(Greek Ἀγαθάγγελος) was a fifth century CE Armenian hagiographer. He wrote a History of St. Gregory and the Conversion of Armenia. Directly translated as “bearer of good news,” Agathangelos recounts the story of the conversion of the pagan Armenian King Trdat to Christianity by the missionary St. Gregory the Illuminator at the start of the fourth century. Although his exact identity is unknown, Agathangelos’s claim of being a Roman scribe and an eyewitness to the actual conversion are still a matter of historical contention.1 It seems that Agathangelos’s account was more likely based on previous reports of the life of the missionary saint. The account traces Gregory’s life, leading up to his torture by the pagan king for his refusal to partake in idolatry and Trdat’s eventual conversion to Christianity. The importance of this tale in the development of both Armenian identity and Near East Christianity cannot be underestimated. According to Thomas, “Armenia was to survive when others disappeared as national states, and it is in large measure to the centripetal force of the Armenian Church as a national institution that Armenia’s longevity is to be ascribed.”2 In fact, it has been argued that a distinctly identifiable Armenian individuality came to being with the adoption of Christianity through the tale of St. Gregory the Illuminator. For relevant excerpt on Sasanians click here.
(Nora Injeyan)
Bibliography:
– Thomson, R.W. Agathangelos: History of the Armenians. Translated by R.W. Thomson: New York: State University of New York Press, 1976.
– https://www.livius.org/sources/content/agathangelos/