The Armenian Translation of the Greek Miracles of St Thecla in the Context of Armenian-Byzantine Contacts in the 11th Century, discussion meeting with Valentina Calzolari (University of Geneva) University of Vienna, May 28, 2018, 5:00–6:30 pm

The Forum Moving Byzantium XIII will provide the unique opportunity to discuss with Prof. Valentina Calzolari (University of Geneva) her current work on “The Armenian Translation of the Greek Miracles of St Thecla in  the Context of Armenian-Byzantine Contacts in the 11th Century”.

Valentina Calzolari is Professor of Armenian Studies at the University of Geneva. She is currently President of the Association pour l’Étude de la littérature apocryphe chrétienne and of the Association Internationale des Études Arméniennes. She is the author of Apocrypha Armeniaca I: Acta Pauli et Theclae. Prodigia Theclae. Martyrium Pauli (CCSA 20) (Brepols, 2017) and the founding co-editor of the collection Armenian Texts and Studies and of the Commentaria in Aristotelem Armeniaca series (Brill).

After a brief introduction in English, a group discussion will follow on the basis of preparatory readings. The discussion will focus to the Armenian translation (unpublished until 2017) of the Greek text of the Prodigies of Thecla (the disciple of St Paul, in the Acta Pauli). The main question is to challenge the hypothesis of a possible translation by the catholicos Gregory II Vkayaser during his stay in Byzantium, around 1074.

Some of the questions that will be put forward for discussion are:

1. What are the evidences about the travel of Gregory Vkayaser to Byzantium, in the general context of the relationships between Greeks and Armenians in the 11th century?
2. What is the role of the Armenian translations of Greek hagiographical and apocryphal texts in the formation of the medieval Armenian liturgical collections at the time of Gregory Vkayaser?
3. On the basis of our information about the transmission and the content of both the Greek and Armenian text of the Prodigies of Thecla, is it possible to address the hypothesis of a translation by Gregory Vkayaser in the 11th century?