''Biaini'' or ''Biainili'' in Urartian), which was centered on the region around Lake Van and had its capital, Tushpa, ...
and early Armenian history. It was Movses Khorenatsi's account of the ancient city of Van with its cuneiform inscriptions which lead the
Société Asiatique of Paris to finance the expedition of
Friedrich Eduard Schulz
Friedrich Eduard Schulz (1799–1829, also known as Friedrich Edward Schulz) was a German philosopher and Oriental studies, orientalist, who was one of the first to uncover evidence of the Kingdom of Urartu.
Research on Urartu
In 1827, th ...
, who there discovered the previously unknown
Urartian language
Urartian or Vannic is an extinct Hurro-Urartian languages, Hurro-Urartian language which was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (''Biaini'' or ''Biainili'' in Urartian), which was centered on the region around Lake Van and ...
.
[Lang, D. M. (1979). Review of “Moses Khorenats’i”: History of the Armenians, by R. W. Thomson & Moses Khorenats’i. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 42(3), 574–575. http://www.jstor.org/stable/615590]
Works
The following works are also attributed to Movses:
*''Letter on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary''
*''Homily on Christ's Transfiguration''
*''History of
Rhipsime
Hripsime ( hy, Հռիփսիմէ, died c. 290), also called Rhipsime, Ripsime, Ripsima, Ripsimia, Ripsimus, Arbsima or Arsema () was a martyr of Roman origin; she and her companions in martyrdom are venerated as some of the first Christian martyr ...
and Her Companions''
*''Hymns used in Armenian Church Worship''
*''Commentaries on the Armenian Grammarians''
*''Explanations of Armenian Church Offices''
Published editions
Armenian
*
*
* (A facsimile reproduction in three volumes of the original title as published in Venice in 1784–1786).
*
* (Translation into modern Armenian with introduction and notes).
English
*
James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce
James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce, (10 May 1838 – 22 January 1922), was a British academic, jurist, historian, and Liberal politician. According to Keoth Robbins, he was a widely-traveled authority on law, government, and history whose expe ...
''Armenian Legends and Poems'' Bryce has selections of Khorenatsi's ''History of Armenia''
*
* A portion of Book II of Khorenatsi's ''History of Armenia''.
Latin
*
French
*
*
*
Russian
*
*
*
*
Notes
External links
(in Armenian)
Movses Khorenatsi, "The History of Armenia"(in English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moses Of Chorene
410s births
490s deaths
5th-century Armenian historians
5th-century translators
Armenian saints
Christians in the Sasanian Empire
Armenian people from the Sasanian Empire