Tag Archives: Constantinople

EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA AND MOSES KHORENATSI:
Justification of The Royal Authority in The Christian Hellenism

Hellenistic Christianity sought to synthesize core biblical teachings with Hellenistic values across various realms, including theology, philosophy, politics, law, religion, and culture. It created new identities on individual, collective, and even imperial levels of socialization. Scholars argue that prominent rulers and religious leaders played a crucial role in this process.

This paper examines similar cases in the context of the Late Roman Empire and Greater Armenia, focusing on the reigns of Constantine the Great (306-337) and Tiridates III (298-330). Despite their differences, they share common features across various aspects of social policy, particularly in religious affairs. The conversion to Christianity opened new perspectives for both Rome and Armenia.

This paper explores these transformations through the narratives of two distinguished intellectuals: Eusebius of Caesarea and Moses Khorenatsi. The former was a close companion of Constantine; the latter, who lived more than a century later, sought to understand and justify the actions of King Tiridates. Eusebius employed an apologetic approach, while Khorenatsi adopted a historical description and interpretation. Both authors, however, drew upon Hellenistic social theory combined with biblical wisdom. According to this synthesis, the Roman Empire reached its zenith under Constantine’s wise leadership, and his new capital, Constantinople, embodied this ideal. Greater Armenia, conversely, followed a different trajectory: after Tiridates, it gradually declined into decay and disintegration. Nevertheless, even under these dire circumstances, a path to redemption emerged.

According to Khorenatsi, such a possibility could only become reality through the creation of a new elite forged in a new national culture and educational system. With this vision, the author revisited the fundamental concept of his teacher, St. Mesrop Mashtots.

PRINCIPLES OF PARONYAN IN DEPICTING A BIG CITY

“A Stroll through the Streets of Polis”

The study is dedicated to the examination of the series of essays entitled “A Stroll Through the Streets of Polis” that occupies a unique place in the diverse and multi-genre literary work of the brilliant Armenian satirist Hakob Paronyan (1843-1891). As a classic example of physiological essay genre, it is noteworthy in the field of worldwide satire and, by the way, unique in the context of the whole Armenian literature.

Surprisingly, previous literary studies have not made this masterpiece a subject of special study and have been content with merely recording a few words of praise. Interest in “Stroll…” necessarily arose nowadays, and with the discovery and comparison of numerous newly revealed facts (25 new essay versions), a complete scientific history of that work was created for the first time. Meanwhile this masterpiece by Paronyan undoubtedly has a modern resonance: it allows us to restore the artistic biography of Constantinople located at the crossroads of East and West in the second half of XIX century filled with deep authenticity and a colorful environment. It is no coincidence that “Stroll…” was translated into Turkish and was published in Istanbul. In 2014, in Turkey, the book was included in the list of the best books recommended to readers for reading in summer time. As “Armenpress”, reported the list was compiled by the Turkish newspaper “Hurriyet” recommending reading it during the summer holidays, “as the best medicine for those readers who have decided to spend their vacation in Istanbul. In the book “A Stroll Through the Streets of Istanbul” Hakob Paronyan satirically depicts the public and courtyard life of 34 districts of Istanbul, the indifference of the Armenian leadership to the problems of the Armenian community and the contradictions created by class division. “Paronyan will help you to look at the past of the city, that has lost its colors, outline, image, and even most of its people,” with different eyes, – states the book’s announcement. And this study aims to uncover Paronyan’s principles of depicting a big city, the ideological and artistic features of the work in question and the value system.