14 Facts About Nicholas Adontz

Nicholas Adontz was an Armenian historian, specialising in Byzantine and Armenian studies, and a philologist.

Nicholas Adontz was born Nikoghayos Ter-Avetikian in the village of Brnakot in Sisian, which was then part of the Zangezur uezd of the Elizavetpol Governorate.

Nicholas Adontz's family traced its roots to an eighteenth-century Armenian military figure and close ally of David Bek named Ter-Avetik.

Nicholas Adontz learned Latin and Greek and graduated with honors in 1899.

In 1903, Nicholas Adontz returned to the Caucasus, learning Georgian and later working at the manuscript repository in Echmiadzin.

Nicholas Adontz wrote and defended his thesis on "Armenia in the Period of Justinian" in 1908.

Nicholas Adontz was appointed as the private-assistant professor at the University of St Petersburg in 1909.

Nicholas Adontz received his doctorate and the title of professor after defending his dissertation, entitled "Dionysius of Thrace and his Armenian Commentaries," in 1916.

In 1920, Nicholas Adontz left Russia and moved to London and then Paris.

Nicholas Adontz was invited to deliver lectures at the University of Brussels in 1930 and was appointed to the position of the head of the newly created Department of Armenian Studies.

Nicholas Adontz left more than 80 monographs on the history and literature of Medieval Armenia, Armenian-Byzantine relations, Armenian-Greek philology, mythology, religion, linguistics in the Armenian, Russian and French languages.

Nicholas Adontz published his first scholarly article in the journal Handes Amsorya in 1901.

Nicholas Adontz accused Western Europe for taking advantage of the Armenians' plight in the Ottoman Empire in order to increase their own influence in the region.

Nicholas Adontz condemned Soviet Russia for signing the 1918 Treaty of Brest Litovsk, which effectively left the once-Armenian-populated regions within the borders of the Ottoman Empire.