and is almost entirely ecclesiastical. But they have a native school of historians too.
For the early history of Christianity in Armenia there are two authentic sources of first importance — Faustus and the life of St. Gregory in Agathangelos. Faustus Byzantinus is a native Armenian of the family Saharunikh. He lived in the 4th century and was in Holy Orders.[1] He wrote in Greek a Historical Library, of which Books iii-vi contain the story of the conversion of Armenia and the history of the Armenian Church down to the division of the country between Rome and Persia in 385 (p. 386).[2] It is not known why he is called "Byzantine"; either because he whites in Greek, or because of a sojourn he made at Constantinople.[3] He writes in Greek because there was no possibility of a native literature till Mesrob invented an Armenian alphabet (pp. 408-9). Agathangelos is the pseudonym of an unknown Armenian writer of the 5th century.[4] He fictitiously calls himself Agathangelos,[5] secretary of King Trdat II (261-314?). His work, History of the reign of King Trdat and of the preaching of St. Gregory,[6] exists in two recensions, Armenian and Greek, of which the Armenian appears to be the original.[7] The author culls from many sources. Alfred v. Gutschmid in a careful examination of the text concludes that there is here a coherent nucleus of primary value, which he separates from the rest as the (original) Life of St. Gregory.[8] Into and around this the compiler has woven many later legends. Lazarus of Pharbi, at the end of the 5th century, wrote a History of Armenia[9] from various sources, chiefly from Faustus. The Vartapet[10] Elisæus about the same time composed a history of the war against the
- ↑ He must not be confused with the schismatically ordained Bishop Faustus of his time (see p. 407).
- ↑ In V. Langlois: Collection des Historiens anciens et modernes de l'Arménie (2 vols., Paris, 1880), i. 209-310.
- ↑ H. Gelzer: "Die Anfänge der armen. Kirche" (Verhdl. der K. Sächs. Ges. der Wissensch. zu Leipzig, Phil.-hist. classe, i. ii. 1895), 114-116.
- ↑ He uses Mesrob's version of the Bible (412); but Moses of Khoren and Lazar of Pharbi quote him.
- ↑ "Bearer of good tidings," an obviously assumed name.
- ↑ In Langlois: op. cit. i. 105-200.
- ↑ Gutschmid: Kleine Schriften (Leipzig, 1889), iii. 339.
- ↑ Gutschmid: Agathangelos (in his Kleine Schriften, iii. 339-420).
- ↑ Langlois: op. cit. ii. 259-367.
- ↑ For this title see below, p. 431.
