History of Armenia, by Father Michael Chamich; from B. C. 2247 to ...

PREFACE.
XXVll
formation of the nation by Haic to the end of the royal
line of the Arsacidae, and to the termination of the
pontifical power in the house of St. Gregory the lUnminator.
His work is compiled from the best authorities,
written in the purest style, and divided into there books,
the whole extending to the year of our Lord 440. The
first part of the History of Chorenensis is founded on
information derived from records of events which happened
before the reign of Alexander the Great, accordmg
to the testimony of Maribas the famous Syrian iiistorian,
who discovered these documents. A correct account of
the ancient Armenian kings till the time of Valarsaces
is recorded in the history of the latter, of which Chorenensis
avails himself by abundant quotations. From
this period to the third century the facts narrated in the
history are collected from different sources, principally
from historians who wrote accounts of their own times.
Chorenensis makes ample quotations from Africanus,
an eminent historian, on whom Eusebius bestows great
praise in his Ecclesiastical History. The valuable work of
Africanus is not, however, handed down to us. The
latter part of the History of Chorenensis is composed
from different records extant in our nation, written in
Greek and Persian characters under, the various Armenian
chiefs. The history of Chorenensis, together with
his Geography, has been published in several places
and in different times. These were translated into
Latin by the two brothers, William and George VVhiston,
as I have before stated, and published with the text in
London in the year 1736. The work of translation,