Cummings Foundation Grant Recipient
History of Vardan and the Armenian War
Harvard University Press

History of Vardan and the Armenian War

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By Elishe, Translated and Annotated by Robert W. Thomson

The sixth-century History of Vardan and the Armenian War describes a revolt of Armenians against the shah of Sasanian Iran in 450-451 in protest against the persecution of Christianity. Elishē uses this occasion to express in more general terms his attitude as a Christian Armenian to the problems of cultural survival and patriotism in a hostile environment. His history profoundly influenced Armenian writers from classical times to the present; its hero, Vardan, remains the ideal figure of a patriot even in Soviet Armenia. Mr. Thomson's introduction places the work in its historical context, while extensive notes identify people and places, explain allusions, and clarify details of the account.

Harvard Armenian Texts and Studies, 5

Harvard University Press (1982)