Movses Khorenatsi's History of the Armenians: Chapter 1
Book I
Genealogy of
Greater Armenia
Chapter I
(Translated by Beyon Miloyan)
Response to Sahak’s letter and my promise to fulfill his request
Movses Khorenatsi, in prelude to this composition, greetings and felicitations to Sahak Bagratuni.
I
came to know the inexhaustible inspiration of divine grace and the sway
of the indefatigable Spirit upon your thoughts through this lofty
request of yours, having become acquainted with your soul before meeting
you in person. Your request is dear to my affections and more so to my
practice. Thus, it is not fit for me to merely praise you, but also to
pray for you, that it may remain so with you always.
For
if it is because of the Word that we, as it is said, are the image of
God, and if the virtue of a rational [mind] is prudence, in which you
have placed your ceaseless desire, then adorn the Word by which you
remain in the image [of God] by keeping the flame of your prudence
fervent with majestic thoughts. By this you may be said to make this
archetype delight, roused and impelled as it were by a majestic and
temperate impulsion.
Here
I observe that the magnates and princes of Armenia (those who preceded us and
who live among us alike) failed to command the wise men who were under
their authority to record histories, and did not so much as think to
import erudite talent from some place for this purpose. Yet having come
to know you through just such an initiative, it is clear that you ought
to be recognized as preeminent among all your predecessors and worthy of
the highest praise as is fitting for this dedication.
Thus,
having gladly received your request, I will carry it on to completion
as an undying memorial to you and your descendants to come. For you are
of ancient stock, noble and fecund, not only in words and indispensable
prudence, but also in your very great and many honorable works. These we
shall record in their proper place in our history when we genealogize
all the [Armenian] azgs from father to son. As for the nakhararutyuns of the Armenians, we shall reliably summarize their wheres and hows as recorded in a number of Greek histories.
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