Armenian History

Seeds of Dispersion--1000-1453

1065. Grigor II Vkayaser (“the Martyrophile”) is consecrated Catholicos. He transfers the catholicate to Zamintia.

1097. Armenians of Caesarea, Cilicia, and Syria assist the Crusaders of the First Crusade in their effort to wrest the Holy Land from the Muslims. Armenians play a role in the Crusades over the ensuing three centuries.

1113. A church council in Cilicia condemns the bishop of Aghtamar, who has declared himself catholicos.

1147. Catholicos Grigor III moves the catholicate to Hromkla, in southeastern Cilicia.

1166. Nerses Shnorhali (“the Gracious”), brother of Catholicos Grigor III, becomes Catholicos Nerses IV. One of the major poets of the medieval period (the Silver Age of Armenian literature), Shnorhali’s works are among the most beautiful in the Armenian Hymnal and “Book of Hours.”

1168/69. Nerses Lambronatsi is ordained archbishop of Tarsus, and becomes a leader in the movement to unify the various Christian churches.

1262. Toros Roslin, the greatest Armenian miniature painter, completes a gospel for prince Leo and Lady Keran. Toros’ works are considered precursors of the Italian Renaissance.

1292. The Mamelukes of Egypt capture the Catholicate at Hromkla. Catholicos Stepanos IV and various holy relics, including the right hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator, are taken to Cairo.

1293. The Catholicate is moved to the Cilician capital of Sis.

1306. Dante Alighieri begins writing the Divine Comedy.

1311. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is established.

1333. Death of the artist Momik. Beginning as a miniature painter in Cilicia, Momik was brought to Tatev monastery and became the best representative of the Gladzor School of miniature painting. He eventually turned to architecture and built a two-story mausoleum-church in Noravank.

1346. Birth of Grigor Tatevatsi—vartabed, philosopher, educator and theologian—in Vayots Dzor. Along with the vartabed Hovanness Vorotnetsi (founder of the university at Tatev), Tatevatsi later argues against union with Rome.

1441. A council is held at Vagharshapat. The seat of the catholicos is moved from Sis back to its original seat at Etchmiadzin after a 957-year absence. The catholicos at Sis, Grigor Mousapekyants, does not oppose the election of a new catholicos at Etchmiadzin, but he does not move to Etchmiadzin himself, and the jurisdiction of his successors is limited to Cilicia and the surrounding areas. The Council of Vagharshapat elects the monk Kirakos Khor Virapetsi as Catholicos of All Armenians, who goes on to revitalize and reorganize Holy Etchmiadzin.