Acknowledgements
After years of arduous journey through the unpredictable sea of ancient history, scholars’ fervent wish is to feel the joy by completing and publishing the results of their research. They never embark on such a journey alone and the people who have supported them in various ways from its onset deserve to be remembered with heartfelt gratitude.
My journey began in 2009 in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with Karin Boklund-Lagopoulou’s encouragement and blessing, and I owe her an enormous debt of gratitude for believing in me. In Oxford I was welcomed by the sparkling wit and enormous erudition of Theo M. van Lint, who for several years provided me with tremendous academic and moral support, who generously shared with me his expertise and his books, and who patiently guided and encouraged me throughout my quest for medieval Armenian women.
I am particularly indebted to Valentina Calzolari, David G.K. Taylor, Judith Pfeiffer, Alison G. Salvesen, as well as to the two anonymous reviewers of the book for their thoughtful comments, corrections, constructive criticism, and invaluable advice that helped me avoid numerous pitfalls. My gratitude also goes out to Yuhan Sohrab-Dinshaw Vevaina, Natalie N. Quin, Alex MacFarlane, and Robin Meyer, who provided assistance at various stages of the writing of this book. However, it goes without saying that all mistakes and inaccuracies are mine alone.
I would also like to thank Tatevik Sargsyan for providing me with the high definition image from St Hṙip‘simē (St Sargis) church in Yalta for the cover of this book.
The research for this book was made possible in part by various grants. For their generous financial support in the early years of my academic career, I wish to thank the following organisations: the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for funding the final year of my D.Phil. research; St Antony’s and Pembroke Colleges, the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Oxford, and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) for funding the trips to workshops and conferences that enriched me academically and helped me improve the quality of my work. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the British Academy for the award of a postdoctoral fellowship, during which the final pages of this book were written.
The most powerful force, however, that always kept the fair wind in my sails, motivated and inspired me, was my family, my wife Marianna, my children, Robert and Dimitrios Levon, and my parents. When things seemed most gloomy, they always showed me the light.
I dedicate this book to the memory of my grandfather, Hamazasp Zakarian, an inspirational teacher, poet, and an endlessly kind man. He instilled in me an undying fascination for literature and history, and I am eternally grateful to him for that.