The Life of Mashtots

to indicate beside him either his birthplace or a description of his person. Thus, when he first spoke of Ghewond, he emphasized that he was a "faithful and truth-worshipping man" (XIV. 1); but here, where Koriwn is mentioned for the first time, neither his homeland nor a description is pointed out, but he is named only "Koriwnos," as an insignificant person 12.

Relying on these data, we accept that Koriwn is Mashtots's student and his biographer. Let us now examine his person more closely.

2. Biographical outlines. Gh. Parpetsi, in his History, brought forward a story heard about the priest Ghewond, where there is also an allusion regarding Koriwn. One day, in "an earlier time," Mashtots and his students are together. Ghewond is sleeping, lying on one side. "The man of God, Mashtots, his vardapet master/teacher, along with his other students, the blessed Koriwn and Ardzan, saw with wakefulness a violent light radiating around him (Ghewond); who right then and there, the blessed holy men knew by the Holy Spirit about the end of the saint, that he would be completed by martyrdom" (page 70). Where and when this event happened, we do not know. But we can confirm from this that Koriwn was a student of Mashtots, having as his peers and fellow students Ghewond and Ardzan.

Koriwn himself confesses that he was a student of Mashtots. When the locum tenens Hovsep tasks him to write the Life of Mashtots, there reaches him also "the encouragement of others, of our fellow students in the doctrine—whence I also took my share of particular studentship, even though I was the youngest" (I. 1). And I wrote, he says, this Life "not having learned from some ancient rumors... but having been eyewitnesses in the midst of the forms and close attendants of the spiritual deeds, and listeners of the grace-narrating doctrine, and his companions according to the evangelical commands" (XX. 2). Here Koriwn expresses himself in the plural voice; the speech is about his own person. And the words eyewitness, close attendant, listener, and companion suggest observing him as having followed the Vardapet for a long duration as a servant, as a beloved student; hence, he was one most familiar with the Vardapet's activity and "spiritual deeds."

In all likelihood, Koriwn was among those "youths" whom Mashtots took with him and placed in Amida and Edessa to learn Greek and Syriac (407/8). As such, he was likely at least approximately 12 years old; thus, born around the year 395. It is possible to assume that Koriwn was with Mashtots when he toured Goghtn, Syunik, Aghuank, and Georgia around 415; again, Roman Armenia, Constantinople, etc. In 435/36, Koriwn was sent with Ghewond to Constantinople as a courier to Patriarch Proclus; he was now about 40 years old. "Who having arrived, attached themselves to Eznik as to..."

12 Regarding this courier mission, see Akinian, S. Mashtots, Vienna 1949, pp. 64—68; P. A. Vardanian, "Ein Briefwechsel zwischen Proklos und Sahak" A Correspondence between Proclus and Sahak, Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, 1913, S. 417.