Vardapet

Something of the structure of the school of Glajor can be inferred from the hierarchy of terms used for teachers, though one must be careful not to try to translate these into ranks of modern university professors, as Xač‘eryan has done. Lowest in the hierarchy was the rabuni or "master," a term borrowed from the Hebrew; somehow more accomplished was the rabunapet or "headmaster"; and still more distinguished was the vardapet, literally "head teacher." […] It is clear that there was a certain formality involved in the training and promotion of a person to the rank of vardapet. Mxit‘ar Goš lays down in his Law Book that a cleric could be admitted to the rank of vardapet only after he had satisfied a panel of two or three vardapets about the level of his learning, though his training might have been under just a single vardapet. The vardapet was regarded as having a special authority to teach.

There is nothing particular to be mention'd concerning the Archbiſhops and Biſhops of the Armenians, […] It were only to be wiſh'd they diſcharg'd their Duty; but they have no Zeal, and are ſunk into the moſt wretched Ignorance, and are often less eſteem'd than the Vertabiets. Sometimes they are Biſhops and Vertabiets at the same time, that is to ſay, Bishops and Doctors. These Vertabiets, who make ſuch a noiſe among the Armenians, are not in reality great Doctors; but they are the moſt conſiderable Men of the Country, or at leaſt paſs for ſuch.

At the hour appointed most of the brethren met at the house of the vartabed; but found no one there to accuse or oppose them. They now had considerable conversation with the vartabed, and gave him some wholesome advice.

Cyriacus of Gandzak, vardapet, a writer of the 13th century. He has composed a History of Armenia, covering a period of near a thousand years. […] Vardan Vardapet of Baretzer-berd, of the 13th century, a fellow-disciple of Cyriacus of Gandzak, profoundly learned, and especially distinguished as a linguist. He has left us a complete history of Armenia from the time of Haik down to his own period.

The hardest trial of all to bear was the cruel bastinado, which the vartabad at length resorted to, seeing that other means failed. A young man was called into the presence of this church dignitary, and required to sign the patriarch's creed. Refusing to comply, he was placed on the floor and beaten with sticks on the soles of his feet, the vartabad assisting with his own hands in inflicting this cruelty.

Even if these treatises are not Mantagouni's but were written in imitation of Saint Chrysostom, the fact that they are addressed by an Armenian Vartabet (learned doctor) to the Armenian people is an evidence that theaters existed in Armenia. This, in its own turn, is an evidence of high culture and civilization among the Armenians.

A peculiar and important rank in the Armenian hierarchy, conferred by a sort of ordination rite, is that of vartapet. He is a hieromonk or widowed priest of superior learning and ability, especially authorized to preach and teach.

Nerses's negotiations with the Byzantines were in part a show performed for the vardapets; the discussions were held at Hromgla, the patriarchal residence, not in Constantinople or some other neutral city.