Yeghishe
Yeghishe Vardapet ( Եղիշե Armenian, Armenian jɛʁiʃɛ Eliseus, alternatively written Yeghisheh, Yeghishe, Eghishe, Egishe, Elishe, or Elise, * 410, † 475 ) was an Armenian historian. He was the author of a work that depicts the successful rebellion of the Armenians in the 5th century to the rule and the religion of the Sassanid Persians.
Life
The ancient and medieval sources, which are present today's historians, Yeghishe was one of the younger pupils of Sahak Partev and Mesrop, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet. In the year 434 AD. he was sent along with some other students to Alexandria to Greek, Syriac, and the fine arts to learn. He returned 441 back to Armenia and struck a military career as a soldier or secretary of Vardan Mamikonian Sparapet. He participated in the struggle for religious independence ( 449-451 ) against the Persian king Yazdegerd II.
After the defeat of the Persians at the Battle of Avarayr he retired from military service in return, became a hermit and lived in the mountains south of Lake Van ( Rshtunik '). In the years 464-465 he was asked in front of a priest named David Mamikonian, about his experiences and write during the Battle of Avarayr. After his death, his remains were transferred to the Surb Astvatsatsin Monastery, located on the shores of Lake Van. All ancient authorities of history speak of Yeghishe as a Wardapet.
Starting with Babgen Kulaserian in 1909 and Father Nerses Akinian, a member of the Kongegration Mechitarists, the dating of Yeghishes work was revised in the 1930s and located one to two centuries later. An argument of Mechitarists was based on the assumption that the Armenian translation of the works of Philo of Alexandria, the Yeghishe used, not 600 AD was published before about the year. However, the translation has been done already during the early " Hellenisierungs phase" during the Golden Age of Armenian literature. Neither the dating of Hellenisierungs - phase nor the presence hellenisierender vocabulary are necessarily together with the dating of Yeghishe. In addition, there is no literal parallels between the two authors, as Yeghishe Philos works translated directly from the original Greek language.
Another argument in support of a later date, was due to the many parallels, the assumption that Yeghishes History of Vardan was simply an adaptation of the work history of Armenia from Ghazar Parpetsi, an Armenian historian of the 5th century have been. But while Ghazar dispassionately and analytically the history of Armenia from the late 4th century Carrying up to his time, is the battle of Avarayr only one episode of many. Yeghishes target on the other hand was to make the " heavenly courage " of the Armenians with his work immortal and " donate the friends consolation, the hoper hope and courage the brave. " In sharp contrast to Ghazar Yeghishe may indicate the respective names of the forts and military proves knowledge of the tactics that were used by the Armenians and Persians during the battle, indicating a greater proximity to the action. His knowledge in regard to the traditions of Zoroastrianism and the zurvanitischen teaching is much more detailed than in Ghazar. Yeghishes failure to mention the Council of Chalcedon, whose theological explanations for serious rift between the Greek Orthodox and the Armenian Apostolic Church after the Council of Dvin in 506 led, has also contributed that was the later dating of Yeghishes work of many scientists rejected.
Works
Yeghishes most famous work, the History of Vardan and the Armenian War is [ written ] at the request of David Mamikonian, which was called by him a " Hishatakaran " ( " Յիշատակարան ," a " collection"). In it he gives the struggle of the Armenians in conjunction with the Iberians and the Albanians against the Persians ( 449-451 ) for their common faith. Both sides saw religion as a feature of national identity; Armenians fought to keep Christianity can, while the Persians stood for a reintroduction of Zoroastrianism. Yeghishe wrote the work " For the forgiveness of his sins, and that everyone hears and knows that he should speak curses over him, not euphony according to his deeds. " The work is a masterpiece of classical Armenian literature and is almost entirely free from Greek words and expressions.
There are a number of other works of Eliseus. There is an exhortation to the monks; About the Transfiguration, a sermon on the Passion of the Lord. The work "Questions and Answers on Genesis " is probably not authentic.
Editions
The original texts of the works of Yeghishe exist, like those of all the other works of this period, not all currently existing Armenian manuscripts dating to the 10th century or later. The oldest surviving copy of his History of Vardan dated 1174th
An excellent edition of his works were published in Venice in 1826 by the Mechitarists of San Lazzaro. One of the manuscripts to which supports the publication, should be 616 AD, a true copy of a text from the year. The text of this edition has been gradually improved in later editions (1828, 1838, 1859 and 1864). Other good editions are those of Feodosia in Crimea (Ukraine ) in 1861, and that of Jerusalem from 1865. Yeghishe also the author of a commentary on Joshua and the Book of Judges, an explanation of the Our Father, a letter to the Armenian monks etc. All can be found in the Venetian edition of the history of Vartan. A groundbreaking study and critical edition of the text was published by philologists Yervand Ter - Minassian in 1957.