Late Antique Historiography

History of Armenia

Title(s):
  • History of Armenia
  • Anonymous history of Armenia
Author:
Period covered:
572-655
Language:
Armenian
State of Preservation:
Full
Genre:
  • Secular history (ethnic history)
  • Secular history (general)
Remarks:
The only complete manuscript of this text is Matenadaran 2639, which transmits the history without title or name. The attribution to Sebeos of Bagratuni and its identification with the fragmentary History of Heraclius also ascribed to Sebeos dates back to the first publisher of this text, Mihrdatean (1851), who followed the view already expressed by H. Shahkhat‛unean in 1833. Four concluding notices were added after 655 to the compilation and extended the historical scope of this story to 661. To avoid confusion, it may be best to cite the history as: Anonymous history of Armenia.
Edition - Translation:
  • G. Abgaryan (1979) Patmut‘iwn Sebēosi. Yerevan.
  • R. Bedrosian (1985) Sebēos' History. New-York.
  • C. Gugerotti (1990) Sebeos: Storia. Verona.
  • R.W. Thomson (1999) The Armenian History attributed to Sebeos: Historical commentary by James Howard-Johnston, with assistance from Tim Greenwood. Part I: Translations and notes. (Translated texts for historians, 31). Liverpool.
  • S.S. Malhasyanc (1939) (tr.) История епископа Себеоса. Yerevan.
  • K. Uzbashyan (2005) ‘Patmut‘iwn sebēosi’. In: Matenagirk‘ Hayoc‘. Volume Four: Seventh century. Ant‘ilias: 453-565 (= Abgaryan 1979).
Fragments:
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • Z. Arzoumanian (1982) 'A critique of Sebēos and his History of Heraclius, a seventh-century document'. In: Classical Armenian culture, ed. T.J. Samuelian. Berkeley: 68-78.
  • T. Greenwood (2002) 'Sasanian echoes and apocalyptic expectations: A re-evaluation of the Armenian History attributed to Sebeos'. Le muséon 115: 323-397.
  • T. Greenwood (2009) 'The History of Sebeos'. In: Christian-Muslim relations: A bibliographical history. Volume One: 600-900, ed. D. Thomas - B. Roggema (The history of Christian-Muslim relations, 11). Leiden - Boston: 139-144.
  • A.J. Hacikyan (2002) (ed.) The heritage of Armenian literature. Volume Two: From the sixth to the eighteenth century. Detroit: 81-93.
  • J. Howard-Johnston (2002) 'Armenian historians of Heraclius: An examination of the aims, sources and working-methods of Sebeos and Movses Daskhurantsi'. In: The reign of Heraclius (610-641): Crisis and confrontation, ed. G.J. Reinink - B.H. Stolte. Leuven: 41-62.
  • J.-P. Mahé (1984) 'Critical remarks on the newly-edited excerpts from Sebeos'. In: Medieval Armenian culture, ed. T.J. Samuelian - M.E. Stone. Berkeley: 218-239.
  • G. Soultanian (2007) The History of Bischop Sebēos: Redefining a seventh-century voice from Armenia. London.
  • R.W. Thomson (1995) A bibliography of classical Armenian literature to 1500 A.D. Turnhout: 196-198.
  • R.W. Thomson (1998) 'The defence of Armenian Orthodoxy in Sebeos'. In: AΕΤΟΣ: Studies in honour of Cyril Mango, ed. I. Sevcenko - I. Hutter. Stuttgart: 329-341.
  • R.W. Thomson (1999) (ed.) The Armenian History attributed to Sebeos: Historical commentary by James Howard-Johnston, with assistance from Tim Greenwood. (Translated texts for historians, 31). Liverpool.
  • R.W. Thomson (2006) Moses Khorenats‘i, History of the Armenians: Translation and commentary on the literary sources. Ann Arbor.
  • R.W. Thomson (2007) 'Supplement to a bibliography of classical Armenian literature to 1500 A.D.: Publications 1993-2005'. Le muséon 120: 200-201.