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KLBINB TEXTE FOR VORLBSUNGEN U ND OBUNGBN BBCJlONOBT VON HANS LlBTZWANN HBJlAUSC BGBBBN VON JCUJlT ALANO

189

AN ANTHOLOGY OF BYZANTINE PROSE BY

N I GEL G. W I LSON

WALTER DE GRUYTER · BERLIN· NEW YORK 1971

KLEINB TEXTE FOR VORLESUNGEN UND 0BUNGEN BEGRONDET VON HANS LIBTZMANN HBRAUSGEGEBEN VON KURT ALAND

189

AN ANTHOLOGY OF BYZANTINE PROSE BY

NIGEL G. WILSON

\\'ALTER DE GR UYTER · BERLIN · NEW YORK 1971

ISBN 3 11 001898 5

© 1971 b1 Waiter de Gm,tet & Co., -.orma1a G. J. ~·oche V~J. Gaucmas, Vcrlagobnchbwndbmg- Gcoq Relmu -Kad J. TtllbGer- Vclt & Comp. Bcrlla. 30 Allc Rcchtc, imbc.......W.. du dcr 'Obc:ractzuag lA fraDdc SPftCbco. ~ Ohac aUidztJcldicbe Geachmisuag des V crlaga bt eo aach Dlcht gcat11UCt, diaca Bach oclcr Tcllc daraua auf pbotomcchaniKbcm Wcgc (Photoi:Dplc, Milaokoplc) Z1l ~.

(Prlaud ill Gamlm1) Satz uad Druck: Waiter de Gm,tet & Co., Bcrlla.

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What numbers of fine writers in the later empire of Rome, when refinement was carried to the highest pitch, have missed that fame and immortality which they had fondly arrogated to themselves? How many Greek authors, who wrote at that period when Constantinople was the refined mistress of the empire, now rest either not printed, or not read, in the libraries of Europe? GOLDSMITH The citizen of the world.

CONTENTS Page

1 5

Introduction . Abbreviations Cosmas Indicopleustes . Procopius . . . Agathias . . . . Ioannes Malalas Ioannes Moschos Theophanes the confessor Methodios . . . . . . . Photius . . . . . . . . . Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus Ioannes Mauropous Michael Psellos Cecaumenos . . Anna Comnena Eustathius . . Michael Choniates . Timarion . . . . Georgios Acropolites Theodoros Lascaris . Maximos Planudes Theodoros Metochites Nicephorus Gregoras Manuel II Bessarion Ducas . .

6 11

22 26 28 32 36 40

. . .

. .. . ..

63 68 68 83 87 98 108 111 121 123 126 130 136 142 146 162

INTRODUCTION This book is intended for students and scholars who would like to learn about the Byzantine world from primary sources. It has been designed mainly for those who already know some classical Greek, but I hope that it may also tempt medieval historians and students of modern Greek literature to make their first direct acquaintance with an unusually fascinating period of history. My object has been to select from prose writers a number of representative extracts which will give a general picture of Byzantine life and culture. The only existing anthology of this kind is a little book by G. Soyter, Byzantinische Geschichtsschreiber, Heidelberg 1929, which seems to me too short and limited in scope to be satisfactory. The task of an anthologist is not easy. Byzantine literature is so vast in bulk - Migne's Patrologia Graeca consists of a hundred and sixty one volumes-that no one can read more than a fraction of it, and consequently no fully representative selection can be compiled without exceeding the limits of space that must be observed in a book designed as an introduction. In order to stay within these limits I had to take difficult decisions. The most practicable solution led to two restrictions in the choice of passages. The first is chronological: following the example of Beck and Krumbacher I have assumed that Byzantine literature began in the reign of Justinian. As a result some authors of the fourth and fifth centuries who are important in themselves and were influential in Byzantium have been left out. The writings of John Chrysostom, the Cappadocian Fathers and Athanasius' Life of St. Antony are the most obvious omissions. The second restriction is that, whereas nothing has been done to obscure or minimise the pervasive influence of the church in every sphere of life, some kinds of theological literature, especially sermons, mys1

Wilson

2

INTRODUCTION

ticism and philosophical theology, have been excluded. This may be thought a shortcoming, particularly in view of the emphasis given to matters connected with the survival and study of classical antiquity throughout the book. Perhaps! should anticipate criticism by saying that the decision, though not easy or welcome, seemed justifiable on two grounds. My purpose has been not so much to give examples of every class of prose writing as to offer a panorama of Byzantine life. In addition it is a tenable proposition that the Byzantine contribution to theology is less important for the history of European culture than the preservation and study of classical Greek texts. In the selection here offered to the reader the historians claim the lion's share. That is only to be expected. Although they mostly set to work with the narrow aim of writing military and political history, they permitted themselves digressions from the main theme which are admirably suited for inclusion here. There is also little doubt that the historians are the best writers of medieval Greece. Only their works can stand the test of being translated into a modern language for the benefit of a wider audience than professional scholars. Of the other literary forms the letter is best represented, and throughout the period it was practised with success by schoolmasters, bishops, statesmen and even emperors. The absence of two authors requires explanation. The story of Barlaam and Joasaph, usually ascribed to St. John Damascene, has been omitted, since I am inclined to share the view of D. M. Lang, BSOAS 17. 2. 1955. 312---8, that it is a translation from the Ge9rgian and not an original work of Byzantine literature. And there is no specimen from the works of Plethon. This is deliberate, since the proper appraisal of his philosophical position is not yet agreed among scholars. I suspect that the revolutionary nature of his ideas has been exaggerated, and would refer the reader to E. Wind, The pagan mysteries of the Renaissance, second edition, Penguin Books 1967, 244-6. His economic ideas, however, designed to strengthen the Morea, are reflected in the extract given from Bessarion's letter.

INTRODUCTION

3

Most Byzantine prose was written with the object of imitating the language and style of the great Athenian writers of the fifth and fourth centuries B. C. The historians for example attempted frequently and with varying degrees of success to model their style on that of Thucydides. But that did not prevent them from borrowing Ionic expressions from Herodotus, who was also read and respected as a model. Most writers permitted themselves to use the vocabulary of the Septuagint and New Testament, and few could resist the temptation of drawing on the large additional resources of vocabulary offered by Hellenistic Greek. This modified or impure Atticism lasted as long as the empire, and led to excesses of virtuosity that were scarcely equalled by the most dedicated practitioners of Ciceronianism in the Italian Renaissance. Even when allowance is made for the slow pace of linguistic change in Greek, this degree of archaism limited freedom of expression so much that the result could not often be more than mediocrity of literary achievement. Gibbon roundly condemned Byzantine literature: 'Not a single composition of history, philosophy or literature has been saved from oblivion by the intrinsic beauties of style or sentiment, of original fancy or even of successful imitation. In prose the least offensive of the Byzantine writers are absolved from censure by their naked and unpresuming simplicity; but the orators, most eloquent in their own conceit, are the furthest removed from the models they affect to emulate'. The highest praise that a Byzantine author is likely to receive from· a critic is that he writes a smooth pastiche, so as not to offend the reader by linguistic incongruity, and at the same time offers thought or narrative worthy of attention. Yet it is hard to withhold a certain admiration for a man who handles the classical language a millennium after its maturity as well as Procopius does. The development of the Greek language and the importance of Atticism are described by R. Browning, Medieval and modern Greek, London 1969, especially chapters 2--4. Advanced students may like to consult G. Bohlig, Untersuchungen zum rhetorischen Sprachgebrauch der Byzantiner,

4

INTRODUCTION

Berlin 1956, 1-17, who shows that authorities did not always agree in their definition of strict Attic practice. In the commentary a large proportion of the notes are linguistic, because it is important to show in detail how the Byzantine authors deviated from the usage of their models and what the components of their vocabulary are; the closer the superficial resemblance to classical Greek the more necessary it becomes to note the differences. Learned allusions to classical authors are traced wherever possible; the educated Byzantine reader was expected to be able to follow them. I have not assumed that the extracts will necessarily be read in the chronological order in which they are given, and for that reason notes are occasionally repeated. Byzantine Greek should be pronounced in the same way as the modern language. The accent had changed from pitch to stress by the fourth century, and most of the changes in the values of vowels and consonants were complete by the tenth century. A very important feature in late Greek prose is that writers attempt to follow a rule regulating the clausula; in each clause the last two stressed syllables should if possible be separated by an even number of unstressed syllables, usually two or four (P. Maas, Greek metre, Oxford 1962, 17 para. 23). The earliest practitioner of this type of rule is Himerius (Wilamowitz, Kleine Schriften IV 56ft.= Hermes 34. 1889. 216ff.). Different authors apply it in different ways, so that it can be employed as a criterion for assessing the authenticity of disputed works such as Procopius' Secret History (P. Maas, BZ 21. 1912-3. 52). In conclusion I record with pleasure my debt to two friends, who have helped to make this book less imperfect than it would otherwise have been. Prof. R. Kassel read the manuscript and suggested many improvements in the commentary. Dr. M. Winterbottom read a set of proofs and drew my attention to other points in need of correction. N.G.W.

ABBREVIATIONS BSOAS

Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African studies BZ Byzantinische Zeitschrift DOP Dumbarton Oaks Papers EHR English Historical Review GRBS Greek Roman and Byzantine Studies Journal of Hellenic Studies JHS Jahrbuch der Oesterreichischen byzantiJOBG nischen Gesellschaft LexPatrGr A patristic Greek lexicon, by G. W. H. Lampe A Greek-English lexicon, by H. G. Liddell, LSJ R. Scott, H. Stuart J ones LXX The Septuagint OrChrPer Orientalia Christiana Periodica ProcCambPhilSoc Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society Pauly-Wissowa Pauly-Wissowa-Kroll, Realencyklopadie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft TAPA Transactions of the American Philological Association

COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES (fl. c. 520-550) Although the name and epithet are traditional, both are open to doubt. The name is found in only one of the three manuscripts, and was unknown to Photius in the ninth century; it could have been given to the author because of his description of the cosmos. As to his travels, it is clear that he was a merchant trading in the Red Sea and Ethiopia (see especially 2. 66), but what he says of India and Ceylon does not prove conclusively that he had been there himself. His work, the Christian Topography, is intended to refute Ptolemaic theories of geography and astronomy; the Bible is the only accurate source of knowledge; the world is shown to be shaped like the tabernacle of Moses. The combination of bigotry and naivete is unattractive but revealing. There are many digressions, which are often valuable sources for the history of trade between Byzantium and the Orient. The author arranged for his work to be profusely illustrated, and there is a fascinating series of miniatures in the manuscripts. Photius' summary and co=ents are printed below (pp. 000). The book's popularity in Byzantium is difficult to estimate, but translations of it were made into several Slavonic languages. Edition with French translation and commentary: W. Wolska-Conus, Paris 1968-, in progress(= Sources Chretiennes 141); for books V-XII text by E. 0. Winstedt, Cambridge 1909.

•yTr66ecns

5

Xplcrrla:V{~ElV VOIJ.l~6JJ.EV01

'KO:l T'l')v 6e{a:v rpa:cpf}v IJ.T)5ev 'Aoy1~6JJ.Evo•, &XA.a Treplcppovovv-res Ka:l \rrrepcppovovv-res, Ka:-ra TOVS e~ooeev V elva:l TO OXflJ.lCX TOV ovpa:vov VTrOACXIJ.~CxVOVO'lV, b< T6>V 'liAlCX'K&>V 'KO:l O'eAT)VlCX'K6>V bV TrACXVOOIJ.EVOl. TrCXO'CXV To{vvv Tf\S ~{~AOV Tf}v \nr66ea1v els TrEVTE TlVES

2 VOI.Itl;61JSVOt: i.e. Christians who are acquainted with Greek scientific theory. The polemic is directed at least in part against his contemporary John Philoponos, the commentator on Aristotle. 4 TOVs ~~oo6ev: usually 'pagans'; here it may include heretics as well. 6 Titvre: there are now twelve books, the last seven being subsequent additions by the author.

COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES

7

"'-~Pfl

&p"'-oS{ws StetA.6"'-flV. TrpwTov mxVTwv TrPOs Tovs elpfl"'-~vovs o SvvaTov Tov TWV e~weev yap ~av TlS 6eA.i}aetev (3aaav{aat TCxS • EAA11 vtKCxS \rrroWaets, TrAaO""'-aTa TrOVTc..:IS ropf]aet Kal ""veooST} aocp{a""aTa Kal &SvvaTa TraVTEAWS. eha AOlTT'OV TrPOs TOV alTT}O"a""evov XptO"Tlavov ocpe{A.oVTa Myet V ,To\rrwv &vatpov"'-~vwv, Tro{as XPTt &VTEtaayetv \rrro6~aets &A116eis ;" o Se\JTepos A.6yos ty~vETo, ~~yov~vos TCxS XptO"TtavtKCxS \rrro6~0"E1S ~ Tiis 6e{as rpacpfls 7rpoepx6~vos, Kal Sf}AWV TT'OVTOS TOV KOO"""OV TO O"Xfl"'-a, Kal OTl TlV~S TWV e~weev TraAOlWV TotaVTT}s S6~s ty~voVTo. eha TrcXAtv ooaavel Ttvos chropovVTos Kal A~OVTOS ,Tr66ev Sf}A.ov et CxAfl6eVet MwOO"f}s Kal ol Trpocpf}Tat TotaiiTa A.~oVTEs ;" 6 TpiTos A.6yos To &~t6TrtO"Tov chroSe{Kvvatv Mc..:~Oa~ws Kal TWV TrpO Kal TrPcXy"'-aTl, Trpoeewpi}aaVTES aVTCx OVTc..:IS e~eiTrOV Kal oi ev Tij TTaA.at<;X Kal ol ev Tij Ne((:, Kal T{ TO XPTJO"l""OV TWV O"Xfl"'-OT(A)V TOV KOO"""OV, Kal Tr66ev &cpop""l)v Kal &pxl)v eaxev Tiis acpa{pas ti \rrr6vota. eha TrcXAt v Trepl TWV Tro6ovVTwv O'f'El TrapaA.a(3eiv TCx O"Xi!"'-aTa, 0 TETapTOS AOYOS ey~VETO, aVVTO"'-OS &vaKecpaA.a{wats Kal Staypacpl) Twv Trpoetpfl"'-~vwv \rrrapxwv, Kal Tiis acpa{pas Kal TWV CxVT1Tr6Swv ti avaTpoTri}. eha TrcXAlV Trpos Tov alTT}o-6:'-'-evov TCxS XptO"TtavtKCxS \rrroe~aets 6 Tr~"'-TrTos A.6yos ty~vETo, SflA.wv 00s o\Jx tavTois TrAaaa"'-evot, o\rre v~ovs ""veovs ecpevpf}K6TES, elpi}Ka~v ii SteypcX\f'a~v. &AA. e~ chroTrA.avw"'-~vovs TrpwTos A.6yos ty~veTo, 00s ov Xptcrnav{~etv W~AOVTa chrayea6at Tij Trt6avij TrAcXVTJ, E-repa Tfis 6e{as fpa
Kal

10

15

20

25

ao

7 apiJoSfoos: first in Plut. Arist. 24, ace. to LSJ. 10 lav ... eeAiJOl:te: the optative is incorrect; compare Photius' comment below, p. 42. 13 ).onrov reinforces eha, a Hellenistic usage common in late and modern Greek. TO\/ ••• AtyEtv: 'the Christian who must necessarily ask'. 17 Cosmas permits himself to quote Ephorus, Pytheas of Massilia and Xenophanes at 2. 78-80 in support of his thesis. 21 lAO:AT)aav: 'spoke'; in Attic usually derogatory, 'chatter'. 22 liJ1TliEVa6tVTEs: 'inspired'; LSJ quote this sense first from Longinus 16. 2. 23 1Tpo6eoopiJaaVTES: 'having considered these things in advance'. i. e. by revelation. 24 nC~Aatq, Ntq: i.e. llta6iJK1J. xPilatiJ0\1: because it conforms to a certain eschatology, as outlined below. 28 avaKEcpCIAafooats: 'summary', first in Dion. H. 1. 90. StaypcxcpiJ. 32 SteypO:\jlcxiJE\1: the diagrams are clearly intended as an integral part of the book.

8

as

40

45

so

55

60

COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES

KcxAU\vsoos Kal 1TpOCTTa~soos esov "TOV "TC>V KOO'IJ.OV SfliJ,lOVpYI'lO'OV"T05, &oopf)aav,-ss "To ti<~J,aysiov "TOV 1TOV"T0s KOO'IJ.OV, -rl)v 01 "TOV VOIJ.OV tyypacpoos tS~~aV"TO, Kal "TOOV ypa~J, ~J,6:7oov Ti}v 1Tsipav ~SlSQ:xSflaav, Kal "Tf\S 01
COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES

9

~O'(A)T~pav O"KT')vflVI els TOV &voo-rspov ovpCxV10V xoopovl els ov TrpocrKaAEiTa1 Tovs SlKa{ovs ~v Tij SEVT~PCit TrapovaiCit Myoov ,Se0-re ol e\JA.oyt)I-\Evo1 ToO TiaTp6s IJOVI l t; S6~a els Tovs aloovas. &1.1-ftv. 1

65

2. 75 77 The eternity and primacy of the Roman empire 1

IJET~E1 ovv ti j3aa1A.eta TOOV •poo1Ja{oov TOOV &~1001..\CxTOOV Tfis J3aa1A.etas Tov ~eO"Tr6Tov XplO'TOV Traaas V1fepa{povaa oaov ~vS~ETa1 KaTa TOV J3{ov TOVTOV CxTtTTfiTOS S1aJ,\Evovaa 1.1~p1 Tfjs avVTeA.e{as· ,els Tov aloova yap" cpf)aiv ,ov S1acp6ap-ftaETa1." 5 Kal rnl J,.LSv TOV ~eO'Tf6TOV XplO'TOV els TOV aloova TO Cm:A.e&rr}TOV O'T')IJa{vE1 Ka6a Kal 6 faJ3pn'}A. Tij Tiap6~Vct> A.eye1 ,KalJ3aalA.eVae1 rnl TOV o{KOV •taKooj3 els TOVS aloovasl Kal Tfjs f3a0'1Ae{as aVTOV OVK EO'T01 T~AOS" rnl Se Tfjs • Poo1Ja{oov j3a0'1Ae{as oos O'VVOVaTElACxO'T')S T't> Xp10'T4l els Tov aloova Toii-rov ov Slacp6ap-ftO"ETal. 10 eappoov yap &Trocpa{VOIJOll OTl el Kal S1a Tas til.lrnpas cXIJapT{as lfPOs TfalSe{av 6A.{yov ~epol J3apJ3apol Tij •PooiJaV{Cit rnav{O'TaVTall C:il\Aa Tij SvvaiJEl Tov SlaKpaToVVTOS CxTtTTfiTOS SlaiJ~VEl ti J3aalA.e{al rnl TO l.lfJ O'TEVOV0"6al Ta TOOV XplO'T1avoovl C:il\Aa TfAcrrVVE0"6a1. Kal yap Kal TrpOOTOV j3aa{Ae10V rn{O"TEVO'EV 15 Xp10'T4l Trapa Ta A.omal Kal ~ ti j3aa1A.eta Vlff)ph1s ~O"Tlv Toov TOV XplO"Tov olKovo1JlOOV ilv S1a Taii-ra cpvA.Cx-r-re1 6 Toov OAOOV LleO'Tf6TT')s eeos CxTtTTfiTOV ~pl Tfjs O'VVTEAe{as. ~V Tij yap •pooiJa{oov yij TrpOOTOV rnl TOOV CxlfOO'T6AOOV Sl~SpallEV TO XplO'TlOVlKOV K{]pvyl.lal Kal eVe~oos TfCxAlV ~V Tiepa{S1 Sla eas20 Sa{ov Tov &TfoO"T6A.ov. &~1 Kal ~v Tais Ka6oA.1Kais y~paTrTa1 I

1

1

I

1

63 Matthew 25. 34. 4 avVTEA£1as: 'the end' (of time); Hellenistic in this sense. Daniel 2. 44. 6 Luke 1. 33. 8 avvavcrretACtOTIS: 'rise together with'; Hellenistic. 11 •pw11avlq;: 'the Roman empire'. 14 1rAcrrVvea6at: at 3. 64-65 Cosmas surveys the diffusion of Christianity. ~aaf'-etov: 'empire', a sense not attested in LSJ. 16 olKOVOI!twv: 'dispensations'. 17 2. 76 (here omitted) describes the Persian empire as second in importance to the Roman. 19 The apostle Thomas was believed to have sent Thaddeus to Edessa in the reign of king Abgar (Eusebius hist. eccl.

1. 13).

10

COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES

ae oft tv Baf3v:Aoov1 ~11afa". &XA.a ~f}v -ro -roov • PooiJa{oov f3aaf:Aetov "!To:AAO: 1Tpo:A1)~1Ja-ra Ex,et tv -roV-rq>, 00$ Kal 1Tpoo-rov ov Kal 1Tp00-rov "'Ttcneiiaav els Xpta-rov Kal \rm')pe-rovv tv '1T00'1J -rfj Ka"TCx Xpta-rov olKovo~fc;x. rnpov s~ O'T)~Eiov Svvaa-refas -roov •Poo~afoov o aV-rois KE)(O:pta-rat 6 9e6s, Akyoo Sf} 8-rl tv -re;> vo~{a~a-rl aV-roov t~"!Tope\Jov-ral "'TOV"Ta -ra reVT), Kal tv "!Tarn -r6'1Tq> &"!T• &Kpov yi)s eoos &Kpov yfls SEK-r6v ta-rtv, 6aviJa~61JEvov "'TapO: "'Tav-ros &vepoo"'Tov Kal "'TOO'flS f3aat:Aefas, o"'Tep hepc;x (3aat:Aefc;x o\Jx Vn-apxet -ro -rotoV-ro. ,&crrra~ETaf

25

21 I Peter 5. 13.

22 -rrpoAftllllaTa: 'advantages'; Hellenistic.

SEKTov: 'acceptable'; first in the LXX.

27

PROCOPIUS (b. c. 500) Of all Byzantine historians Procopius is the best from a stylistic point of view (within his self-imposed limits), and he is equal to any of his rivals in the interest of the story he has to recount. Having become a staff officer or private secretary to Belisarius at an early age, he accompanied him on his campaigns in Persia, Africa and Italy (627-40), as a result of which the territories of the Roman empire were very greatly extended for a short while. His main work, a history of the wars of Justinian in eight books, has all the advantages that would be expected in an eye-witness account; for modern taste its one failing is the inclusion of numerous speeches in the manner of Thucydides. There are many interesting digressions, including one on the Nika riots of 632. Since Procopius possessed great linguistic ability as well as intellectual curiosity (he knew Syriac and Latin, and very probably Gothic, Armenian and Persian), the accounts he gives of the various races he came into contact with are sources of unique value for the early history of central and northern Europe; where modern research is able to verify his statements they are found to be accurate (see R. Benedicty, JOBG 14.1966. 61-78). At much the same time as he was writing the history which treats Belisarius as a hero and is no more than moderately critical of imperial policy, Procopius composed his Secret History, a ferocious invective against Justinian and his wife Theodora, which has enjoyed a certain notoriety ever since Gibbon relegated some of the more scabrous passages about Theodora to his footnotes, saying 'her murmurs, her pleasures and her arts must be veiled in the obscurity of a learned language'. It is not known what provoked Procopius to this apparently schizophreD.ic state of mind. There is also a monograph on various buildings constructed in Justinian's reign, which describes elegantly and with much praise of the emperor such monuments as Hagia Sophia. Editions: J. Haury, Teubner 1905-13, reprinted with additions 1963--4; H. B. Dewing and G. Downey, Loeb series. English translation of the Secret History by G. A. Williamson, Penguin books 1966. On P. in general see B. Rubin's article in Pauly-Wissowa. See also P. N. Ure, Justinian and his age, Penguin books 1961. For an interesting note on P. 's account of England see A. R. Burn, EHR 70. 1965. 268-61.

12

PROCOPIUS

History 1. 1. 1-5 Proem TlpoK6'Tt'tOS Kcoacxprus 'TOVs 'Tt'Oi\t!Jovs ~veypCX\fJEV, ovs 'Iovcrrtvtcxvbs 6 •pc.o!Jcx{c.ov (3cxatAe\Js 'Tt'pos (3cxp(3apovs Snivcyt<e 'TOVS 'TE ~c;:>ovs Kcxl ~O"Tt'ep{ovs, oos 'TtTl cxV-rwv ~6crrct> ~VI'lv£x6r) yevea6cxt, oos l-l1'l epycx VrrEp!JeyEer, 6 IJE)'cxs cxlwv A6yov EPfliJCX 5 xetpc.oaCxj.lEVOS 'Tij 'TE A{}&t:l cxVTCx KCX'TCX'Tt'pOfl'TCXl Kcxl 'Tt'CXV'TCx'Tt'CXO'l\1 ~~{'TflACX &i;'TCXl, OOV'Tt'Ep 'Tf}v 1-lvi}l-lfl\1 cxVTOs ~E'TO IJEyCX 'Tl eaea6cxt Kcxl ~voiaov ~s •a IJCxAtcrrcx Tois 'TE viiv ovat Kcxi Tots ~s 'TO E'Tt'El'TCX YEVTlO'OIJEVOlS, ei 'Tt'O'TE KCXi cxVets 6 xp6vos ~s 6j.lo{cxv 'Tl\1Cx •ovs &vepc.::movs &v(xyKflv StCxeol'To. •ois 'TE yap 'Tt'OAE~Jflae{ovat 10 Kcxi &AAc.os &yc.ovtov!JEvots OVI'la{v 'Ttvcx ~op{~ea6cxt oicx 'TE ~crrtv , 'Tiis ~j.lcpepovs lcrrop{cxs rn{Set~lS, CrnOKcxAV'Tl"Tovacx IJEv O'Tt'Ol 'Tt'O'Te Tois 'Tt'poyeyeV111JEvo•s •a 'Tiis 6~Jo{cxs &yc.ov{cxs £xcbpflaev, cxlvtaao!JEVI'l Se 6'Tt'o{cxv 'Tl\1Cx 'TEAEV'Tf}v 'TOiS ye oos aplO"TCX (3ovAevo!JEvots 'TCx 'Tt'cxp6VTcx, oos 'TO elK6s, e~t. Kcx{ ot cxV-r~ 15 ~VI'l'Tt'{crrCX'To 'Tt'CxV'TC.OV IJCxAtcrrcx SvVCX'TOs wv TaSe ~vyypQ\vcxt KCX'T' &AAo !-LEv ovSev, cht Se cxVT~ ~VIJ(30VA ~Pfll-lEV BeAtacxp{ct> 'T~ O"TPCX'TflY~ axeS6v 'Tl &ircxa1 'Tt'cxpcxyevea6cxt 'TOiS 'Tt'E'Tt'pcxyIJEV01S ~vvrnae. 'Tt'prnetv 'TE -i}yei'To Pfl'TOptKij IJEv SetVO'Tfl'TCX, 'Tt'Olfl'TtKij Se 1Jv6o'Tt'ottcxv, ~pcxcpij Se &A{}6etcxv. •cxii'Ta •o• 20 ovSe 'TOV 'TWV ol ~S &ycxv rnt'TflSe{c.ov 'TCx 1JOX6r)pCx &'Tt'eKp\1\yCX'To, &AAa •a 'Tt'cxat ~vevex6eVTcx ElEpOV!): a favourite word of Herodotus. 15 ~VVTJ'TT'IaTcrro was used by Xenophon and Gorgias for the Attic ~VIjST}. 18-19 An elaborate profession of veracity; a less epigrammatic but otherwise similar idea is seen in Polybios 2. 56. 11-12. 19 TcxVTa: 'for this reason'.- In the remainder of the proem P. argues that the war in question was more important than any previous one; cf. Thuc.l.l. Belisarius' exploits make the claim moderately plausible.

PROCOPIUS

13

2. 22. 1-17 The plague •y'TrO Se -rovs xp6vovs -roV-rovs AOlJ.lOS yeyovev, ~~ 00 Sf) &rrav-ra 6:A{yov ~Sbtae -ra &v6pooirEla ~~{'TT}Aa elva1. &rraa1 J.,lev OOV TOiS ~~ ovpavov rnl KOTaATl'TT"TaS ovaas, :A6y ~~O'Trcx-niaav-res 'TT"Eiaooa1. -roV-r J.lEVTOl -re;> KaKc;'> irp6cpaa{v -r1va ii :A6y el'Treiv ii 10 SlaVO{ Sla{'TT}s. ii cpvaeoos -rp6ir, ii rnl'TT}SeVJ.,lOO'lV, ii &AA 8-r &v6pclnroov O:v6pooirol S1acpepova1v, ~v -rcxV-nJ Sf) J.lOV'Q -rij VOO TO SlaAACxO'O'OV ovSev OOVTlO'eV. rnEOl
14 v6aos f)Se Ked epxo!Jal.

PROCOPIUS Tp6lT~

Sf}

6-T~

Tovs &v6pooTiovs Stecp6etpev

~poov

"'Hp~aTO ll~V ~~ Alyvrrr{oov ot q>Kf}VTal ~V rr,"Aova{~. yeVOIJEV, s~ Stxa lTf} ll~V rn{ TE •A'Ae~avSpe{as Kal Tiis CXAATlS Aly&rr-rov ~OOPTlOC, lTf} s~ rnl ITcx'AataT{ vovs TOVS Alyvrrr{ots OIJOpovs fj'A6ev, ~VTEGeev TE KaTSAaj3e Tf}v yiiv aVIJlTaaav, oSc;> TE ael lTpoiovaa Kal XP6V01S j3aS{~ovaa TOiS Kcx&f)KOVO'lV. rnl so PTlTOiS yap ~S6KE1 xoopeiv Kal xp6vov TCXKTOV ~V XOOP VO'Tep~ miSts ~VTaGea rnaVlOVO'a TOOV llEV lTEpto{Koov, oTs Sf} lT1Kp6TaTa rnEO'KTl"J'E lTpoTEpov, ovSallOOs ii"J'aTO, Ti;S S~ xoopas ~e{VTlS ov lTpOTepov 40 CxlTEO'Tfl eoos TO llhpov 6p6oos Kal StKa{oos TOOV TETEAEVTfiKOTOOV arreSooKEV, OOO'lTEp Kal TOiS O:llKTliJEVOlS xp6v~ Tt;> lTpoTep~ Stecp66:p6at TETVx11Kev. O:p~allEV'Il Se O:el ~ Ti;s Tiapa'A{as Tj v6aos f)Se, o\hoo Si] ~S Tf}v J,1Ea6yetov &vej3atve xoopav. SEVTep~ s~ ETEl ~ Bv~CxVTlOV J..lEO'OVVTOS TOV fipos aoVTo lTpos Tov ~VTVX6VTos

25

~pG>v fpXOIJO:l: a Herodotean phrase, but for thegeneral sense cf. Thuc. 2. 48. 3. 25 IJ~V ovv or ~v yap might be expected. 29ff. The v6aos is made the subject of numerous verbs, ending with the personification ooCTTTEp SeSoncvla:, a usage which seems foreign to classical prose idiom. rnl ~T)TOlS: 'at a steady pace'. 38-39 Areas which had once suffered were not subject to reinfection. 40 TO IJErpov: 'the due measure'; at 2. 23. 1 it means 'number'. 41 ooCTTTEp MSS.: 61TEp Haury, but probably no emendation is needed. 42 he Tiis 1Ta:pa:Aia:s: because it was spread by rats in ships. 44 Theophanes says that the outbreak began in October, which is unlikely. P. makes an autobiographical statement here, perhaps because Thucydides had permitted himself one (a:VT6s TE vocn1aa:s). 45 q>etO"IJCXTO: JCTA.: the description begins without a connecting particle, a fine point of Atticism well observed by P. 46 Sa:tJ,l6voov in this pejorative sense is not classical. 47 1TO:pcrrr11TTotev: here and at 60 below the compound in 1rep1- may be a better reading.

23

PROCOPIUS

15

O:vSpas, O"'TTl "'T<:xp<X'T\ixot Tov crooJ.laTOS, &!lex Te To cp6:crJ.lcx ToiiTo Kcxl Tij v6a~ cx\rr{Kcx f}A.{CYKoVTo. KaT• &pxexs J,.\Sv oov ot 50 "'TO:pCX"'TE"'TTOOKOTES &"JTOTprne0'6cxl cx\rrex rnetpOOVTO, TOOV TE ovoJ,l
51 01TOCTTOj.I<XT(l;oVTES: 'reciting', a meaning first found in post-classical Greek. P. avoids specifically Christian terms, but he means 'reciting prayers and crossing themselves'. 53 lepols: 'churches'. 69 ov yap oi:iv ovSe: Denniston, The Greek Particles, Oxford 19542 , does not list this collocation. 75 The rest of the chapter, omitted here, describes the various ways that the disease affected individuals.

16

PROCOPIUS

2. 23 •H ~~v ovv v6aos ~v Bv~avr{~ ~ Tecrcrapcxs 5lf'jA6e ~fj vas, f)K~aCTE 5~ ~V Tp1cri ~aA1CTTa. Kai KaT • apxas ~~V ~6VT)CTKOV TWV elw66Twv 6A{y~ 1TAe{ovs, eha E-n ~CXAA.ov TO KaK~>V fjpETo, ~a 5~ ~s 1TEVTaK1CTX1Atovs f)~ep~ ~acrn;t ~~1KveiTo To Twv vEKpwv 5 ~hpov, Kal aV 1TaA1V ~s ~vp{ovs TE Kal To\rrwv h1 1TAe{ovs

10

15

20

25

-?iA6e. TCx ~~V ovv 1TpWTa Tfjs Tacpfjs aUTOs EKOCTTOS rne~AeiTO Twv KaTa -rljv olK{dv veKpwv, o\is 51'} Kal ~s &AA.oTptas &f}Kas ~pphTTOVV i1 Aav6avovres 11 ~1d~6~V01. rne1Ta 5~ 1TcXVTa ~V ernacr1 ~vvETapax&r}. 5ovAot Te yap ~~1vav 5eCT1ToTwv ~Pfl~o1, cS:v5pes TE Ta 1Tp6TEpa A{av ev5a{~oves Tfjs TWV o[KETWV \rrrovpy{as i1 vocrovvrwv 11 TETEAEVTflK6Twv ~CTTEPflVTO, 1TOAAa{ -re olK{al 1Tavr<X1Tacr1V ~Pfl~o1 &v6p&11rwv eyevovro. 610 51'} ~ve~11 T1CTi TWV yvwp{~wv Tij ernop{<;X f)~epcxs 1TOAACxS O:Tacp01S etva1. ~s Te ~acr1Ma '~'} TOV 1TpcXy~aTOS 1rp6vo1a, ws TO elK6s, -?iA6e. CTTpaT1WTCXS ovv ~ 1TaAaT{ov Kal XPTt~aTa ve{~as 9e65wpov ~O.eve TOV ~pyov TOVTOV rn1~EAEicr6a1, os 51'} &1ToKp{crecr1 TaTs ~acr1A1Kais ~cpe1CJ"TT)Ke1, &el TCfl ~acr1MT TCxS Twv lKETwv 6ef}cre1s OyyEAAWV, CTfl~a{vwv TE aVe1s cera av aVTCfl ~OVAO~V~ eifl. pecpepev6ap1ov Tij AaT{vwv cpwvij TT)v T1~f}v Ta\rrT}v K<XAovcr1 • Pw~aio1. ols ~~v ovv o\hrw 1ravrernacr1 v ~ ~Pfl~{av ~~1TE1TTW K6Ta Ta KaTa -rljv o[K{av hVyxavev, cnnol EKaCTT01 Tas TWV 1TpOCTT}KOVTCo:IV rno10VVTO Tacpas. 9e65c.5pos 5~ TcX TE ~aCT1AECo:IS 616o\ls XPTt~aTa Kal Ta olKEia 1TpocravcxP.{CTKwv TOVS &1Tfl~eAfl ~evovs TWV VEKpwv e6a"TTTEV. rnel 5~ Tas &f}Kas Crn-acras, ai 1Tp6Tepov -?icrav, ~~1T{1TAacr6a1 TWV VEKpwv ETVXEV, ot 5~ 6pvcrcrov4 'The number of deaths each day reached 5,000'. How did P. know? Presumably from the offices of the city prefect or the heads of the fourteen city districts, who must have had to keep statistics of the population for tax purposes. (The new capital was divided into the same number of districts as Rome). 9 ~ve-rapaxel'l occurs in Thuc. 2. 52. 4 in an almost identical context. 14 1rp6vota: 'provisions to be made for a contingency'. 16 &lroKpfaeat KTA.: a long explanation of his duties is given in the best Attic terms, so that the Latin loan-word of the spoken language need be used only in parenthesis. 18 ooa av ell'\: wrong syntax with the optative. 20 OWe.) Maltretus: el1rov V: om. G: the cause of the corruption is not obvious. 24ff. A period with anacolouthon; perhaps ol s~ (25) should be taken as 'some people'.

PROCOPIUS

17

TES &rrexvrex lq>e~iis 'TCx OJ.lq>l -ri}v 1TOA1\1 xoop{ex, lvrcrii66: TE 'TOVS 6vf}O'KOVTCXS KCX'TCX'T16EJ.,lEV01, 00s Ei<excrr6s iTT} lSvvCX'To, &-rn,AAaaaovro, rne1'Tex Se ol 'TCxS KCX'TOOpV)(CXS 'TcxV'TCXS 1T010VJJEV01 1TP0s 'TOOV &1To6VT)O"K6vroov 'TO JJhpov o\n

v ~V'TcxVecx IJETCx 'TOV npocrf}KOV'TOS 'Tp6nov Kcxl 00s av IJTJ noAAois eiev Kcx-racpaveis no:payevo!lEvoov ~s •EAAaSa IJE71 Saws driven by water power are attested by Villard de Honnecourt c. 1235; the reference to them in Ausonius Mosella 362-864 is regarded sceptically by some historians of science (Lynn White Jr., Medieval technology and social change, Oxford 1962, 82---83). Water-driven grain mills existed in antiquity; see Anth. Pal. 9. 418, but the application of the idea to other processes seems to belong to the Western Middle Ages. 72-73 X(A)VE{CX1S T1l Kal 8tCXJ
CARDINAL BESSARION

151

Tayayeiv SvVT)ei}01J tv OllOOS, oos ov TrpOs &vCxyiv acp6Spa O'OV Seol.lal t
DUCAS (c.

1400~.

1470)

The fall of Constantinople had been foreseen by intelligent men already in the fourteenth century (see further I. Sev~enko, DOP 15. 1961. 169-86); but when the city finally passed into the hands of the Turks in 1463 a great era of Greek history ended, and the peoples of Western Europe had to recognise the presence of the Turks in Europe as a permanent feature of their world. Several Greek accounts of the fall survive. An extract is here given from the one by Ducas, who was employed by the Gattilusi family, then In control of Lesbos; he wrote a history of events in 1341-1462. Edition: V. Grecu, Bukarest 1968.

The Turks enter Hagia Sophia (39. 18-20)

5

'Eyeve-ro o~v ~v ~1(ii wpV va6v, OV lKcxAe'iTE X6Es Kal1rpo TTtV X6£s crrn')l.a1ov Kal (3oo~ov alpe-r1Kwv Kal 6:v6poo1ros oln< elaf}pxe-ro l~ ~~W\1 lVT6S, tva ~,; ~1av6ij 51Cx TO lepovpyiicra1 evSov TOVs -rltv evoocr1v Tiis lKKAT}cr{as a0'1t'a~o~vovs, viiv eva
DU CAS

153

opyfjs rneA60VCT)S ~{VT\OCV &v 'TcX C'"TTAcX)(vcx V~OOV 1TP0s elpi}VT\V. 1<00 yap ~V 'ToacxVn:l 1TEplCTTCxOCl el ayyeAOS lpcXyl
10 bdVT')aev av can scarcely be translated; perhaps b
154

40

DU CAS

'Tp{'TT)V. ~f3lCx~OV'TO ot apncxyes, ot 8<StKT}'Tal 'TOV &ov, Kal naV"Tas -i}v ISeiv ~v IJl~ oop

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