Some Observations on the Genealogical Works of Hetum of Corycus

Abstract

A handwritten collection of the 13^th century from Cilicia is preserved in Matenadaran. Its serial number is 1898. The prince-historian Hetum of Corycus is considered to be the one, who has ordered it. The collection presents several historical works, including four genealogical works. These materials were published by V. Hakobyan, and earlier, Gh. Alishan had considered that the author was Hetum of Corycus, bringing several arguments for that. In this article, the genealogical works and facts presented in them are compared with other materials of the collection, including the work “History of Chronicle” translated by Hetum of Corycus, as a result of which more than thirty data-repetitions and at the same time stylistic similarities are revealed. This further substantiates the fact that the originals belonged to Hetum of Corycus. At the same time, it is shown that the presentation of the genealogy of the kings in the mentioned four originals is skillfully intertwined with the recording of Armenian-Latin marriages. The genealogical works of the 1898 collection have great value as a source.