Die Christianisierung des Kaukasus

According to a very old tradition, in 301 Christianity was proclaimed as the official state-religion of Armenia by King Trdat/Tiridates IV the Great (298-ca. 335) and by the missionary Gregory the Illuminator. On the grounds of this tradition, in 2001 the Armenian Church is celebrating the 17th centenary of her official genesis. In this connection Austria also, which in the past was an important centre of Armenology, initiated an international symposium with renowned scholars, in order to investigate scientifically the christianization of South Caucasia, esp. of Armenia, Georgia, but also of Caspian Albania (now the republic of Aserbaidjan) an of Alans (the present- day Ossets). The International Symposium was held at the beginning of December 1999 in Vienna acquiring large positive echo in Austria and abroad. A collection of selected lectures in revised form is now available for publication. These studies critically and objectively examine not only the date(s) of christianization of the South-Caucasian countries and peoples, but also the historical literary sources and their various versions and translations which sometimes are altered or even manipulated. The central theme of the Symposium was completed by lectures dedicated to archeological, philological, art-historical, canonical and liturgical topics which explore and enrich the whole complexitiy of the subject. The main results of the conference concern the dates and inter-connections of the evangelization of the three Transcaucasian countries, namely of Armenia, Georgia and Albania. It is now quite clear that the christianization of Greater Armenia has happened not in 301, but in 314 under the domination of King Trdat the Great. Similarly the martyrdom of the Virgins Gayiane and Hripsime and their 35 companions has occured not in 300, but in 312, fust during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Maximinus Daia. The evangelization of the Eastern Georgia should be fixed at a later date, in the thirties or perhaps in the middle of the 4th century. The case of Albania is more complicated than usually accepted. Only towards the end of the 4th century the King of the country was baptized, but very soon some already christianized Armenian provinces fell under his control and naturally influenced much the development of the ecclesiastical life, structure and traditions. The publication of the results of the International Symposium on the evangelization of South Caucasia will be an important and valuable contribution to the development of Caucasian studies.