Nikephoros gregoras, the writer of 37 books of the roman history was born. The first part is the first edition of the first eleven books of byzantine history, being the principal work of the historian nicephorus gregoras 129559. Nicephori gregorae byzantina historia 3 volume set by nicephorus gregoras and ludwig schopen and immanuel bekker overview this threevolume edition of the history by nicephorus gregoras c. Yet the capital, the clergy, and the senate, adhered to the person, or at least to the government, of the old emperor. Macrides, and it helped me explore and understand the world of a 14th century byzantine intellectual, making his voice heard in the 21st century, in a world that has undergone many changes. Corpus of byzantine history writers, also referred to as the bonn corpus, is a monumental fiftyvolume series of primary sources for the study of byzantine history c.
Nicephorus gregoras, nicephorus also spelled nikephoros, born c. Blemmydes bryennius byzan byzantine background byzantine scholars byzantinischen litteratur byzantium cambridge medieval history christian chumnus. However, due to the vast span of history to be covered, oman was only able to devote a few paragraphs to his reign. Nicephori gregorae byzantina historia 3 volume set. Nicephori gregorae byzantina historia 3 volume set this threevolume edition of the history by nicephorus gregoras c. Byzantine literature encyclopedia volume catholic online. The history of byzantium a podcast telling the story of the roman empire from 476 ad to 1453 nicephorus phocas from rulers of the byzantine empire published by kibea. Column of justinian project gutenberg selfpublishing. Geographical origins nicephorus gregoras, byzantine history, ca. Gregory was born in constantinople around the year 1296. Nicephorus gregoras nikephoros gregoras, latinized as nicephorus gregoras greek. Nicephorus gregoras, ludwig schopen, heinrich wolf, joseph boivin, claude capperonnier, charlespierre ducancel, immanuel bekker. A polymath whose work covers an extraordinarily large spectrum of fields, he is most well known for his work roman history. Under the empress irene, nicephorus was logothete of the genikon manager of the main treasury.
Gregoras shows considerable industry, but his style is pompous and affected. Nicephorus gregoras, isocrates, michael attaleiates, basil the great, libanius, flavius. Byzantium was also the storehouse of the greatest literature of the ancients, the greek. Nicephori gregorae byzantina historia 3 volume set by nicephorus gregoras, 9781108043656, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Black death, the great mortality of 4850 2nd edition. This period is also covered in the history by the exemperor john cantacuzene, and both these authors are also reissued in this series. Nicephori gregorae byzantina historia by nicephorus gregoras, edited by immanuel bekker and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Nikephoros kallistos xanthopoulos, latinized as nicephorus callistus xanthopulus greek. Universal history in 30 books, all now lost, but used in books 1116 of diodoros sikulos 1100341 bce. Indirectly, this empire affected the west in forming a strong bulwark against the frequent advances of the asiatic races and protecting europe for centuries from the burdens of war. The early history of rome books iv an epic endeavor by a man genuinely enamored of his native rome, livys history of rome was originally written in 142 books spanning the entire history of the roman people up to livys day in the time of augustus in. His father, constantine, was a courtier of the byzantine emperor andronikos ii palaiologos 128228, but died when gregory was still young. Apr 12, 2017 the history of byzantium a podcast telling the story of the roman empire from 476 ad to 1453 nicephorus phocas from rulers of the byzantine empire published by kibea. The court and the great body of the dignified clergy ratified the act by their presence. Among those that do not we may list the ancient egyptians, where apparently the lone egyptian historian, manetho, wrote for greeks, and indian culture, where the history of the subcontinent has to be gleaned largely from greek, persian, and chinese sources.
Nicephorus is the author of a valuable compendium breviarium historicum of byzantine history from 602 to 770, of a meagre chronologia compendiaria from adam to the year of his own death. Oman, in his popular history of the byzantine empire and later in his history of the dark ages, gave one of the first balanced accounts of nicephorus reign. Among his scientific and philosophical works is a plan for a calendar reform similar to that effected by pope gregory xiii two centuries later. It partly supplements and partly continues the work of george pachymeres. Gregoras, nicephorus article about gregoras, nicephorus by. English byzantine historian, man of learning and religious controversialist. Secondly, the patriarch nicephorus is practically alone in having preserved documents emanating from the iconoclasts. The latter also mentioned the existence, before the column, of a group of three bronze statues of pagan or saracen emperors, placed on shorter columns or pedestals, who kneeled in.
Gregoras, nicephorus 129559 or 60 worldcat identities. A monk of mount athos modern greece and later archbishop of thessaloniki, he is famous for his defense of hesychast spirituality, the uncreated character of the light of the transfiguration, and the. The astronomer and historian, gregpras, became the archivist of the byzantine. He was the greatest ofthe writers who flourished during the last two centuries of byzantine history. At an early age he settled at constantinople, where his reputation for learning brought him under the notice of andronicus ii. Nicephorus gregoras, isocrates, michael attaleiates, basil the great, libanius, flavius josephus, theophylact simocatta, manuel philes, plutarch bn grec 3040 17th. Then the alans themselves became problematic, demanding to fight as a unit. The great mortality of 4850 05 edition 9780312400873 by na for up to 90% off at. Search the history of over 431 billion web pages on the internet. Nicephorus article about nicephorus by the free dictionary. For the first four centuries the author is largely dependent on. After a palace revolution, he was proclaimed emperor by the influential aristocracy of the capital. Nicephorus gregoras modern language translations of. While alexandria, as an important central and conservative factor, was thus influential in confining, and during the byzantine period, directing, the literary and linguistic life of the later greek world, a second conservative factor is found in the influence of the roman culturecircle on the political and judicial life of the eastern empire.
He soon came to the notice of emperor andronicus ii palaeologus who appointed him chartophylax keeper of the archives. According to the 14thcentury byzantine historian nicephorus gregoras, tax collectors seized both money and mounts from the people, leaving many des titute and resentful. The black death in history the black death as historical event historical significance of the black death studying medieval sources. Thus andronikos levied additional taxes on the population. The thirtyseven books of gregoras history overlap with the work by george pachymeres, and continue the narrative to 59. This threevolume work of byzantine history by the exemperor john vi cantacuzene was edited, together with a latin translation by the jesuit scholar, pontanus 15421626, by ludwig schopen 17991867, and published between 1828 and 1832. Dec 24, 2017 nicephorus gregoras, a man of great learning, but passionate and untrustworthy as an historian, wrote the history of his country from 120458, in thirtyeight books, the last fourteen of which remained unpublished until 1855, when they were edited at bonn by immanuel bekker. This threevolume edition, in greek with latin translation, of the history by nicephorus gregoras c. Byzantine historiography some cultures have history as distinct field of interest, some dont. The astronomer and historian, gregpras, became the archivist of the byzantine emperor andronikos ii palaiologos to whom he proposed a calendar. To improve the financial position of byzantium, nicephorus. Other articles where byzantine history is discussed. For the european west the byzantine empire and its culture are significant in a twofold way.
A major source for byzantine history is made up of compiled letter collections. Nov 27, 2018 nicephorus gregoras, a polyhistor with special declension towards philosophy, was one of the most significant figures in the world of letters of the byzantine empires 1100 years of existence. The history of the decline and fall of the roman empire. Ioannis cantacuzeni eximperatoris historiarum libri iv. Use nicephorus in a sentence nicephorus sentence examples. He was the greatest ofthe writers who flourished during the last two centuries of. Nikephoros gregoras, latinized as nicephorus gregoras greek. Gregoras, nicephorus article about gregoras, nicephorus. Gregoras chief work is his byzantine history, in 37 books, covering the years 1204 to 59. If byzantine literature is the expression of the intellectual life of the greek race of the eastern roman empire during the christian middle ages, it is evident that there.
Appears in books from 17701877 page 626 december 1452. In this sense, byzantine culture embodies the french historian fernand braudels notion of the longue duree, the long term. Nicephori gregorae byzantina historia 3 volume set by. Book from the collections of oxford university language latin. Nicephorus gregoras, a man of great learning, but passionate and untrustworthy as an historian, wrote the history of his country from 120458, in thirtyeight books, the last fourteen of which remained unpublished until 1855, when they. He settled in constantinople at a young age and developed a reputation for learning. Jan 07, 2012 the thirtyseven books of gregoras history overlap with the work by george pachymeres, and continue the narrative to 59. To grasp correctly the essential characteristics of byzantine literature, it is necessary first to analyze the elements of civilization that find expression in it, and the sources whence they spring. Nicephorus gregoras, a polyhistor with special declension towards philosophy, was one of the most significant figures in the world of letters of the byzantine empires 1100 years of existence. Nicephorus phocas from rulers of the byzantine empire.