Adamgirk

This is the first English translation of the major Armenian epic on Adam and Eve composed by Arak''el of Siwnik'' in the early fifteenth century. Arak''el writes extremely powerful narrative poetry as in his description of the brilliance of paradise of Satan''s mustering his hosts against Adam and Eve and Eve''s inner struggle between obedience to God and Satan''s seduction. In parts the epic is in dialogue form between Adam Eve and God. It also pays much attention to the typology of Adam and Christ or Adam''s sin and death and Christ''s crucifixion. By implication this story from an Eastern Christian tradition is the story of all humans and bears comparison with later biblical epics such as Milton''s Paradise Lost. Michael E. Stone''s version preserves a balance between literary felicity and faithfulness to the original. His Introduction sets the work and its author in historical religious and literary context.