Vardan Areveltsi - Works

Works

Over 120 works attributed to Vardan Areveltsi have been preserved. Among his most significant works is a 66 item collection called Lutsmunk i Surb Grots (better known as Zhghlank, or Chats), which was written at the request of King Het'um I. It is written in the vernacular tongue, making it easily comprehensible and concerns itself with many questions related to the nature of life (nature, the formation of celestial bodies, astronomy, botany and zoology, language, philosophical questions revolving around man, music, etc.). For example, a critical observation Vardan makes in this work is his expression in the belief that, "nothing outside of nature moves nor stops; motion is not solely the movement of one place to another, but an inner transformation which moves from one state to another."

However, Vardan's most important work is his Havakumn Patmutsyun (Historical Compilation). Much like Movses Khorenatsi's History of Armenia, Havakumn Patmutsyun is an attempt to trace Armenian history from its beginnings to the present day. But the work is also significant for attempting to document the history of the entire world. Starting with the Tower of Babel and the epic battle between Hayk and Bel, the history ends with the death of Constantine I Bardzraberdtsi's death in 1267. It is, however, considered more a chronicle, rather than the histories written by traditional Armenian authors.

Vardan also translated many foreign works into Armenian. One of the most significant was Michael the Syrian's Chronicle translation in 1248. Other translated works included conversations and works on philosophy, theology, which were translated from Greek, Latin, and Syriac.

Below is a partial list of his works, many of which, including facsimiles, are currently preserved at the Matenadaran in Yerevan, Armenia.

• Ashqharatsuyts (Geography)
• Lutsmunk i Surb Grots (also known as Zhghlank)
• Havakumn Patmutsyun (Historical Compilation)
• "Vark' Zardaretsin" ("Those who embellished")