The Life of Mashtots

but also in style, so that he is deservedly counted among the classical national writers." Agathangelos and Pavstos are undoubtedly being alluded to. NHKh New Armenian Dictionary (Nakhadrun, p. 14) is of the same opinion: "Koriwn has grafted various passages from Agathangelos and Buzand Faustus of Byzantium with intent, in order to make St. Mesrop resemble St. Gregory and St. James of Nisibis." The same thought in a slightly more developed form is repeated (ibid., p. 10) when speaking about Pavstos: "The translation is fine Armenian prose... and in my opinion, it is the work of Koriwn, who also utilizes passages from Buzand, adapting them to the Life of St. Mesrop," etc. H. Y. Gatrchian49 also leans toward this theory, as he considers the translator of Agathangelos "as it seems plausible: Koriwn (in about the year 445)."

Minds were still prejudiced toward both Agathangelos and Pavstos; they were considered translations, pre-dating Koriwn; for this reason, they could not solve the mystery in any other way. The German philologist A. von Gutschmid50 was the first to pass Agathangelos through the crucible of examination and then approach the solution of this mystery; he did not hesitate to confirm that it is Agathangelos that takes excerpts from Koriwn. P. Vetter51 accepted this conclusion, but regarding Pavstos, he declared that Koriwn is the one who took the excerpts. H. B. Sargsian52, when he set out to approach the issue with a detailed examination, felt himself in a dead end because he did not want to agree with Gutschmid’s examinations regarding Agathangelos. The best solution to the mystery was given by H. Y. Tashian53: "In Koriwn and Agathangelos, there are many pieces that correspond word for word to each other. This point was known long ago, and in general, Koriwn was considered the one who took the excerpts. For the first time, Gutschmid expressed the opposite opinion. H. B. Sargsian also dealt with this issue recently, who, while recognizing the probability of the German scholar's opinions, wanted to take a third and middle path, but in results, he appeared as a defender of old known opinions. According to me, it is without doubt that Koriwn is not the one who took excerpts, but the last editor of Agathangelos; therefore, Agathangelos in this form was authored after Koriwn." Fntglean54 also follows this theory.

Galust Ter-Mkrtchian55 took a step further: "All of Koriwn’s words and expressions are scattered throughout Agathangelos from end to end—with every probability, it is Koriwn himself who is hidden under the name Agathangelos." "Koriwn and Agathangelos, in my opinion, are one and the same person—

49 Universal History, A., Vienna 1849, p. 94.
50 A. von Gutschmid, Agathangelos, pp. 24—31.
51 Vetter, Armenian Studies, pp. 81—82.
52 Bazmavep 1889, pp. 193—199, 225—232. Agathangelos and the mystery of his multiplicity, pp. 107—119.
53 Agathangelos to Gevorg, pp. 72—79.
54 Koriwn, pp. Th—Jg.
55 From the sources of Agathangelos, Ararat 1896, pp. 428—429.