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Eduard Lipaiti Danielyan,
Leading scientific researcher, Institute of History NAS RA,
Doctor of History
In the history of mankind the origin and development of writing conditioned verbal preservation of spiritual values and their transfer to future generations. Fundamental significance of writing is in its culturologic universality. The study of history, as a history of civilization is based on written sources.
Since the 18th century the term “civilization” has been brought into scientific use with reference to all the epochs of human history, at the junction of economic, spiritual-cultural and social concepts in general system of philosophy. The study of main components of civilizations allows to consider their dialogue in the context of contemporary tendencies of geopolitical processes.
In the concept of civilization a paramount significance is attributed to culture as an important sphere of the human activity.
Oswald Spengler: “Every Culture has its own Civilization... The Civilization is the inevitable destiny of the Culture... “.
Will Duran: “Civilization is social order promoting cultural creation. Four elements constitute it: economic provision, political organization, moral traditions, and the pursuit of knowledge and arts. It begins where chaos and insecurity end”.
Arnold Toynbee: “The cultural elements are the essence of a civilization” .
N.V.Kalyagin: “The concept of civilization may be identified with the concept of culture”.
Yu.N.Yakovets determines “civilization as a qualitative stage in history of society, which is characterized by a certain level of the development of human being, technologic and economic basis of society, social-political relations and spiritual world” .
According to some contemporary theories about civilization, it is taking place the increase of the conflict of cultures together with the tendency of turning into the clash of civilizations. Anyhow, it is necessary to remember that destructive forces are derived not from cultural development, but because of its lack. At the same time, cultures, as main constituents of civilizations, are bridging them owing to their creative principle.
In “The Declaration of the Rights of Culture” D.S.Likhachov, considering culture as the main source of human culture’s humanization, writes: “Culture is defining condition of realization of creative potential of the individual and society, a form of conformation of the people’s originality and a basis of spiritual health of nation, humanistic orienting point and a criterion of the development of a human being and civilization. The present and future of peoples, ethnoses and states is deprived of meaning out of culture” (Article 2.).
According to S.N.Iconnikova, only humanitarian culture is able to become a fundament of ethics and morality. Jagdish Chandra Kapur observs the peaceful future of peoples through cultural creation and cooperation along with preservation of national originality.
Article 6 of “The Declaration of the Rights of Culture” states: “Culture of each people has right to participate in humanitarian development of the whole mankind. Cultural cooperation, dialogue and mutual understanding of the world’s peoples are a guarantee of justice and democracy, a condition preventing international and interethnic conflicts, violence and wars”. In cultural-historic heritage, as “a form of fixing and transferring of the cumulative spiritual experience of mankind” (Article 1a), writing has an important meaning.
In history of the development of the world written languages Armenian writing, being a means of creatitiveness and a guarantee of national originality, has certain contribution to the world culture treasury and that is highly appreciated in the Western and Russian literature and historiography.
Rev. Pere Dom Augustin Calmet (1672-1757) wrote : “L’Armenie a ete nommee le “Berceau de la Civilisation”. In 1816 George Gordon Byron visited the Armenian Congregation of Mkhitarians on St.Lazar Island in Venice and, being inspired by Armenian culture and literature, began to learn the Armenian language. In the Preface to the Armenian-English grammar manuel Lord Byron wrote about Armenians and Armenia: “Whatever may have been their destiny - and it has been bitter - whatever it may be in future, their country must ever be one of the most interesting on the globe. If the Scriptures are rightly understood, it was in Armenia that Paradise was placed... It was in Armenia that the flood first abated, and the dove alighted”.
S.N.Glinka (1776-1847), a contemporary of Lord Byron, was one of the Russian thinkers who comprehended the history of Armenia from the point of view of touching the sources of the civilization of mankind. He wrote: “The second cradle of mankind rested on the summits of the Armenian mountains by Biblical and folk traditions”.
David M. Lang wrote in the same spirit: “The ancient land of Armenia is situated in the high mountains... Although Mesopotamia with its ancient civilizations of Sumeria and Babylon, is usually considered together with Egypt as the main source of civilized life in the modern sense, Armenia too has a claim to rank as one of the cradles of human culture. To begin with, Noah's Ark is stated in the Book of Genesis to have landed on the summit of Mount Ararat, in the very centre of Armenia. From the Ark, Noah's descendants and all species of living beasts, and birds are supposed to have issued forth to people the globe. Whether or not we attribute any importance to the Book of Genesis as a historical source, none can deny the symbolic importance of its account of Noah's Ark, which is cherished by both believers and unbelievers all over the world. Again, Armenia has a claim on our attention as one of the principal homes of ancient metallurgy, beginning at least five thousand years ago. Later on, Armenia became the first extensive kingdom to adopt Christianity as a state religion pioneering a style of Church architecture which anticipates our own Western Gothic”.
The roots of the origin and development of the Armenian language (as a separate branch in the Indo=European family of languages) and writing are in the depth of millennia. There are interesting facts about Armenian letters in the works of the some antique authors (II-III centuries).
After the Armenians’ conversion to Christianity (301) by St. Grigor Lusavoritch (Illuminator) under the aegis of the King of Great Armenia Trdat III, first in the world Christianity was proclaimed as the state religion in Armenia. There were established schools where the Greek and Syriac languages were taught aiming at teaching the oral translation into Armenian as of the Bible during the church service, as well as documents which entered the court office.
At the end of IV century the King of Great Armenia Vramshapuh together with the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church St. Sahak Partev patronized St. Mesrop Mashtots in the creation of the Armenian alphabet.
The Armenian historian of V century Lazar Parbetsi noted that Mashtots had been sure that Armenian writings existed. An attempt to reconstruct the letters by means of the written characters found in Mesopotamia by bishop Daniel had been in vain, because during the process of teaching it turned out that “those letters were insufficient to form all the syllables of the Armenian language, especially since the letters essentially proved to have been buried under other letters…”.
In the course of the search of the Armenian letters Mashtots sent one a group of his pupils to Samosat, another – to Edessa with a goal of preparing translators of the Bible from the Greek (Septuagint) and the Syriac (Peshito) languages. A pupil of St. Mesrop Mashtots Vardapet Koryun and Movses Khorenatsi wrote that the work of St.Mesrop Mashtots was hallowed by the God’s right hand. According to Koryun, Mashtots “experienced many tribulations in order to serve his nation. And God the All-Bountiful finally granted him that good fortune; for with His holy Right hand he became the father of new and wonderful offsprings – letters of the Armenian language, and then and there quickly designed, named, determined, their order and devised the syllabication”. Arriving in Samosat, Mashtots (with the help of Ropanos, a calligrapher of the Greek writing), “devised all the variations of the letters…, after which he proceeded with translations, with the help of two of his pupils, Hovhan, from the province of Ekeghiats, and Hovsep from Paghnatun”.
The Armenian language, owing to its centuries-old development, had reached such a perfection, that after creation of the Armenian alphabet (405) St.Mesrop Mashtots with his pupils undertook the work of the translation of the Bible from the old Greek language into the Armenian (the old Armenian-grabar) language. The Bible’s translation they started from the Proverbs of Solomon and the first sentence was: “That men may know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight”. Returning to Armenia, St.Mesrop Mashtots with his pupils after the Old Testament translated the New Testament into Armenian.
The creation of the Armenian alphabet by St.Mesrop Mashtots signified a new stage in the history of the Armenian culture. The old Armenian language owing to its centuries-old history of development was so rich, and the translated and original literary heritage such perfect that V century is considered as “Golden age” in the history of the Armenian culture. According to the Armenian historian Eghishe (V century), educational life in Armenia proceeded under the motto: “It is better to have blind eyes, than blind reason”.
S.Glinka, taking into consideration the words of Koryun and Movses Khorenatsi about divine vision of St.Mesrop Mashtots, noted: “St.Mesrop invented the Armenian letters as if by inspiration…”. Mentioning high estimation by M.Lakroz (1661-1739), who called the Armenian translation of the Bible “the Queen of translations”, S.Glinka noted that “undoubtedly the power of the Armenian word also promoted” the precision of the translation.
V.Brusov (1873—1924), mentioning about high level of the Armenian language’s development long before creation of the alphabet by St.Mesrop Mashtots, wrote: “After invention of the letters originates national literature in mother tongue, but its quick flourishing urges to suppose that it was preceded by the works of the Armenian writers not only in foreign languages. Contemporary science refuses to suppose that the same century saw both the origin of the Armenian writing and its rich flourishing expressed in a perfect translation of the Bible…, and the “Golden age” of the Armenian literature which followed it. That is why it is supposed that yet before the letters’ invention, there were germs of the Armenian written literature which used either foreign or its own, incomplete alphabet… But all this ancient writing perished and for us Armenian literature starts not earlier than from V century AD”.
In V c. there were founded the bases of the Armenian translated and original literature, as well of the national school in Armenia. The high level of translations was guaranteed by the efforts of the Armenian scholars who knew perfectly well mother tongue and continued their scientific and theological education in famous centers of the Greek science and culture - Athenes, Alexsandria and etc.
“The Grammar” (Ars Grammatica) by Dionysius Thrax, 14 works by Philo of Alexandria, “The Romance of Alexander the Great” by Pseudo-Callisthenes, “The Demonstration of the Apostolic Teaching” and “Against heresies” by Irenaeus, “Progymnaspata” by Theon of Alexandria, "Refutation of the Council of Chalcedon” by Timothy Aelurus, “The Introduction” of Porphyry and “The Categories” and “The Discourses” of Aristotle, “The analysis of the book of Aristotle ”The Discourses” ascribed to Iamblichus and other books were translated from the Greek language into Armenian.
Only one enumeration of translated literature testifies to the wide cognitive interest of the Armenian philosophic and historic thought to the antique heritage and that served as a basis for calling Armenian translators the representatives of the Grercophile school in Armenia.
In the process of translation the creative understanding of certain terms and texts took place on the basis of the Armenian lexicon. At the same time began a civilizational accumulation of the translated texts. Owing to the Armenian translations “The Chronicle” by Eusebius Caesariensis , “Apology for the Christian Faith” by Aristides the Athenian, 7 works by Philo of Alexandria, “The Definitions” by Hermes Trismegistus, some works of Evagrius Ponticus, “On autocracy” by Methodius of Patar, “Panarion” by Epiphanius of Cyprus and some other works have been preserved; their old Greek originals being lost in the course of time.
Along with the translated literature developed historiography and philosophy presented by the works of the authors of V century – Agathangelos, Pavstos Buzand, Koryun, Movses Khorenatsi, Eghishe, Lazar Parbetsi, David Anhakht (Invincible), Eznik Kokhbatsi and others. The creative heritage of the pleiad of the Armenian thinkers and scientists has an important significans from the point of view of studying sources for the research of the history of Atrmenia and the Armenian people, as well as neighbouring countries and peoples.
Agathangelos narrates about the life of St.Grigor Lusavoritch and the Christening of Armenians in his book “History of Armenia”. Koryun wrote “The Life of Mashtots” where he described the life and activities of his teacher St. Mesrop Mashtots. Pavstos Buzand in his book “History of Armenia” narrated history of the Kingdom Armenia from the first decades of IV century up to the division of Armenia between the Roman Empire and Iran at the end of the same century.
“History of Armenia” by Movses Khorenatsi is the crown of the Armenian historiography. His work consists of three parts, including history of the Armenian people from ancient times till the 40s of V century. He wrote his book with deep knowledge of the original ethnic roots of the Armenian statehood, freedom-loving spirit of the Armenian people reflecting his adherence to the national and Christian spiritual values.
Eghishe is the author of several books of which the most famous is “About Vardan and the Armenian war” (450-451). Lazar Parbetsi also devoted his book (“History of Armenia”) to the liberation struggle of the Armenian people headed by St.Vardan Mamikonyan and then - Vahan Mamikonyan (481-484).
Basing on Armenian sources, S. Glinka, contrasting moral foundations of Armenians inspired by the defense of the Fatherland to the ideology of foreign conquerors, writes: “The main aim of their (Armenians-E.D.) arming, owing to the basic spirit of their moral qualities… is the defence of the Fatherland, protection of native independence, confrontation to the attempts of the outside violence”.
Philosophic thought in Armenia developed in close contact with the antique heritage. In IV century lived famous Armenian thinker, rhetor and pedagogue Prohaeresius (Paruyr Haikazn) (276-367). His pupil and biographer Eunapius tells about him in details.
Philosopher and theologian Eznik Kokhbatsi in his work “Refutation of heresies”, defending Christian faith, considers in details philosophic ideas of the antique authors, as well as Zoroastrian religion, which the Sassanids turned into ideological servant of their aggressive policy, and different heresies.
David Anhakht (the Invincible) is the greatest representative of the Armenian philosophic thought in V century. The most famous of his works is “The Definition of philosophy”. David the Invincible, analyzing the definitions of philosophy, brought also classification of sciences: natural philosophy, mathematics, theology. He considered philosophy as the best means of the nature’s cognition, because its main goal is revelation of those ways, following which it is possible to avoid evil and reach good.
On the basis of the achievements of “The Golden age” the culture and education of the epoch of the Kingdom of the Armenian Bagratids (885-1045) and the Cilician Armenian statehood (a princedom - 1080-1198, a kingdom – since 6 Jan. 1198-1375), reached new heights. In Gladzor University (1280-1340), which the contemporaries called “the Mother of wisdom”, “the House of wisdom”, “the Second Athens”, and Tatev University (1390-1435), continuing traditions of the preceding epochs, the teaching was realized on the basis of the trivium (grammar, rhetoric and dialectic) and quadrivium (arithmetics, music, geometry and astronomy) subjects, comprising “seven liberal arts”. The works of David the Invincible promoted greatly their systematization.
Armenian medieval culture accumulating the achievements of the preceding epochs introduced new values in the treasury of the national and world culture. According to V.Bryusov, “Armenia – vanguard of Europe in Asia”. This formula suggested long ago determines correctly the place of the Armenian people in our world”, because, according to the great humanist, “the historic mission of the Armenian people, prompted by the whole process of its development – to look for and acquire the synthesis of East and West. And this aspiration for the most was reflected in the artistic creativity of Armenia, its literature and poetry”.
At the present stage of geopolitical processes, considering historical truth as a corner stone of inter-civilizational dialogue, Vladimir Yakunin writes: «Human communities are constantly upcoming identities, lying in permanent dynamics. The philosophy of their evolutions is determined by historical conditions, under which they have been shaped. In different periods this process acquires different facets, and it is not always straight and what is more, predictable... It would seem wise to approach setting goals and selecting means to reach them in the process of successive approximation, by keeping to historical truth and without upsetting the unity of the universal and special in the course of discussions about the role and place of inter-civilizational dialogue in bringing together peoples and races».
The principle of prevention of the crisis of the global security is basic one in the concept of the dialogue of civilizations. Thus cooperation between sovereign peoples and states by the dialogue of cultures is considered to be an important principle in the dialogue of civilizations.
Proceeding from the importance of the idea of the dialogue of civilizations, according to V. Segesvary’s definition: “An inter-civilizational dialogue has to be based on mutual understanding”, which “requires a firm commitment to one’s own civilizational values and worldview in order to appreciate differences with others. We cannot understand the fundamental order of being and the meaningful order of things in the universe without our place in them”.
Philosophical comprehension of the civilizational future of the mankind is founded on revelation and deepening of the ways of the dialogue of civilizations, taking as a basis historical experience of each people separately and the world civilization in its entity. It is necessary to comprehend and realize on the international level the defense of historically created values of each people (the monuments of architecture, the works of art, manuscripts etc.),and moreover - on the territory of their historic Motherland. It may become a guarantee of the security of the world civilization in conditions of the dialogue of civilizations.
In the system of cultural heritage writing is an important link of the inter-civilizational relations. Born by historic development, characterized by the language, cultural, ethno-demographic and social-politic peculiarities, the Armenian writing, represented by original and translated literature, is one of the criteria as of the civilization, as well as inter-cultural relations, promoting the dialogue of civilizations.
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Round table № 3 Written languages