Late Antique Historiography

History of Heraclius

Title(s):
  • History of Heraclius
  • պատմութիւն հերակլի ի Սեբէոսի եպիսկոպոսէ ասացեալ
    (Patmut‘iwn herakli i Sebēosi episkoposē asac‘eal, The history of Heraclius, which was said to be by bishop Sebēos)
  • Հերակլն ի Սեբիոսէ եպիսկոպոսէ ասացեալ
    (Heralkn i Sebiosē episkoposē asac‘eal, The Heraclius, which was said to be by bishop Sebios)
Author:
Period covered:
Heraclius? (610-641)
Language:
Armenian
State of Preservation:
Fragmentary
Genre:
  • Secular history (ethnic history)
  • Secular history (general)
Remarks:
From the eleventh century onwards, Armenian sources know of a Sebeos, author of a History of Heraclius. He is sometimes identified as a bishop. He is unlikely to be the author of the fragmentary anonymous History of Heraclius and the holy cross attributed to Pseudo-Sebeos, as its version of events is different from the one offered in the dependents of Sebeos. For the same reason, he is not the author of the extant History of Armenia attributed to (another) Pseudo-Sebeos.
Edition - Translation:
Fragments:
  • Stephen of Taron, History 1.1
  • Samuel of Ani, Chronicle, pr.
  • Mkhit‘ar of Ani, Chronicle pr.
  • Mkhit‘ar of Ayrivan, Chronicle pr.
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.
  • M. Emin (1860) Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘: Patmut‘iwn Hayots‘. Moscow.
  • 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, G. Basmajian, E.S. Franchuk, N. Ouzounian (2002) (eds.) 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.
  • S. Malxasean (1885) Step‘annos Taronets‘woy Patmut‘iwn tiezerakan. Saint Petersburg.
  • H.G. Margaryan (1983) Mkhit’ar Anets‘i: Matean Ashkharhavep Handisarants‘. Yerevan.
  • 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. Part II: Historical commentary. (Translated texts for historians, 31). Liverpool.
  • R.W. Thomson (2007) 'Supplement to a bibliography of classical Armenian literature to 1500 A.D.: Publications 1993-2005'. Le muséon 120: 200-201.