DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51241#0115
R.W. Burgess, Michael Kulikowski
114
tory as laid out by the Chronici canones of Eusebius, starting with Creation (rather
than Abraham as in Eusebius), or as Christianized, universal versions of the sort
of history written by Aurelius Victor and Eutropius. Such works include John
of Antioch, Malalas, George the Monk, Nicephorus, Symeon the Logothete, Ps-
Symeon, Cedrenus, Glycas, Zonaras, and the Σύνοψις χρονική. As noted above
there are sufficient differences between the earlier and the later bremaria that
would justify distinguishing between the two as sub-genres, if one so wished.
6. Compact epitomes. These texts are simply basic chronographs that have had their
multiple, overlapping regnal lists reduced to a single list that passes in a single,
non-overlapping chronological accounting from the Old Testament to Hellenis-
tic kings to Roman emperors. To this list very brief historical notes have been
added to many reigns so that they end up looking like miniaturized or epito-
mized versions of bremaria, though for the most part they are simply compilations
cobbled together from works going back to Eusebius’ Chronici canones. They are
therefore almost identical to the so-called chronicles of Isidore and Bede, who
wrote in Latin in the seventh and eighth centuries and whose first editions were
for the most part extremely compact epitomes of Jerome’s Chronici canones, hence
the name. As noted above, none of these works has any interest in chronology
other than stating the length of the cited reigns. Such works include Nicephorus’
Χρονογραφικόν σύντομον, the Anonymus matritensis, Σύνοψις χρονική (not
the one ascribed to Theodore Scutariotes), Χρονικόν έπίτομον, and Ps-Cyril’s
Χρονογραψικον σύντομον, though the latter greatly expands its coverage be-
tween 602 and 886 where it is more like a bremariunr. lines 1-656 of Pinto’s edition
cover all history down to 602 and the death of Tiberius (6,110 years according to
Byzantine reckoning), while lines 657 to 1917 (1,261 lines) extend from Maurice
to Basil I (284 years) and 1918 to 1932 (15 lines) cover the reigns of Leo VI and
Constantine VII (73 years). Once again, such is the eclectic nature of Byzantine
historiography.
Bibliography
Primary sources
Anonymi Chronographia syntomos e codice matritensi no. 121 (nunc 4701), ed. A. Bauer, Leipzig 1909
Aurelius Victor, SextiAurelii Victoris Liber de caesaribus, F. Pichlmeyr/R. Gründel, Leipzig 1970, pp.
77-29 with T. Mommsen, Chron. min. 3, MGH: AA 13, Berlin 1898, pp. 223-333
Cedrenus, Georgius Cedrenus 1 (CSHlL), ed. I. Bekker, Bonn 1838
Das ΧΡΟΝΙΚΟΝ ΕΠΙΤΟΜΟΝ der Wiener Handschrift Th. Gr. Nr. XL, A. Pusch (ed.), Jena 1908
Chroniconpasch ale 1 (CSH1T), L. Dindorf (ed.), Bonn 1832
Χρονογραφεΐον σύντομον, ed. A. Mai/A. von Gutschmid, in: Eusebi Chronicorum libri duo
i, Eusebi Chronicorum liber prior, ed. A. Schoene, Berlin 1875, Appendix IV, pp. 63-102 (with
Bauer/Strzygowski, Eine alexandrinische Weltchronik and Burgess/Dijkstra, “The ‘Alexandrian
World Chronicle’”below); Frick, Chron. min., pp. 184-371
114
tory as laid out by the Chronici canones of Eusebius, starting with Creation (rather
than Abraham as in Eusebius), or as Christianized, universal versions of the sort
of history written by Aurelius Victor and Eutropius. Such works include John
of Antioch, Malalas, George the Monk, Nicephorus, Symeon the Logothete, Ps-
Symeon, Cedrenus, Glycas, Zonaras, and the Σύνοψις χρονική. As noted above
there are sufficient differences between the earlier and the later bremaria that
would justify distinguishing between the two as sub-genres, if one so wished.
6. Compact epitomes. These texts are simply basic chronographs that have had their
multiple, overlapping regnal lists reduced to a single list that passes in a single,
non-overlapping chronological accounting from the Old Testament to Hellenis-
tic kings to Roman emperors. To this list very brief historical notes have been
added to many reigns so that they end up looking like miniaturized or epito-
mized versions of bremaria, though for the most part they are simply compilations
cobbled together from works going back to Eusebius’ Chronici canones. They are
therefore almost identical to the so-called chronicles of Isidore and Bede, who
wrote in Latin in the seventh and eighth centuries and whose first editions were
for the most part extremely compact epitomes of Jerome’s Chronici canones, hence
the name. As noted above, none of these works has any interest in chronology
other than stating the length of the cited reigns. Such works include Nicephorus’
Χρονογραφικόν σύντομον, the Anonymus matritensis, Σύνοψις χρονική (not
the one ascribed to Theodore Scutariotes), Χρονικόν έπίτομον, and Ps-Cyril’s
Χρονογραψικον σύντομον, though the latter greatly expands its coverage be-
tween 602 and 886 where it is more like a bremariunr. lines 1-656 of Pinto’s edition
cover all history down to 602 and the death of Tiberius (6,110 years according to
Byzantine reckoning), while lines 657 to 1917 (1,261 lines) extend from Maurice
to Basil I (284 years) and 1918 to 1932 (15 lines) cover the reigns of Leo VI and
Constantine VII (73 years). Once again, such is the eclectic nature of Byzantine
historiography.
Bibliography
Primary sources
Anonymi Chronographia syntomos e codice matritensi no. 121 (nunc 4701), ed. A. Bauer, Leipzig 1909
Aurelius Victor, SextiAurelii Victoris Liber de caesaribus, F. Pichlmeyr/R. Gründel, Leipzig 1970, pp.
77-29 with T. Mommsen, Chron. min. 3, MGH: AA 13, Berlin 1898, pp. 223-333
Cedrenus, Georgius Cedrenus 1 (CSHlL), ed. I. Bekker, Bonn 1838
Das ΧΡΟΝΙΚΟΝ ΕΠΙΤΟΜΟΝ der Wiener Handschrift Th. Gr. Nr. XL, A. Pusch (ed.), Jena 1908
Chroniconpasch ale 1 (CSH1T), L. Dindorf (ed.), Bonn 1832
Χρονογραφεΐον σύντομον, ed. A. Mai/A. von Gutschmid, in: Eusebi Chronicorum libri duo
i, Eusebi Chronicorum liber prior, ed. A. Schoene, Berlin 1875, Appendix IV, pp. 63-102 (with
Bauer/Strzygowski, Eine alexandrinische Weltchronik and Burgess/Dijkstra, “The ‘Alexandrian
World Chronicle’”below); Frick, Chron. min., pp. 184-371