Background
Tovmas Terzian was born to an Armenian father and an Italian mother.
playwright translator writer poet
Tovmas Terzian was born to an Armenian father and an Italian mother.
After attending the local Mekhitarist school, he attended the prestigious Murad-Raphaelian school in Venice, Italy on the San Lazzaro Island from which he graduated in 1858.
Upon returning to Constantinople, he dedicated himself to teaching. He taught at Nersesian, Nubar-Shahnazarian, and Getronagan. His students included famous Armenians such as Reteos Berberian, Minas Cheraz, Yeghia Demirdjibashian, Krikor Zohrab, Yerukhan, and other prominent writers and teachers.
Tovmas Terzian was fluent in English, Armenian, French, Italian, Classical Greek, Latin, Turkish, and Greek.