Die Christianisierung des Kaukasus - The Christanization of Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Albania)

In December 1999 the Austrian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the Department of Byzantine and Hellenic Studies of the University of Vienna and the Society for Austro-Armenian Studies held an international symposium on the Christianization of the Caucasus, focusing on the 4th century. In connection with the 17th centenary jubilee of the Armenian Church, it was Armenia that constituted the central interest, but Georgia, Caucasian Albania and Alans were also dealt with. The present volume contains 14 articles (by Z. Alexidze, I. Arzhantseva, W. Djobadze, A. Drost-Abgarjan, H. Goltz, B. Harutyunyan, M. K. Krikorian, J.-P. Mah, W. Seibt, M. and N. Thierry, R. M. Thomson, M. van Esbroeck, K. N. Yuzbachian and B. L. Zekiyan) in German, English and French, dealing with aspects of history, philology, law, art and culture. A broad consensus was achieved that the conversion of Trdat/Tiridates, the King of Greater Armenia, traditionally held to have taken place in 301, is historically untenable and that 314 is a far more likely date. Christianization in Albania probably did not achieve notable success until the late 4th century, despite the legends describing early proselytization that grew up later.