Koryun
Encyclopedia
Koryun was the earliest Armenian-language historian
. Writing in the fifth century, his "Life of Mesrob" contains many details about the evangelization
of Armenia
and the invention of the Armenian alphabet
.
Some Armenian and European scholars, such as G.Alishan, O.Torosyan, G.Fintigliyan, A.Sarukhan, G.Ter-Mkrtchyan (Miaban), S.Weber and others, have speculated that Koryun could have been an ethnic Georgian (Iberian) or Georgian-Armenian. Having received his early education under Mesrob Mashtots, Koryun went to Byzantium
for higher studies, returning to Armenia with other students in 432. Later, he was appointed Bishop
of Georgia
. He has been listed among the junior translators. His style is original, but somewhat obscure due to grammatical irregularities. To him have been attributed the translations of the three apocryphal books of the Maccabees
. Koryun was the origin of the claim that the Georgian alphabet
was created by Mesrob Mashtots http://www.matiane.com/koryun.htm.
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
. Writing in the fifth century, his "Life of Mesrob" contains many details about the evangelization
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and the invention of the Armenian alphabet
Armenian alphabet
The Armenian alphabet is an alphabet that has been used to write the Armenian language since the year 405 or 406. It was devised by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and ecclesiastical leader, and contained originally 36 letters. Two more letters, օ and ֆ, were added in the Middle Ages...
.
Some Armenian and European scholars, such as G.Alishan, O.Torosyan, G.Fintigliyan, A.Sarukhan, G.Ter-Mkrtchyan (Miaban), S.Weber and others, have speculated that Koryun could have been an ethnic Georgian (Iberian) or Georgian-Armenian. Having received his early education under Mesrob Mashtots, Koryun went to Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
for higher studies, returning to Armenia with other students in 432. Later, he was appointed Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. He has been listed among the junior translators. His style is original, but somewhat obscure due to grammatical irregularities. To him have been attributed the translations of the three apocryphal books of the Maccabees
Maccabees
The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence...
. Koryun was the origin of the claim that the Georgian alphabet
Georgian alphabet
The Georgian alphabet is the writing system used to write the Georgian language and other Kartvelian languages , and occasionally other languages of the Caucasus such as Ossetic and Abkhaz during the 1940s...
was created by Mesrob Mashtots http://www.matiane.com/koryun.htm.