Movses Khorenatsi

Movses Khorenatsi
A painting of Movses Khorenatsi by Hovnatan Hovnatanian (1730-1801)
Born	ca. 410 AD Taron, Kingdom of Armenia
Died	490s AD Armenia
Venerated in	Armenian Apostolic Church
Feast	Feast of the Holy Translators in October.
Patronage	Armenia

Movses Khorenatsi (ca. 410–490s AD;Armenian: , pronounced [mɔfˈsɛs χɔɾɛnɑˈtsʰi], also written as Movsēs Xorenac‘i and Moses of Khoren, Moses of Choren, and Moses Chorenensis in Latin sources) was a prominent Armenian historian from the period of Late Antiquity and the author of the History of Armenia.

Khorenatsi is credited with the earliest known historiographical work on the history of Armenia written in Armenian, but was also a poet, or hymn writer, and a grammarian. The History of Armenia was written at the behest of Prince Sahak of the Bagratuni dynasty and has had an enormous impact on Armenian historiography. It was used and quoted extensively by later medieval Armenian authors. Although other Armenians such as Agathangelos had previously written histories on Armenia, Movses' work holds particular significance because it contains unique material on the old oral traditions in Armenia before its conversion to Christianity and, more importantly, traces Armenian history from Movses' day back to its origins.

Khorenatsi is considered to be the "father of Armenian history" (patmahayr), and is sometimes referred to as the "Armenian Herodotus." Khorenatsi's work became the first attempt of a universal history of Armenia.

Movses identified himself as a young disciple of Mesrop Mashtots, inventor of the Armenian alphabet, and is recognized by the Armenian Apostolic Church as one of the Holy Translators.

Movses' biographical details are given at the very end of the History of the Armenians but additional information provided by later medieval Armenian historians have allowed modern scholars to piece together additional information on him. Movses was believed to have been born in the village of Khorni (also spelled as Khoron and Khoronk) in the Armenian province of Taron or Turuberan sometime in 410. However, some scholars contend that if he was born here, he would have then been known as Movses of Khorneh or Khoron. They instead move the location of his birth from Taron to the Armenian province of Syunik, in the village of Khorena in the region of Harband.