Late Antique Historiography

Epic histories

Title(s):
  • Epic histories
  • Պատմութիւն Հայոց
    (Patmut‛iwn Hayoc‛, History of Armenia)
  • Բուզանդարան Պատմութիւնք
    (Buzandaran Patmut῾iwnk῾, Epic histories)
Author:
Period covered:
330-387
Language:
Armenian
State of Preservation:
Partial
Genre:
  • Secular history (ethnic history)
  • Secular history (epic history)
Remarks:
The Epic histories were traditionally attributed to Faustus of Byzantium, which is now generally taken to be mistaken. For further discussion, see Faustus of Byzantium.
Patkanean (1879) and later Peeters (1951) suggested that the work may have been first composed in Syriac. For Garsoian (1984), Uluhoghian (1997) and Traina (2001), the Epic histories were originally composed in Armenian.
The exact number of books is unknown: see Garsoïan (1989: 16-22) for a summary of the discussion and hypotheses about the number of books.
Edition - Translation:
  • N. Garsoian (1984) Buzandaran patmut‘iwnk‘ (The epic histories) also known as Patmut'iwn Hayoc' (History of Armenia) attributed to P'awstos Buzandac'i: A facsimile reproduction of the 1883. Saint Petersburg - Delmar (NY).
  • N. Garsoian (1989) The epic histories attributed to P'awstos Buzand (Buzandaran patmut'iwnk'). Cambridge (MA).
  • G. Uluhogian (1997), Storia degli Armeni: P'awstos Buzand. Milan.
  • M.A. Gevorgyan (1953) (tr.) История Армении Фавстоса Бузанда (Памятники древнеармянской литературы, 1). Yerevan.
Fragments:
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • K.N. Patkanian (1879) Библиографический очерк армянской исторической литературы. Saint Petersburg.
  • P. Peeters (1951) 'Le début de la persécution de Sapor d'après Fauste de Byzance'. In: Recherches d'histoire et de philologie orientales, Brussels: 59-77 = Peeters, P. (1920-21), Revue des études Arméniennes 1: 15-33.
  • G. Ter-Mkrtč῾ean (1904) 'P῾awstosi jeṙagrerə'. Zeitschrift für armenische Philologie 2: 267-286.
  • R.W. Thomson (1995) A bibliography of classical Armenian literature to 1500 A.D. Turnhout: 185-187.
  • R.W. Thomson (2007) 'Supplement to a bibliography of classical Armenian literature to 1500 A.D.: Publications 1993-2005'. Le muséon 120: 163-223, 182.
  • G. Traina (2001) 'Faustus "of Byzantium", Procopius, and the Armenian history (Jacoby, FGrHist 679.3-4)'. In: Novum millennium: Studies on Byzantine history and culture dedicated to Paul Speck, ed. C. Sode S. Takács. Aldershot: 405-413.
  • K. Yuzbachian (2000) 'Sur la véracité du nom de P῾awstos Buzand'. Handes Amsoreay 114: 99-18.