Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Егише" in Russian language version.
Much of the literary activity of the 5th century—the golden age of Armenian literature—was devoted to such translations. Original works, however, were not wanting, such as the histories of Eghishe and Ghazar of Pharp.
Apart from the History, Yeghishe’s best known minor work is Counsels to Hermits, written during his mature years. Despite differences in style, the following works have also attributed to him: Commentary of the Books of Joshua and Judges, The Lord’s Prayer, The Baptism of Christ, The Passion of Christ, and Concerning Man’s Soul.
Elise was born early in the fifth century, but other details of his life remain unclear
The great classic of Armenian historiography, Eghishe¯’s history of the Armenian rebellion against Persia in 450, which was written, probably, in the late sixth century, unequivocally equates Christianity with ‘Armenianness’ and ancestral culture.
But not only is the History of Elishe more easily understood as an expansive adaptation of Lazar than the latter’s work as an abbreviation of Elishe; the influence of translations from the «Hellenizing» period on Elishe is explained by that order without doing violence to our knowledge of such translations and their probable sixth-century date. Although the present writer is unconvinced by Akinean’s theories that the original version of this History described the revolt of 572 and that it was rewritten in the seventh century, he does agree with Akinean and Kiwleserean that Elise wrote after Lazar. there is no compelling reason to accept the «eyewitness» claim, and the literary aspects of the work are far more easily explicable if it is dated to the sixth century. … One final argument that would place Elishe’s History in the last decade of the sixth century or later needs to be reviewed … It seems, therefore, most unlikely that Elishe’s History can predate the sixth century.
The great classic of Armenian historiography, Eghishe¯’s history of the Armenian rebellion against Persia in 450, which was written, probably, in the late sixth century, unequivocally equates Christianity with ‘Armenianness’ and ancestral culture.
For Elishe´s history is not simply a record of events as remembered by an eyewitness. This claim to literal veracity obscures the underlying purpose of the book, which is to offer an interpretation of the events described. … Thus because Elishe´s history gives us an interpretation — in which the speeches, letters, and edicts play an effective literary role and are not to be taken as verbatim reports …
This war is not to be explained as caused by personal rancor, as Lazar explained it, but on more general grounds. It illustrates difficulties faced by Armenians not merely on 450/1 but perennially, and these difficulties are basically of a religious nature. The main problem is the preservation of Armenian traqditions (awrenk), which include religious practices but are more comprehensive than the term «religion» in a modern sense. … Elishe saw many parallels with the position of the Jews vis-a-vis the Seleucid kings of Antioch as described in the books of Maccabees, though, of course, the political circumstances were quite different. Elishe does not entirely hide his knowledge of the Maccabees, but he does conceal the extent to which he was indebted to the Armenian version. For his purpose was not just to borrow a few expressive phrases in order to embellish his own story — as, for example, many Armenian historians did in their descriptions of battles. Rather, he wanted to recreate the kind of situation in which the play of basic issues between the antagonists would become clear in general terms. So Elishe´s History takes a specific occasion — the revolt of 450/1 and its aftermath — and describes it in terms reminiscent of the Maccabees so that the general problems will emerge more clearly.
