LEONZIO. - An Armenian priest and historian who lived in the period 725-90, author of the *History of the Appearance of Muḥammad*, written at the request of Prince Šabuh Bagratuni.
The work recounts in 33 chapters the events from 632, first briefly and then, from 774 onward, in detail, describing the Arab invasion of Armenia. The work is of interest as it is the only Armenian historical document of the 8th century, though not always accurate.
BIBL.: L.’s history was published in Paris in 1857 by Karapet Chahazarian and by Karapet Jezizian in St. Petersburg in 1887; E. Filler, *Quaestiones de L. Armeni historia*, Leipzig 1903; Z. P. Karekin, *Storia della letteratura antica armena*, Venice 1932, pp. 497-99. Paolo Hamelian