Eznik, or Yeznik Koghbatsi, was an Armenian Christian writer of the fifth century. The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Biography
He was born at Golp, in the province of Taikh, a tributary valley of the Chorokh, in Northern Armenia. He was a pupil of Isaac, the catholicos [?Isaac the Great of Armenia or Isaac of Seleucia], and of Saint Mesrop. Catholicos (plural Catholicoi) is a title used by the Patriarch (head/regional head Bishop) of any of certain Eastern churches Isaac of Armenia, or Sahak (338 – 439 was Catholicos (or Patriarch of Armenia. Isaac of Seleucia (d in 410 was a Patriarch of the Persian Church who is celebrated among the Catholicoi for having reorganized the Persian Church after the terrible persecution that Saint Mesrop Mashtots (Մեսրոպ Մաշտոց (361 or 362 Hatsik in Taron - February 17, 440, Echmiadzin) was an Armenian At their reqest he went first to Edessa, then to Constantinople to perfect himself in the various sciences and to collect or copy Syriac and Greek manuscripts of the Bible, and the writings of the Fathers of the Church. Edessa ( Greek:) is the historical name of a Syriac town in northern Mesopotamia, refounded on an ancient site by Seleucus I Nicator Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS See Syriac (disambiguation for other uses Syriac (syr ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ leššānā Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church He returned to Armenia after the Council of Ephesus (431). This article covers the Ecumenical council of 431 For the council of 449 see Second Council of Ephesus.
He is probably identical with Eznik, Bishop of Bagrevand, who took part in the Synod of Artashat in 449. Artashat (Արտաշատ Hellenized as Artaxata: Ἀρτάξατα is a city on the Araks River in the Ararat valley
Works
In addition to his labours in connection with the new version of the Bible and various translations, he composed several works, the principal of which is his remarkable treatise "Against the Sects" or "On God". It was written between 441 and 449, and contains four books or chapters. In the first, against the heathens, Eznik combats the eternity of matter and the substantial existence of evil. In the second he refutes the chief doctrines of Parseeism. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The third is directed against the Greek philosophers (Pythagoreans, Platonists, Peripatetics, Stoics and Epicureans), taking his arguments from the Bible rather than from reason. Pythagoreanism is a term used for the Esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers the Pythagoreans who were much influenced Platonism is the Philosophy of Plato or the name of other philosophical systems considered closely derived from it The Peripatetics were members of a school of philosophy in Ancient Greece. Stoicism, a school of Hellenistic philosophy, was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early third century BC The fourth book is an exposition and refutation of Marcionism. Marcionism is the dualist Belief system that originates in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope at Rome around the year 144.
In the work Eznik displays much acumen and an extensive erudition. He was evidently as familiar with Persian - as with Greek literature. His Armenian diction is of the choicest classical type although the nature of his subject matter forced him to use quite a number of Greek words.
His "Against the Sects" was first published at Smyrna (now Izmir) in 1762; again, much more correctly and from several manuscripts, by the Mechitarists at Venice in 1826 and in 1865. This article is on the Ancient Greek city of Smyrna principally in connection with the ruins remaining to this day The Mechitarists ( Armenian: Մխիթարեան also spelled Mekhitarists) are a congregation of Benedictine monks of the Armenian Catholic Church An indifferent French translation was made by LeVaillant de Florival, "Réfutation des différentes sectes", etc. (Paris, 1853). A good German translation is that by J. M. Schmid, "Eznik von Kolb, Wider die Sekten" (Leipzig, 1900). Langlois published a general introduction to the whole treatise and a translation of part of book II (section 5, 1-11, containing Magism) in his "Collection des historiens anciens et modernes de l'Arménie", II, pp. 371 sq.
Eznik is also the author of a short collection of moral precepts, printed with his more important treatise.
References
- Yeznik, Refutation of the Sects - translated and paraphrased by Thomas Samuelian.
- "Eznik". Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia
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