The Life of Mashtots

as shown by the numerous invocations and other allusions from that Book and to that Book. Koriwn listened to Mashtots's lectures and simultaneously read his Teacher's "Frequent Speeches," which he had authored. Mashtots, as we see from his Speeches, was a great master of coining complex words, partly by imitating Greek and partly thanks to the capability of the Armenian language. We find a large number of these complex words under Koriwn’s pen. He was also an imitator of his Teacher’s style. And this influence on him is not surprising if we consider that he had been a "listener to his grace-filled teaching" for a long time. The circumstance that Koriwn even took a place of imitation from Enta a literary source (A. 1) urges us to confirm that he had a desire within him to be an imitator of the style of great masters.

9. Dubious writings:

40 Drajt tsankali, p. 624.
41 Cf. Hayapatum, A., 49.
42 Cf. ibid.

a. History of Times: Kirakos Gandzaketsi wrote, he says, that Koriwn wrote "the History of St. Mesrop and other times" (p. 17). From this, likely, Ghazar Jahketsi40 writes: "He created the History of Times and the complete History of St. Mesrop." It appears that Martin Chrupet follows these when he says that Koriwn wrote about his time regarding both political and religious matters41. And Saint-Martin42 believes that Koriwn wrote a History by the command of King Vramshapuh.

H. M. Chamchian (A. 537) knows that "This (Koriwn), apart from many writings and translations, also created the History of St. Mesrop."

43 Ararat 1896, p. 430.

Galust Ter Mkrtchian43, who is convinced that Agathangelos is the same person as Koriwn, considers that "with every probability, not only the Life of Mashtots (and St. Parthev), the History of the Conversion of Armenia (= Agath.), but also the History of the Conversion of the Georgians belong to Koriwn."

These claims are unfounded hypotheses.

44 Hayapatum, B., p. 420. Cf. Chamchian, A., 769. Norayr, Koriwn, p. 7.

Koriwn is mentioned as a translator only in the Orhnutyunaber Tsutsak List of Blessings44, the antiquity and authenticity of which is very questionable: "To restrain the penitent and to release them again on Great Thursday, St. Cyril did at the door of Holy Zion in the 21st (other mss. 7) year of his patriarchate, on the day in which he offered the Edomites to God. And Arzevan (other mss. Arjevan, Endzak, Odzevan) and Koriwn, the translators, brought them to Armenia."

10. Doubts regarding the completeness of Koriwn’s text:

45 Hayapatum, A., 48.

"We cannot say," writes H. Gh. Alishan45, "that his original was the size and similar to the copies we have and have published. Just as there is the short along with the long, it seems the original was even longer than the long. At least it is undeniable that, apart from what is known to us, he produced other historical writings."