History of the Nation of Archers

Translated by Robert Bedrosian

The History of the Nation of Archers is one of the five gems of medieval Armenian literature that marks the start of Sophene’s Dual Language Series. In this series, we aim to make the most important works of ancient Armenian literature accessible to the broadest possible audience by placing the original Armenian text on the left-hand side and the corresponding English translation on the right-hand side.

The History of the Nation of Archers is a brief history of the Mongols and their arrival and conquests in the Near East over a period of 44 years (1229 to 1273). Little is known about Gregory and his sources, but he is thought to have based his History on the reports of knowledgeable informants and manuscripts that are now lost. The History is a valuable source for thirteenth century Armenian and Mongol studies. Gregory of Akner (1250 to 1335 CE) was an Armenian historian and abbot of the monastery of Akner in Cilicia.