Łewond (Old Armenian: Ղեւոնդ) or Leontius[1] was a late 8th-century Armenian priest and historian.[2]

Very little is known about his life, except that he was an eyewitness to the events he describes after 774.[1] His historical work was commissioned by Sapuh, son of Smbat VII Bagratuni, the presiding prince of Armenia in 761–775, and covers the years 632 to 789.[1] It is an indispensable source for the early history of Arab rule over Armenia; indeed for the years 662–770 his account is the only testimony of note.[3] It also contains important information on the Arab–Byzantine wars of the period.[1] The work includes a letter supposedly sent by the Byzantine emperor Leo III the Isaurian (r. 717–741) to the Umayyad caliph Umar II (r. 717–720) that contains a defence of the Christian faith, but this version is a later Armenian composition.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e ODB, "Łewond" (R. Thomson), p. 1220.
  2. ^ "An Armenian Futūh Narrative: Łewond's Eighth-Century History of the Caliphate". isac.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  3. ^ Canard & Cahen 1960, p. 635.

Sources

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Further reading

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