History of Armenia (Movses Khorenatsi)

The History of Armenia (Armenian: Պատմություն Հայոց, Patmut'yun Hayots) attributed to Movses Khorenatsi is an early account of Armenia, covering the mythological origins of the Armenian people as well as Armenia's interaction with Sassanid, Byzantine and Arsacid empires down to the 5th century.

It contains unique material on ancient Armenian legends, and such information on pagan (pre-Christian) Armenian as has survived. It also contains plentiful data on the history and culture of contiguous countries. The book had an enormous impact on Armenian historiography. In the text, the author self-identifies as a disciple of Saint Mesrop, and states that he composed his work at the request of Isaac (Sahak), the Bagratuni prince who fell in battle in 482.

Until the 19th century most scholars accepted Movses's History as an authentic script. For example, Gibbon in his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (ch. 32) still accepted the 5th century date of Movses, on grounds that "his local information, his passions and his prejudices, are strongly expressive of a native and contemporary"." It is now clear that the current version we have could not have been written in the 5th century There is clearly a later Christian influence back-dating the Christianity of Armenia, and relating other stories from the area to the conversion of Armenian to Christianity. For example, in the book Adgbar's queen, Helena, is a pious Christian who cannot live among the pagans and moves to Jerusalem where she provides food during a famine. This story is actually about Queen Helena of Adiabene from the Neo-Assyrian vassal state Adiabene, who, according to Flavius Josephus converted to Judaism and indeed contributed to the city at a time when Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire.

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