page_title: Culture of Armenia
section_title: Literature
hierarchical_section_title: Culture of Armenia / Creative arts / Literature
caption_attribution_description: Movses Khorenatsi, an Armenian historian and author of the History of Armenia. He is credited with the earliest known historiographical work on the history of Armenia, but was also a poet, or hymn writer, and a grammarian.
context_page_description: The culture of Armenia encompasses many elements that are based on the geography, literature, architecture, dance, and music of the people.
context_section_description: Literature began in Armenia  around 401 A.D. The majority of the literary arts were created by Moses of Khorene, in the 5th century. Through the years the elements of literature have changed as the stories and myths were passed on through generations. In the late 17th century, Alexander Tertzakian was a renowned Armenian writer who created several works considered to be among Armenia's classics. During the 19th century, writer Mikael Nalbandian worked to create a new Armenian literary identity. Nalbandian's poem "Song of the Italian Girl" may have been the inspiration for the Armenian national anthem, Mer Hayrenik.
  Mesrop Mashtots is considered to be the creator of the Armenian alphabet. This event which took place in the 5th century is considered to be one of the most important turning points of Armenian Literature
  Movses Khorenatsi was a prominent Armenian historian from the period of late antiquity and the author of the History of the Armenians.
  Khorenatsi is credited with the earliest known historiographical work on the history of Armenia written in Armenian, but was also a poet, or hymn writer, and a grammarian. The History of Armenia was written at the behest of Prince Sahak Bagratuni and has had an enormous impact on Armenian historiography. It was used and quoted extensively by later medieval Armenian authors. Although other Armenians, such as Agathangelos, had previously written histories on Armenia, Movses' work holds particular significance because it contains unique material on the old oral traditions in Armenia before its conversion to Christianity and, more importantly, traces Armenian history from Movses' day back to its origins.
caption: Movses Khorenatsi, a prominent Armenian writer of the 5th century.
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