Ecclesiastical History

Page 14.

...to show the relationship and connection within those sources.

5.

Just as the Armenian translation of Socrates Referring to Socrates Scholasticus (c. 380–439 AD), a Byzantine church historian whose work was translated into Armenian in the 7th century. had not received special attention until now, knowledge of its manuscript copies has also consisted only of occasional, brief remarks in Arshaloys Araratian, Sion Monthly, and Ararat These were prominent Armenian periodicals of the 19th century.. Even B. Sargissian Barsegh Sargissian (1852–1921), a Mekhitarist scholar and bibliographer., in his study, was satisfied with providing no information other than the date of transcription for the four copies of Socrates in the Venice library. For this reason, we will dwell at somewhat greater length on their description.

There are two known copies of the Expanded or Great Socrates The Armenian version of Socrates' history exists in two forms: the "Shorter" (a 7th-century translation) and the "Expanded" (a later recension containing more detail).: the one in the library of the Mother See The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual and administrative center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. and the copy located in the Armenian Monastery of Saint James in Jerusalem. When I went to Jerusalem in 1893 as a delegate of His Holiness Mkrtich I, Catholicos Mkrtich I Khrimian (1820–1907), beloved head of the Armenian Church known as "Khrimian Hayrik.", I had with me a transcription of the manuscript from our library, which I wished to compare with their copy as much as my short stay there would allow. The librarian, His Grace Bishop Sahak, was kind enough to permit me to familiarize myself with their manuscripts in the library with great willingness; at the same time, he informed me that the expanded copy of Socrates was not kept in the library, but in a separate patriarchal bookroom, and had not been seen for some time.