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144 The Armenian Church

tom, and Cyril of Alexandria. The Armenian
Church's liturgy was later elaborated on
the basis of these liturgies. The translation
of early patristic literature was another
important sphere of the Church's cultural
activity. Almost all the basic works of the
church fathers were rendered, partly or fully,
into Armenian in a short period of time.
Among these were the works of Ignatius
of Antioch, Dionysius of Alexandria, Atha-
nasius of Alexandria, Epiphanius of Cyprus,
Gregory of Nazianzus, Eusebius of Caes-
serea, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil the Great,
John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria,
Ephraim Syrus, Cyril of Jerusalem, Diodore
of Tarsus, Theodore of Mopsuesta, Apol-
linarius, Irenaeus of Lyons, as well as the
major works of Greek philosophers such
as Aristotle and Plato. Besides their theo-
logical, spiritual, and philosophical signifi-
cance, some of these translations became the
only reference when the original texts were
lost, such as the Chronicle of Eusebius and
some of the writings of Irenaeus of Lyons.
Translating the important works of the
church fathers remained an essential aspect
of the Church's cultural activity. In the 12th
Century, with the growing Armeno-Latin
contacts, the major works of a number of
western church divines were translated into
Armenian. The translation of Greek, Syriac,
and Latin church fathers engaged Armenian