Histoire d'Heraclius. Traduite de l'Armenien et annotee par Frederic Macler, (1869-1938).

EVEQUE SEBEOS [SEPEOS OF PAKRADOUNI], (7th-century Armenian bishop and historian).

Imprimerie Nationale / Ernest Leroux , Paris, 1904.

In contemporary decorative 1/3 black leather bdg. Two ex-library stamps. Roy. 8vo. (24 x 17 cm). In French. [xv], 166 p. Sebeos was a 7th-century Armenian bishop and historian. Little is known about the author, though a signature on the resolution of the Ecclesiastical Council of Devin in 645 reads 'Bishop Sebeos of Bagratunis.' His writings are valuable as one of the few intact surviving sources that chronicle sixth century Armenia and its surrounding territories. The history of Sebeos contains detailed descriptions from the period of Sassanid supremacy in Armenia up to the Islamic conquest in 661. His history was published for the first time in 1851 in Istanbul. To him has been attributed the A History of Heraclius, chronicling events from the end of the fifth century to 661. The first section begins with the mythical foundation of Armenia with the Legend of Hyke and Bel, moving to contemporary history with the ascent of Vardan II Mamikonian in 570. From there, he relates the struggles and alliances between Persia and Byzantium. The second section narrates the ascent of a new political and military force, the Ishmaelites (i.e. Arabs) in the year 622 CE. This is the first and only French edition translated by Frederic Macler, who was an orientalist and specialist in oriental languages and civilizations, having learned Armenian, Assyrian, and Hebrew with Auguste Carrière. Scarce. OCLC 1073360317, 6958181, 218394939, 257694864.