By far the greatest name in this century, and indeed the best-known
and most important name in Armenian literature altogether, is
the writer who calls himself Movses Khorentzi, well known to all
historical scholars as Moses of Chorene, author of the History of
Armenia. For more than a thousand years, up to this century, indeed,
this was practically the only source of Armenian history to the world;
the other writers were inaccessible. And it is still very valuable,
though not in just the way it was once thought to be. It preserves
a vast amount of Armenian tradition, stories and ballads, and real
history, which have perished except for this work; but he seems not to
have had the Greek and Latin histories to draw from, and makes a great
many mistakes. He gives a life of himself, and says he is writing in
the fifth century, and knew Sahag and Mesrob when he was young; but he
really lived in the seventh, and wrote history about the year 640. But
still he is a great writer, and one of Armenia's literary lights;
and we do not need to claim for him anything more than he deserves.
Besides Movses, the chief authors were Gomidas, Yezr, Matossagha,
Krikoradour, Hovhannes, Vertanes, and Anania. They wrote chiefly
religious books; but Anania Shiragatzi is the author of a valuable
work on astronomy.