Armenian Cilicia XII -- XIV Century: Dawn, Splendor and Twilight of a Christian Kingdom in the Near East During the Crusades

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Overview

It is a history of frequent conquest by rival empires and periods when the Armenians established independent kingdoms two centuries before Christ between Rome and Persia. The conversion of Armenia to Christianity in AD 314, the first among Christian nations, created a unique cultural heritage in its literature, architecture, and historical writing. While the book covers the span of three millennia, the main focus is on the relatively little known Kingdom of Armenian Cilicia and its close relations with the Crusader states in the Near East. The numerous ties of this kingdom with the West from the XI to the XIV century would also serve to emphasize its significance for a more complete history of Europe. Strongly attached to their brand of Christian spirituality and to their oral and written language, which helped them in their almost miraculous survival, the Armenian never lost their culture. Giving frequent proof of their adherence to ideals of a life they considered inalienable, at the turn of the 20th century they were almost annihilated by a genocidal catastrophe. But they survived by adapting to new forms of life in a small independent republic and in the lands of the diaspora. It is a story which might stir up a romantic passion in the kindly-disposed reader, but it may also offer reflection and meditation in others.