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Mar Abas Katina

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Mar Abas Katina[a] (Assyrian:Mār Awā Qațțīnā; Armenian:Մար Աբաս Կատինա) was a Chaldean schoolar,[4] presumably an ancient Syrian (or ancient Armenian) historian.[5] Mar Abas Katina first appears in the work of Movses Khorenatsi.[6] His work served as the primary source for nearly the entirety of the first book and the first nine chapters of the second book of Movses Khorentasi's “History of Armenia”.[7][8]

Name

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The name Mar Abas Katina translates to "Lord Aba the Wise".[9] Movses Khorenatsi and Sebeos made great use of his work when writing the first parts of their works. Sebeos calls him "Maraba the philosopher Mtsurnatsi".[b][10][11] Movses' placement of Mar Abas in the 2nd century BC is apparently an anachronism for a number of reasons, the main one being the particle "Mar" (Syrian:ܡܪܝ) in Abas' name, which is a Christian honorary title used for bishops and saints.[12]

Mythical origin

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Mar Abas Katina was a learned Syrian, who, probably lived about 150 years before Christ,[13][14] wrote a book upon the origin of the Armenians, from what he had found in some book preserved in the Archives of Nineveh.[15][16][17] He was secretary to king Vologases.[18]

Movses of Khoren states that his work is based upon Armenian, Greek and Syrian sources, but his text as we now have it is based, for the most part, upon the work of a certain Mar Abas Katina (supposedly a Syrian writer) about whom very little is known and whose work has been lost. As a matter of fact this character is shrouded in such obscurity that his very existence has been questioned. Étienne Quatremère, writing in 1850, came out with the bold statement that Mar Abas Katina was a fictitious name,[19] that there never lived such a Syrian writer; since Movses of Khoren's History is based upon the nonexistent work of a fictitious author, it is devoid of authenticity.[20] This view of Quatremère was shared by two of his country men, Nicolas Fréret who wrote before, and Ernest Renan who wrote after him,[21] while François Lenormant somewhat later (in 1871) was convinced that the said "fictitious author" was an actual writer of the Edessa School." The criticism of Quatremère, Fréret, and Renan was the first of a series that aimed at the very foundation of Movses of Khoren's History.

Arshak the Great, according to Movses, after casting off the Macedonian yoke and conquering Assyria, set his brother, Vargharshak, on the throne of Armenia. So commences the Arsacid dynasty. The new king wished to know what kind of men had been ruling the country before him. Was he the successor of brave men or of bad men. He found an intelligent man,[22] a Syrian, named Mar Abas Katina,[23] and sent him to his brother, Arshak the Great, with this letter

"To Arshak, the king of the earth and the sea, whose form and person are like unto the gods and whose triumphs are above those of all kings; the greatness of whose mind can fathom all things of earth, Wargharshak, the youngest brother and comrade in arms, appointed by thee King of Armenia, greeting, Victory ever attend thee.[24]

— Movses Khorenatsi, History of Armenia

This Syrian (says the historian) found in the library at Nineveh a book translated from the Chaldean into Greek,[25] by order of Alexander the Great, which contained various ancient histories.[26] From this book Mar Abas copied only the authentic history of Armenia, which he took back to Vargharshak, who, esteeming this document his most precious treasure, preserved it with great care in his palace and engraved part of it on a stone monument.[27][28]

It is this document of Mar Abas Katina that Movses of Khorene cites as his chief authority for the early authentic history of Armenia, though he also mentions several other native and foreign writers as sources of his work. With regard to these statements, critics point out that the library of Nineveh was not in existence in the second century B.C, as it was destroyed in 625 B.C.; some even maintain that Mar Abas Katina was a fictitious personage, invented by Movses Khorenatsi to give more weight to his own statements, in accordance with the universal custom of his time, when contemporary writings were continually ascribed to the great men of old or even to imaginary characters.[29][30] As to Mar Abas Katina, although his book may not have been compiled under the circumstances described in the History, Movses may have believed that he was the author of the book in his possession. Professor Mar has even found, in Arabic literature, some independent traces of Mar Abas Katina.[31][32]

Notes

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  1. ^ Also spelled as Mar Abas Catina,[1] Mar Abas Mtsurantsi,[2] Maraba Katina[3]
  2. ^ Mtsurantsi indicates that he was born or lived for a long time in the city of Mtsurkh (changed to Mtsbin) in Greater Armenia

References

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  1. ^ Gabriel Basmajian, Agop Jack Hacikyan; Nourhan Ouzounian, Edward S. Franchuk (2000). The Heritage of Armenian Literature: From the oral tradition to the Golden Age. Wayne State University Press. p. 45.
  2. ^ Sargsyan, Gagik (1991). The History of Armenia by Movses Khorenatzi (in enlgish). Yerevan University Press. p. 16.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  3. ^ Zaven Arzoumanian, Ukhtanēs (Bishop of Sebastia) (1985). History of Armenia: History of the patriarchs and kings of Armenia. Z. Arzoumanian. p. 40.
  4. ^ Svajian, Stephen G. (1977). A Trip Through Historic Armenia. GreenHill Pub. p. 91.
  5. ^ Sarkissian (1940). On the authenticity of Moses of Khoren's History (PDF). Vol. 60. pp. 73–78.
  6. ^ University of Michigan (1991). Annual of Armenian Linguistics. Vol. 12–16. Cleveland State University. p. 79.
  7. ^ Khorenatsi, Movses (2022-03-30). History of Armenia.: Written by the 1st Armenian Historian Movses Khorenatsi. World Scholarly Press. ISBN 979-8-9859237-1-1.
  8. ^ Issaverdens, James (1874). Armenia and the Armenians: Being a Sketch of Its Geography, History, Church and Literature. I-II. Print. Armenian Monastery of St Lazarus.
  9. ^ Acharian, Hrachia. "Dictionary of Armenian Personal Names" (in Armenian). Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  10. ^ Hayrapetean, Srbuhi Pōghosi (1995). A History of Armenian Literature: From Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century. Caravan Books. p. 561. ISBN 978-0-88206-059-0.
  11. ^ "History of the Armenian People, volume 1, chapter thirty, The political situation of Armenia in the 2nd century AD". p. 767. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  12. ^ Dodd, Erica; Studies, Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval (2001). The Frescoes of Mar Musa Al-Habashi: A Study in Medieval Painting in Syria. Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies. ISBN 978-0-88844-139-3. It was pointed out that the title 'Mar' or Saint is commonly used for prophets as well as saints (See above, p. 15. In the second Syriac inscription, Appendix I , the title is used for Bishop Diskoros)
  13. ^ Prichard, James Cowles (1844). Researches Into the Physical History of Mankind: Researches into the history of the Asiatic nations. Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper. p. 255.
  14. ^ Singer, Isidore; Adler, Cyrus (1901). The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times. Ktav Publishing House. p. 440.
  15. ^ Mackay, George Eric (1876). Lord Byron at the Armenian Convent. Office of the "Poliglotta". p. 25.
  16. ^ Verdens, James Issa (2023-05-17). "1". Armenia and the Armenians. Anatiposi Verlag. p. 51. ISBN 978-3-382-50452-6.
  17. ^ Eghiayean, Biwzand (1993). Heroes of Hayastan: A Dramatic Novel History of Armenia. Armenian National Fund. p. 28.
  18. ^ Boisson-Chenorhokian, Patricia, Hovhannēs V. (Catholicos of Armenia) (2004). Histoire d'Arménie (in French). Peeters Publishers. ISBN 978-90-429-1369-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Sarkissian, A. O. (1940). "On the Authenticity of Moses of Khoren's History". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 60 (1): 74. doi:10.2307/594564. ISSN 0003-0279.
  20. ^ Society, American Oriental (1940). Journal of the American Oriental Society. Vol. 60. American Oriental Society. p. 74.
  21. ^ Histoire Générale et Système Comparé des Langues Sémitiques (in French). p. 682.
  22. ^ Suvaryan, Yuri; Hayrapetyan, Ruben; Mirzoyan, Valeri (2014-10-20). PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: THEORY AND HISTORY. Gitutiun. p. 56.
  23. ^ Zarbhanalean, Garegin (1865). Պատմութիւն հայերէն դպրութեանց: ի պէծ ուսման ազգային վարժարանաց (in Armenian). Ի. Տպարանի Մխիթարեանց.
  24. ^ Khorenatsi, Movses. History of Armenia. World Scholarly Press. p. 13. ISBN 9798985923711.
  25. ^ Lynch, H. F. B. (Harry Finnis Blosse) (1901). Armenia, travels and studies. University of California Libraries. London, New York : Longmans, Green, and co. p. 54.
  26. ^ Rumor, Maddalena (2024-11-18). Perplexing Remedies in Ancient Medicine: ›Dreckapotheke‹ in Mesopotamia and the Graeco-Roman World. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN 978-3-11-133259-8.
  27. ^ Boyajian, Zabelle C. (2020-09-28). Armenian Legends and Poems. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-1745-6.
  28. ^ Kat'oghikos, John; Drasxanakertc'i, Yovhannes. "History of Armenia". Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  29. ^ "Armenian Legends and Poems: Armenia: Its Epics, Folk-Songs, and Mediaeval Poetry: Movses of Khorene". Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  30. ^ Rab, Mark (2020-03-17). PORTASAR......E LA STORIA DI UN POPOLO (in Italian). ISBN 978-0-244-85791-2.
  31. ^ Oriental World. Vol. 11. New Armenia Publishing Company. 1919. p. 28.
  32. ^ The New Armenia. Vol. 11–12. New Armenia Publishing Company. 1919. p. 28.
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