The Life of Mashtots

a. Testimony of the ancients: Pseudo-Lazar Parpetsi (around 700), speaking about Mashtots, writes: "And if anyone wishes to know this for certain, let him read the History of the desirable man Koryan, student of the same blessed Mashtots, and he will be informed of the life of his living and the discovery of the Armenian signs, when or where or by whose hand it was found (understand: 'was discovered')—the Armenian King Vramshapuh fervently requesting; which the aforementioned spiritual man Koriwn ordered to be written truthfully; hence we also, having read it many times, have been informed for certain" (page 13). The same author, mentioning the circumstances of St. Sahak’s death, returns again to this: "And we knew the day of the Saint’s birth to be the same day and the same month of the Saint’s birth for certain (printed: 'established') from the accurate observers and from the History of the blessed man Koryan" (page 37). Movses Khorenatsi and Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi, although they use Koriwn, do not mention their source by name.

Tovmas Artsruni collected his information about St. Sahak and Mashtots from the Life; he points to his source: "Which the blessed Koriwn, fellow student of Movses and student of the holy Mesrop, makes trustworthy for us in his verified History" 3. So too Stepannos Asoghik, telling of the discovery of writing: "As Koriwn and Lazar narrate" 4. In the same century, Anania Sanahnetsi in his Commentary on the "Holy God" has an allusion: "You will learn the deeds of the wickedness (of the Nestorians) from the History of Koryan, student of Mashtots, in the exhausted [section]" 5, by which he alludes to Koriwn, XVI. 3 section.

Kirakos Gandzaketsi, who placed "The History of the wonderful man Koryan" in the list of historians after Sebeos (page 3), writes elsewhere: "And Koriwn (wrote) the History of holy Mesrop and other times" (page 17). Kirakos shows the time as after Sebeos; Kirakos seems to have followed the archetype of the Yerevan Matenadaran No. 2639 manuscript, where Koriwn's History follows Sebeos's History. Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi mentioned "Koriwn" in his List after Lazar and before Khosrov 6. Of later time is the writing "Historians of the Armenians," where it is said about Koriwn: "Koriwn the translator, which is the History of holy Mesrop the patriarch" 7. Let me mention finally the lines of Lazar Jahketsi: "Koriwn, valiant and wonderful, he was also from the students of holy Mesrop. He made a History of times and the complete History of holy Mesrop" 8. Here "History of times" is a borrowing from Kirakos. In the title of the Collections, it is said: "...which was made by holy Koryan," where the nominative form Koryan, considered the nominative, has been transformed into the genitive Koryay.

3 Tovmas Artsruni, History, Petersburg 1887, page 76.
4 Stepannos Asoghik, Universal History, Moscow 1885, page 74.
5 Hayapatum, A. 49.
6 Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi, Chronology, Petersburg 1867, page 37.
7 H. G. Galemkearian, History of Armenian Journalism, Vienna 1893, page 206.
8 "Desirable Garden," Istanbul 1735, page 624.