DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43337#0332
INTRODUCTION | 3^9
gence of Chalcedonian Creed in Armenia and the main stages in its
development.
The Armenian Church as a body did not accept the Creed of the
Chalcedonian Council of 451 and instead adhered to Monophysitism.
There were Armenians, however, who did accept the Council’s state-
ment. Thus appeared the Armenian-Chalcedonians who in ecclesias-
tical and political matters invariably gravitated towards confessionally
like-minded Byzantium and Georgia. As one might expect, increased
activity by the Armenian-Chalcedonians was directly linked, as a rule,
with increases in Byzantine and Georgian influence in Armenia.
An upsurge in the Chalcedonian movement can be seen in the 7th cen-
tury and in the 10th to 11th centuries. During these periods the Chal-
cedonians competed with the main Monophysite Church on an equal
footing. Judging by written sources alone there were more than forty
Armenian Chalcedonian eparchies23.
The most flourishing period for the Armenian-Chalcedonians came
in the 13th century when the Seljuk Turks were driven out of a large
part of the Armenian lands and Zakharid Armenia arose as a special
state within the Kingdom of Georgia24. Many of the rulers of Zakharid
Armenia were Chalcedonians, and under their influence large num-
bers of Armenians were converted to Chalcedonianism or, as they put
it then, to the «Georgian faith». Some Monophysite monasteries were
handed over the Chalcedonians, and new churches were also built. The
24 About Zaharid’s Armenia see: History of the
USSR. The feudal period. Part I (IX—XIII cent.).
Moscow, 1953, pp. 602-603, 627-629;
Babaian L.O. Social, Economic and Political
History of Armenia in the 13th-14th Centu-
ries. Moscow, 1969, p. 13-50. - In Russian,see
Bibliography.
25 To know more about these paintings see:
Thierry N. etM. L’Eglise Saint-Gregoire de Tigran
Honents a Ani (1215). Louvain-Paris, 1993.
26 Muradian P.M. On the Confession of the
Church of Honents // Caucasus and Byzan-
tine, 5 (1987), pp. 36-66. - In Russian, see
Bibliography.
churches were immediately decorated with frescoes accompanied by
Greek and Georgian inscriptions which became a special sign that they
belonged to the Chalcedonian confession. Five churches with 13th-
century Chalcedonian wall paintings have survived in Armenia. We
shall give a brief historical description of
them here as they will be referred to many
times in this work.
Probably the most well-known are the
wall-paintings in the church of Tigran
Honents at Ani25. As recent research has
shown, the church originally belonged to
the Monophysites26. It was not painted
immediately after building was complet-
ed in 1215. Its frescoes appeared only after
the church was handed over to the Chai-
gence of Chalcedonian Creed in Armenia and the main stages in its
development.
The Armenian Church as a body did not accept the Creed of the
Chalcedonian Council of 451 and instead adhered to Monophysitism.
There were Armenians, however, who did accept the Council’s state-
ment. Thus appeared the Armenian-Chalcedonians who in ecclesias-
tical and political matters invariably gravitated towards confessionally
like-minded Byzantium and Georgia. As one might expect, increased
activity by the Armenian-Chalcedonians was directly linked, as a rule,
with increases in Byzantine and Georgian influence in Armenia.
An upsurge in the Chalcedonian movement can be seen in the 7th cen-
tury and in the 10th to 11th centuries. During these periods the Chal-
cedonians competed with the main Monophysite Church on an equal
footing. Judging by written sources alone there were more than forty
Armenian Chalcedonian eparchies23.
The most flourishing period for the Armenian-Chalcedonians came
in the 13th century when the Seljuk Turks were driven out of a large
part of the Armenian lands and Zakharid Armenia arose as a special
state within the Kingdom of Georgia24. Many of the rulers of Zakharid
Armenia were Chalcedonians, and under their influence large num-
bers of Armenians were converted to Chalcedonianism or, as they put
it then, to the «Georgian faith». Some Monophysite monasteries were
handed over the Chalcedonians, and new churches were also built. The
24 About Zaharid’s Armenia see: History of the
USSR. The feudal period. Part I (IX—XIII cent.).
Moscow, 1953, pp. 602-603, 627-629;
Babaian L.O. Social, Economic and Political
History of Armenia in the 13th-14th Centu-
ries. Moscow, 1969, p. 13-50. - In Russian,see
Bibliography.
25 To know more about these paintings see:
Thierry N. etM. L’Eglise Saint-Gregoire de Tigran
Honents a Ani (1215). Louvain-Paris, 1993.
26 Muradian P.M. On the Confession of the
Church of Honents // Caucasus and Byzan-
tine, 5 (1987), pp. 36-66. - In Russian, see
Bibliography.
churches were immediately decorated with frescoes accompanied by
Greek and Georgian inscriptions which became a special sign that they
belonged to the Chalcedonian confession. Five churches with 13th-
century Chalcedonian wall paintings have survived in Armenia. We
shall give a brief historical description of
them here as they will be referred to many
times in this work.
Probably the most well-known are the
wall-paintings in the church of Tigran
Honents at Ani25. As recent research has
shown, the church originally belonged to
the Monophysites26. It was not painted
immediately after building was complet-
ed in 1215. Its frescoes appeared only after
the church was handed over to the Chai-