Ancient Armenian literature

The period after the V century

In the VI century, the most remarkable historical work is Atanas Taronatsi’s «Chronography». Petros Syunetsi developed the traditions of ecclesiastical poetry. Since the VI century, theological collection, known as the «Book of Epistles», has been preserved.

After some decline in the VI century, the development of literature in the VII century and in the beginning of the VIII century, despite the difficult conditions of existence during the reign of the Arab Caliphate, continues in many directions: dogmatic literature, religious songs of Anania Shirakatsi, Hovhan Odznetsi, which were included in the collection of «Sharaknots». The Catholicos Komitas (615-628) and Stepanos Syunetsi created оutstanding spiritual poetry.

In the VII century, talented historians and writers continued the traditions of the 5th century. The works of Sebeos, Movses Kaghankatvatsi, Hovhan Mamikonyan, Ghevond are sources of valuable information on the history of Byzantium, Persia, Albania and Georgia. «History» of Sebeos tells us about the Persian campaigns of the Byzantine emperor Irakli (Armenian by origin), the liberation of the Tree of the Lord and the return to Jerusalem, the princes Smbat Bagratuni, Mushegh Mamikonyan, Theodoros Rshtuni (the prototype of Qeri Toros in the epic poem «Sasuntsi David»), as well as the about Khosrov And Shirin, which later became the basis for eastern poems (Nizami, Navoi).

«The History of the Caucasian Albanians» by Movses Kagankatvatsi is the only historical source on the Caucasian Albanians. It is also noteworthy for including the only surviving monument of secular literature of this period: Davtak Kertogh's (poet-rhetorician at the court of an Aghvan king) «Elegy on the Death of the Great Prince Jevansher» (written in the form of an acrostic of 36 stanzas, according to the number of letters of the Armenian alphabet), who was «an ingenious inventor», very «versed in the sciences».

«The History of the Taron» by Hovhan Mamikonyan abounds with epic tales, legends, and is distinguished by the narrative of the struggle against the Persian yoke, the exploits of Mushegh and Vahan Mamikonyan. Noteworthy is the legend about the three brothers who founded the city of Kuaru, echoing the well-known legend from the «Tale of the Time». In the VIII century,  Ghevond’s « History of Caliphs» on the struggle of Armenians against the Arab invasion was written. This work is a valuable source of knowledge in the history of the East.

A representative of natural science and philosophy of the VII century is Anania Shirakatsi. He left a great heritage in various fields of science: mathematics, cosmography, geography. His taskbook, named «Problems and solutions» is the oldest textbook that survived to us, containing addition, subtraction and multiplication tables. He defended Ptolemy's theory of the sphericity of the earth, his views on many phenomena - the absence of light from the moon, the origin of day and night, the nature of eclipses, outstripped his time.

Among the ninth century notable works we can mention «Stories of the holy patriarch Sahak and Vardapet Mashtots». The most important poets-hymnographers are Hamam Areveltsi and Vardan Anetsi.