Elishe
Encyclopedia
Yeghishe Vardapet was a prominent Armenian
historian. He was the author of a history documenting the successful revolt of the Armenians in the 5th century against the rule and religion of the Sassanid Persians
.
. In 434, he, along with several other students, were sent to Alexandria
to study Greek, Syriac and the liberal arts. He returned to Armenia in 441 and entered into military service, serving as a soldier or secretary to the Sparapet
Vardan Mamikonian. He took part in the war of religious independence (449-451) against the Persian King, Yazdegerd II
.
Following their defeat at the battle of Avarayr, he renounced military life, became a hermit
and retired to the mountains south of Lake Van
(Rshtunik'). In 464-465, he was asked to write the history of the events leading up to and after the battle of Avarayr by a priest named David Mamikonian. Following his death, his remains were removed and taken to the Surb Astvatsatsin Monastery, located along Lake Van's shoreline. All ancient authorities speak of Yeghishe as a vardapet
(church doctor).
Beginning with Babgen Kulaserian in 1909 and Father Nerses Akinian, a member of the Mkhitarian Congregation
, in the 1930s, the dating of Yeghishe's work was cast into doubt and moved a century or two forward. One element of their argument was predicated on the assumption that the Armenian translation of Philo
's works, which Yeghishe uses, was not made until around 600 AD. However, the translation of Philo's works during the early "Hellenizing" period of the Golden Age of Armenian literature. Neither the dating of the Hellenizing phase nor the presence of Hellenizing vocabulary are necessarily dependent on Yeghishe’s dating. Furthermore, there are no verbal literal parallels between the two authors, since Yeghishe directly translated Philo's work from its original Greek into Armenian.
Another argument that was made to support the later dating was the assertion that, given the parallels, Yeghishe's History of Vardan is simply an adaptation of the late fifth century Armenian historian Ghazar Parpetsi
's History of Armenia. But while Ghazar dispassionately and analytically recounts the history of Armenia from the late fourth century to his own times, the battle of Avarayr merely figures as one episode of many in his work. Yeghishe's goal, on the other hand, was to immortalize the "heavenly valor" of the Armenians and "provide comfort to friends, hope to the hopeful, and encouragement to the brave." In deep contrast to Ghazar, Yeghishe is able to give the individual names of fortresses and demonstrates an expert knowledge in the military tactics used by the Armenians and the Persians during the battle, indicating that he was "standing closer to the events." His understanding of the customs of Zoroastrianism
and the Zurvanite
doctrine is also far more detailed and superior than Ghazar. Yeghishe's complete failure to mention the Council of Chalcedon
, the theological conclusions of which led to the complete breakdown of relations between the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches following the 506 Council of Dvin
, has also led many scholars to reject the later datings.
Yeghishe’s most famous work is the History of Vardan and the Armenian War [written] at the request of David Mamikonian, which he calls a "Hishatakaran" ("Յիշատակարան", a"Memorial" or "Recollection", rather than a standard history). In this he recounts the struggle of the Armenians, in union with the Iberians
and the Caucasian Albanians, for their common faith, against the Persians (449-451). Both sides saw religion as a badge of national identity; the Armenians were determined to retain Christianity, while the Persians attempted to force a reintroduction of Zoroastrianism. In his own words, Yeghishe wrote the work "in order to reprove his sins, so that everyone hears and knows they may cast curses on him and not lust after his deeds." The work is considered one of the masterpieces of classical Armenian literature
and is almost entirely free from Greek
words and expressions.
A number of other works also exist by Eliseus. There is an Exhortation to the monks; On the transfiguration, a Homily on the Passion of the Lord. The "Questions and Answers on Genesis" is probably not genuine.
An excellent edition of it was published at Venice
in 1826 by the Mechitarists of San Lazzaro
. One of the manuscripts on which it is based purports to be a faithful copy of another manuscript dated to 616. The text of that edition was further improved in subsequent editions at the same place (1828, 1838, 1859, and 1864). Among other editions of value are those of Theodosia
in Crimea
(Ukraine
), 1861, and of Jerusalem, 1865. Yeghishe is also the author of a commentary on Joshua and Judges, an explanation of the Our Father, a letter to the Armenian monks, etc., all found in the Venice editions of the History of Vartan. A landmark study and critical edition of the text was prepared by philologist Yervand Ter-Minassian in 1957.
(1982). There is an old French translation (1869). There is also one in Italian by G. Cappelletti (Venice, 1840).
In addition to the seven chapters mentioned by Yeghishe himself in his introductory remarks, all the editions contain an eighth chapter referring to the so-called Leontine martyrs
and others. The authenticity of that chapter has been called into question. It has been also remarked that in all the manuscripts the fifth chapter is missing, while in the editions the original sixth chapter is cut in two so as to make up for the missing chapter.
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
historian. He was the author of a history documenting the successful revolt of the Armenians in the 5th century against the rule and religion of the Sassanid Persians
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
.
Life
According to ancient and medieval sources that have trickled down to historians, Yeghishe was one of the younger pupils of Sahak Partev and Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian AlphabetArmenian alphabet
The Armenian alphabet is an alphabet that has been used to write the Armenian language since the year 405 or 406. It was devised by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and ecclesiastical leader, and contained originally 36 letters. Two more letters, օ and ֆ, were added in the Middle Ages...
. In 434, he, along with several other students, were sent to Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
to study Greek, Syriac and the liberal arts. He returned to Armenia in 441 and entered into military service, serving as a soldier or secretary to the Sparapet
Sparapet
Sparapet was a hereditary military rank that originated in the 2nd century BC, under the reign of King Artashes I, and was used in the Kingdom of Armenia and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , was supreme commander of the armed forces. It was the equivalent of the Parthian Spahbod Sparapet was a...
Vardan Mamikonian. He took part in the war of religious independence (449-451) against the Persian King, Yazdegerd II
Yazdegerd II
Yazdegerd II was the fifteenth Sassanid King of Persia. He was the son of Bahram V and reigned from 438 to 457....
.
Following their defeat at the battle of Avarayr, he renounced military life, became a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
and retired to the mountains south of Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
(Rshtunik'). In 464-465, he was asked to write the history of the events leading up to and after the battle of Avarayr by a priest named David Mamikonian. Following his death, his remains were removed and taken to the Surb Astvatsatsin Monastery, located along Lake Van's shoreline. All ancient authorities speak of Yeghishe as a vardapet
Vardapet
A Vardapet is a highly-educated archimandrite in the Armenian Apostolic Church tradition who holds a Doctorate in Theology.In the English-speaking world, the best-known of the doctor-monks of Armenia is Mekhitar of Sebaste, founder of an Armenian Catholic community of monks, the...
(church doctor).
Beginning with Babgen Kulaserian in 1909 and Father Nerses Akinian, a member of the Mkhitarian Congregation
Mechitarists
The Mechitarists , are a congregation of Benedictine monks of the Armenian Catholic Church founded in 1712 by Abbot Mechitar of Sebastia. They are best known for their series of scholarly publications of ancient Armenian versions of otherwise lost ancient Greek texts.-History:Their eponymous...
, in the 1930s, the dating of Yeghishe's work was cast into doubt and moved a century or two forward. One element of their argument was predicated on the assumption that the Armenian translation of Philo
Philo
Philo , known also as Philo of Alexandria , Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria....
's works, which Yeghishe uses, was not made until around 600 AD. However, the translation of Philo's works during the early "Hellenizing" period of the Golden Age of Armenian literature. Neither the dating of the Hellenizing phase nor the presence of Hellenizing vocabulary are necessarily dependent on Yeghishe’s dating. Furthermore, there are no verbal literal parallels between the two authors, since Yeghishe directly translated Philo's work from its original Greek into Armenian.
Another argument that was made to support the later dating was the assertion that, given the parallels, Yeghishe's History of Vardan is simply an adaptation of the late fifth century Armenian historian Ghazar Parpetsi
Ghazar Parpetsi
Ghazar Parpetsi was a 5th to 6th century Armenian chronicler and historian. He had close ties with the powerful Mamikonian noble famiily and is most prominent for writing a history of Armenia, History of Armenia, sometime in the early sixth century.-Life:...
's History of Armenia. But while Ghazar dispassionately and analytically recounts the history of Armenia from the late fourth century to his own times, the battle of Avarayr merely figures as one episode of many in his work. Yeghishe's goal, on the other hand, was to immortalize the "heavenly valor" of the Armenians and "provide comfort to friends, hope to the hopeful, and encouragement to the brave." In deep contrast to Ghazar, Yeghishe is able to give the individual names of fortresses and demonstrates an expert knowledge in the military tactics used by the Armenians and the Persians during the battle, indicating that he was "standing closer to the events." His understanding of the customs of Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
and the Zurvanite
Zurvanism
Zurvanism is a now-extinct branch of Zoroastrianism that had the divinity Zurvan as its First Principle . Zurvanism is also known as Zurvanite Zoroastrianism....
doctrine is also far more detailed and superior than Ghazar. Yeghishe's complete failure to mention the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
, the theological conclusions of which led to the complete breakdown of relations between the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches following the 506 Council of Dvin
Dvin
Dvin was a large commercial city and the capital of early medieval Armenia. It was situated north of the previous ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Artaxata, along the banks of the Metsamor River, 35 km to the south of modern Yerevan...
, has also led many scholars to reject the later datings.
Works
| «Մահ ոչ իմացեալ՝ մահ է, մահ իմացեալ՝ անմահութիւն է:» "Death, unanticipated, is death; death, anticipated, is immortality." |
| —Yeghishe, History of Vardan and the Armenian War. |
Yeghishe’s most famous work is the History of Vardan and the Armenian War [written] at the request of David Mamikonian, which he calls a "Hishatakaran" ("Յիշատակարան", a"Memorial" or "Recollection", rather than a standard history). In this he recounts the struggle of the Armenians, in union with the Iberians
Caucasian Iberia
Iberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
and the Caucasian Albanians, for their common faith, against the Persians (449-451). Both sides saw religion as a badge of national identity; the Armenians were determined to retain Christianity, while the Persians attempted to force a reintroduction of Zoroastrianism. In his own words, Yeghishe wrote the work "in order to reprove his sins, so that everyone hears and knows they may cast curses on him and not lust after his deeds." The work is considered one of the masterpieces of classical Armenian literature
Armenian literature
-Early literature:Armenian literature begins about 406 with the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop.Isaac, the Catholicos of Armenia, formed a school of translators who were sent to Edessa, Athens, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Caesarea in Cappadocia, and elsewhere, to procure...
and is almost entirely free from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
words and expressions.
A number of other works also exist by Eliseus. There is an Exhortation to the monks; On the transfiguration, a Homily on the Passion of the Lord. The "Questions and Answers on Genesis" is probably not genuine.
Editions
The original text of Yeghishe's work, like all others written during this period, does not exist (all currently extant Armenian manuscripts date to the tenth century or later). The oldest surviving manuscript of his History of Vardan dates to 1174.An excellent edition of it was published at Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1826 by the Mechitarists of San Lazzaro
San Lazzaro degli Armeni
San Lazzaro degli Armeni is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy, lying immediately west of the Lido; completely occupied by a monastery that is the mother-house of the Mekhitarist Order, the island is one of the world's foremost centers of Armenian culture.- Background :The...
. One of the manuscripts on which it is based purports to be a faithful copy of another manuscript dated to 616. The text of that edition was further improved in subsequent editions at the same place (1828, 1838, 1859, and 1864). Among other editions of value are those of Theodosia
Theodosia
Feodosiya is a port and resort city in Crimea, Ukraine, on the Black Sea coast. During much of its history the town was known as Caffa or Kaffa .- History :...
in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
(Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), 1861, and of Jerusalem, 1865. Yeghishe is also the author of a commentary on Joshua and Judges, an explanation of the Our Father, a letter to the Armenian monks, etc., all found in the Venice editions of the History of Vartan. A landmark study and critical edition of the text was prepared by philologist Yervand Ter-Minassian in 1957.
Translations
There are two English translations: an incomplete 1830 translation and a modern translation by Robert W. ThomsonRobert W. Thomson
Robert William Thomson is retired Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies at Oxford University.When an Armenian Studies Professorship was established in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the Harvard University in 1969, Thomson was appointed to the chair which was subsequently named in...
(1982). There is an old French translation (1869). There is also one in Italian by G. Cappelletti (Venice, 1840).
In addition to the seven chapters mentioned by Yeghishe himself in his introductory remarks, all the editions contain an eighth chapter referring to the so-called Leontine martyrs
Leontine martyrs
The Leontine Martyrs were a group of people who were killed after a long period of captivity in Persia. They were executed by the order of King Yazdegerd II in 455, five years after the insurrection led by Vartan Mamikonian.They included:...
and others. The authenticity of that chapter has been called into question. It has been also remarked that in all the manuscripts the fifth chapter is missing, while in the editions the original sixth chapter is cut in two so as to make up for the missing chapter.