ABSTRACT
The 450 years or so between the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth monarchy of Armenia (428-885), might be described as the ‘Dark Ages’ of medieval Armenian history, from the political point of view. Disunity and treachery among the nakharars; wars for the possession of Armenian territories between Byzantium and Persia; Byzantium and Armenia; Persia and Armenia; the Arab invasion of Armenia. But in the midst of the general political and social instability, there were oases of peace, especially in the new churches and monasteries (which had replaced the ancient temples), where some of the early illuminated manuscripts (which like all subsequent activities of the same kind, incorporated literature and art) were produced. At the same time other intellectual activities were also being practised, mostly with a strong religious bias.
