In spite of legendary accretions we can still discern the true outlines and significance of his life. He did not really illumine or convert great Armenia, for the people were in the main already converted by Syrian missionaries to the Adoptionist or Ebionite type of faith which was dominant in the far East, and was afterwards known as Nestorianism. Marcionites and Montanists had also worked in the field. Gregory persuaded Tiridates to destroy the last relics of the old paganism, and carried out in the religious sphere his sovereign's policy of detaching Great Armenia from the Sassanid realm and allying it with the Graeco-Roman empire and civilization. He set himself to Hellenize or Catholicize Armenian Christianity, and in furtherance of this aim set up a hierarchy officially dependent on the Cappadocian. He in effect turned his country into a province of the Greek see of Cappadocia. This hierarchical tie was soon snapped, but the Hellenizing influence continued to work, and bore its most abundant fruit in the 5th century. His career was thus analogous to that of St Patrick in Ireland. AUTHORITIES.--S. Weber, _Die Catholische Kirche in Armenien_ (Freiburg, 1903, with bibliography); Bollandii, _Acta sanctorum sept._ tom. 8; A. Carriere, _Les Huit Sanctuaires de l'Armenie_ (Paris, 1899); "Chrysostom" in Migne, _P. Gr._ tom. 63, col. 943 foll.; C. Fortescue, _The Armenian Church_ (London, 1872); H. Gelzer, _Die Anfange der armenischen Kirche_ (Leipzig, 1895) (_Sachs. Gesells. der Wissensch._); and s.v. "Armenien" in Herzog-Hauck (Leipzig, 1897); v. Gutschmid, _Kleine Schriften_ (Leipzig, 1892); Himpel, _Gregor der Erleuchter_, Kl. v.; Issaverdenz, _Hist. of Arm. Church_ (Venice, 1875); de Lagarde, _Agathangelos_ (Gottingen, 1888); Arshak Ter Mikelian, _Die arm. Kirche_ (Leipzig, 1892); Palmieri, "La Conversione ufficiale degli Iberi," _Oriens Christ._ (Rome, 1902); Ryssel, _Ein Brief Gregors, ubersetzt, Studien und Kritiken_, 56, Bd. (1883); Samuelian, _Bekehrung Armeniens_ (Vienna, 1844); Vetter, "Die arm. Vater," in Nischl's _Lehrbuch der Patrol._ iii. 215-262, (Mainz, 1881-1885); Malan, _S. Gregory the Illuminator_ (Rivingtons, 1868). (F. C. C.) GREGORY (_Gregorius_), the name of sixteen popes and one anti-pope.