History of Armenia

With the help of the readings provided by these comparisons, I have composed the source text of the present publication, during which I was guided by the following principles:

I have preserved the division of the B. and G. printings (actually B., because the G. printing has no originality, but is a poor reprint of B.) into three books and one hundred chapters. The division into books, as the publisher of the B. printing has also noted, is justified both by the subject matter of the History and by the author's own testimony (pp. 38, 107). And the division into chapters is justified by the manuscripts, which have such a division, putting new chapter signs and sometimes headings for the chapters. But because this chapter arrangement in the manuscripts did not continue from beginning to end, and on the other hand, there are already numerous lists in the literature with the B.G.T. chapter arrangement, therefore I found it appropriate to follow this already established chapter arrangement (except for one place in the History's Preface, where because of the reordering of sections, it was necessary to change the chapter arrangement too); although in some places it was desirable to do that chapter arrangement differently.

For the convenience of those working with it, I found it appropriate to put the brief content of the chapters—the Table of Chapters—before the source text, sometimes following the A. printing, sometimes independent of it.

When making a choice among the readings, when in my opinion the different readings of Z. and the printings (T.T.) have had equal merit, I have given the advantage to the reading of Z.; and when the printings (especially the B. printing and following it the G. one) had better readings, I gave them a place in the source text, although often realizing that these better readings do not originate from a better source text, but are silent orthographic corrections by the publisher of B. I have followed the B.G. printings primarily in the Vision and Commentary of St. Sahak, because, as the announcement of B. reveals, selected copies were taken for comparison for this, therefore the source text of that part in the B. (and G.) printing was composed by comparing several manuscripts. However, I have avoided inserting into our source text the ornaments and exaggerations of speech, which are the accretions of later manuscripts upon the earlier, simpler source text, as is characteristic of texts written with apocryphal content.

I have always put the endings of the infinitive of the third conjugation as el, instead of il, as often happens both in Z. and in the printings; because in Z., the writing with il was not initial, but in was written over the wording, as indicated in the notes; sometimes even the original e can be discerned. This circumstance gave me the right to restore the original and refined orthography. I have done the same regarding the ending iwr of the third person singular imperfect of the third conjugation verbs, changing it to the superior er form.

As much as I have been capable, I have used those orthographic forms that existed in previous printings or were suggested by philologists in various writings (particularly from Norayr Byuzandatsi). Those of these orthographies that seemed indisputable to me, I have inserted into the source text, while the questionable ones are in the notes. In all cases, I have mentioned the authors of the orthographies. And those orthographies, both those inserted in the source text and those suggested in the notes, whose authors are not indicated, belong to me.

In Etchmiadzin, in accordance with the decision made at the meeting of the "Patmagir" staff, I have not indicated (fully) in the notes those variant readings that pertain to orthography with o or aw, o or u, with v or without v, with y or without y (at the end of a word); (e.g., Poghos-Pavghos, prkog-prkavg, eranelo-eranelvo, nova-noqay), nor the definitive articles. Of the first four orthographic forms, I have adopted the now common spellings, which largely correspond to the orthography of Z.; while regarding the definitive articles, I have followed Z. primarily, and sometimes the printings.

I have not indicated in the notes...