The existing Armenian literature begins around 400 AD.

History

The Armenians once had a temple literature of their own, which was destroyed in the 4th and 5th centuries by the Christian clergy, so thoroughly that barely twenty lines of it survive in the history of Moses of Khoren (Chorene). Their Christian literature begins about 400 with the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop. This was probably an older alphabet to which Mesrop merely added vowels; but, in order to pacify the Greek ecclesiastics and the emperor Theodosius the Less, the Armenians concocted a story that it had been divinely revealed. Once their alphabet was perfected, the catholicus Sahak formed a school of translators who were sent to Edessa, Athens, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Caesarea in Cappadocia, and elsewhere, to procure codices both in Syriac and Greek and translate them. From Syriac were made the first version of the New Testament, the version of Eusebius' History and his Life of Constantine (unless this be from the original Greek), the homilies of Aphraates, the Acts of Gurias and Samuna, the works of Ephrem Syrus (partly published in four volumes by the Mechitharists of Venice). Saint Mesrop Mashtots created the Armenian alphabet in 405 AD Armenian alphabet in Matenadaran See also Armenian language Categories: Alphabetic writing systems | Armenia | Unique scripts ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... Map of Constantinople. ... Antiquity and modernity stand cheek-by-jowl in Egypts chief Mediterranean seaport Located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, Alexandria (in Arabic, الإسكندرية, transliterated al-ʼIskandariyyah) is the chief seaport in Egypt, and that countrys second largest city, and the capital of the Al Iskandariyah governate. ... The city of Antioch-on-the-Orontes (modern Antakya; Greek Αντιοχεια ἡ επι Δαφνη; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is located in what is now Turkey. ... Caesarea is the name of several Roman cities and towns, including: Caesarea Antiochia in Turkey Caesarea Mauretania (Cherchell) in Algeria Caesarea Mazaca (Kaisarieh) in Turkey Caesarea Palaestina (Qesarriya) in Israel Caesarea Philippi in the Golan Heights This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might... Cappadocia in 188 BC In ancient geography, Cappadocia (Greek: Καππαδοκία; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was an extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). ... Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ... The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... Eusebius is the name of several significant historical people: Pope Eusebius - Pope in AD 309 - 310. ... Aphraates (a Greek form of the Persian name Aphrahas or arhadh) was a Syriac writer belonging to the middle of the 4th century AD, who composed a series of twenty-three expositlosis homilies on points of Christian doctrine and practice. ...

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain. Supporters contend that the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1911) represents the sum of human knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century; indeed, it was advertised as such. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...