Movsēs Xorenacʿi

Movsēs Xorenacʿi, History of the Armenians. First Section, Composed by Movsēs Xorenacʿi at the Request of Sahak Bagratuni. Table of Contents of the First Book. 1. Response to the letter of Sahak, and the fulfillment of his request. 2. Why, since our matters are most fully recorded in the books of the Chaldeans and Assyrians, we have chosen to set them forth from the Greek. 3. Concerning the unphilosophical character of our early kings and princes. 4. Concerning the fact that the other historians do not agree with one another from Adam and the other patriarchs. 5. Concerning the parallel genealogy of the three sons of Noah down to Abraham, to Ninos, and to Aram; and that Ninos is not Bel nor the son of Bel. 6. Concerning what is similar and what is foreign to Moses in the accounts of the other ancient writers, and concerning the philosopher Olympiodorus’s memorized ancient tales. 7. A brief clarification that the Bel spoken of by the pagans is, according to the truth of the divine word, Nebroth. 8. Who or whence I learned such tales. 9. Letter of King Valarshak of Armenia to the great King Arshak of Persia. 10. Concerning the rebellion of Hayk. 11. Concerning the war and death of Bel. 12. Concerning the clans and progeny from Hayk, and what each of them accomplished. 13. Concerning the war with the Easterners and the victory, and the death of Nivkar Madesay.

14. Concerning the war with the Assyrian and the victory, and Paiapis the Chaldean, and the Caesar, and the first and other named Armenians. 15. Concerning Ara and his death in war at the hands of Shamiram. 16. How after the death of Ara, Shamiram built the city and the dam of the river and her own house. 17. Concerning Shamiram, that she was about to slay her own sons, and how she became a fugitive from the magus Zradasht to Armenia and died at the hands of her own son Ninuas. 18. Concerning the fact that the war of Shamiram against the Indians truly occurred first, and after her death in Armenia. 19. What happened after the death of Shamiram. 20. Concerning Ara the son of Ara, and whether his son Anushawan Sosanuer. 21. That Paroyr of the Scythian race, the first to be king in Armenia, became an ally of Varbak the Mede in overthrowing the kingdom of Sardanapalus. 22. The order of our kings and their number, taking son from father. 23. Concerning the sons of Senekerim, and that the Artsrunik‘ and the Gnunik‘ and the bdeashkh called of Aghdznik‘ are descended from them; and in the same discourse, that the house of Angł is from Pask‘am. 24. Concerning Tigran, how he was in every respect. 25. Concerning the fear of the suspicions of Azhdahak, from the unanimity of the love of Kiwros and Tigran. 26. How, while being deceived by Azhdahak, he saw his own future event in a wondrous dream. 27. Concerning what was said by the counselors.

After that, also whatever his intention, and in the same thereafter the deed. 18. The letter of Azhdahak, after which also the consent of Tigran, and the sending of Tigranuhi to the Medes. 19. How the treachery was revealed and the battle was stirred up, in which also the death of Azhdahak. 30. Concerning that he sent his sister Tigranuhi to Tigranakert, and concerning Anusha, the first wife of Azhdahak, and the dwelling of the captive. 31. Who some are the descendants of this one, and which lineages are separated from him. 32. Concerning the war of Eliakim against Tetama, and our Zarmayr being with the Ethiopian army with few men, and in the same death. The desires of the First Book of the Genealogy of the Great Armenians were completed. 18. Of the Persian fables. Concerning Biurasp Azhdahak. A subscription, whatever concerning Biurasp is true.