i44

Pia Carolla

Malalas, Chronographia XIV 1629

GREEK TEXT according to the edition of
Thum (pp. 281,15-282,38)
Ό δέ αυτός βασιλεύς προεβάλετο έπαρχον
πραιτωρίων καί έπαρχον πόλεως τον
πατρίκιον Κϋρον τον φιλόσοφον, άνδρα
σοφώτατον έν πάσι. καί ήρξεν έχων
τάς δύο άρχάς έτη τέσσαρα, προϊών εις
τήν καρούχαν τού έπαρχου τής πόλεως
καί φροντίζων των κτισμάτων καί
άνανεώσας πάσαν Κωνσταντινούπολιν
ήν γάρ καθαριώτατος. περί ού έκραξαν
οί Βυζάντιοι εις τό ιππικόν πάσαν
τήν ή μέραν θεωρούντος Θεοδοσίου
ταύτα· 'Κωνσταντίνος έκτισεν, Κύρος
άνενέωσεν αύτόν έπί τόπον, Αύγουστε.'
Κύρος δέ έκπλαγείς άπεφθέγξατο· "ούκ
άρέσκει μοι τύχη πολλά γελώσα." καί
έχόλεσεν ό βασιλεύς, ότι έκραξαν περί
Κύρου καί μετά Κωνσταντίνου αύτόν
έκραξαν, ως άνανεώσαντα τήν πόλιν
καί κατεσκευάσθη λοιπόν καί έπλάκη
ως Έλλην ό αύτός Κύρος, καί έδημεύθη
παυθείς τής άρχής. καί προσφυγών
έγένετο καί αύτός παπάς, καί έπέμφθη εις
τήν Φρυγίαν, έπίσκοπος γενάμενος εις τό
λεγόμενον Κοτυάειον. [so far Priscus Panita,
fr. 60* Carolla, p. 89]

TRANSLATION by Jeffreys/Jeffreys/Scott
(1986), 197-198
The emperor (rcz7. Theodosius II) appointed
the patrician Kyros the philosopher, a man of
great learning in every field, to be praetorian
prefect and city prefect. He was in power for
four years, holding the two offices, riding out
in the carriage of the city prefect, supervising
building operations and reconstructing the
whole of Constantinople, for he was a most
refined man. The Byzantines chanted about
him in the hippodrome all day, while The-
odosius was watching the races, as follows,
“Constantine built, Kyros rebuilt, put them at
the same level, Augustus!” Kyros was amazed
and commented, “I do not like fortune when
she smiles too sweetly”. The emperor was
angered that they chanted about Kyros and
coupled his name in their chants with that
of Constantine, as having reconstructed the
city. So a plot was made against Kyros and he
was charged with being a Hellene, so that his
property was confiscated and he was stripped
of his office. After seeking asylum he too
became a priest, and was sent to Phrygia as
bishop of the place known as Kotyaion.

ήσαν γάρ οί αύτοί Κοτυαεΐς πολΐται
φονεύσαντες έπισκόπους τέσσαρας· τό
δέ Κοτυάειον πόλις έστί τής Φρυγίας
έπαρχίας Σαλουταρίας. καί κατέλαβε τήν
Κοτυαέων πόλιν έπίσκοπος ών ό αύτός
Κύρος προ των άγιων γενεθλίων, γνόντες
δέ οί τής πόλεως κληρικοί καί πολΐται, ότι
ως Έλληνα έπεμψεν αύτόν ό βασιλεύς,
ϊνα άποθάνη, έν τοΐς άγίοις γενεθλίοις
έξαίφνης ούν έν τή έκκλησία έκραξαν
αύτω προσομιλήσαι. καί άναγκασθείς
άνήλθεν όμιλήσαι· καί μετά τό δούναι
ειρήνην προσωμίλησεν ούτως· 'άδελφοί,
ή γέννησις τού θεού καί σωτήρος ήμών
Ιησού Χριστού σιωπή τιμάσθω, ότι άκοή
μόνη συνελήφθη έν τή άγια παρθένω·
λόγος γάρ ήν αύτω ή δόξα εις τούς αιώνας·
άμήν." καί εύφημηθείς κατήλθεν, καί
έμεινεν έκεΐ έως θανάτου.

For the people of Kotyaion had murdered
four bishops. Kotyaion is a city in the prov-
ince of Phrygia Salutaris. Kyros arrived at
Kotyaion as its bishop before the feast of the
Holy Nativity. When the clergy and citizens
of the city learned that the emperor had sent
him to them to be killed as a Hellene, they
immediately set up a chant in the church on
the day of the Holy Nativity, demanding that
he preach. So he was compelled to go up and
preach. After giving them the sign of peace,
he addressed them thus, “Brethren, let the
birth of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ be
honoured by silence, because it was through
hearing alone that he was conceived in the
holy Virgin by the Word.29 To him be the
glory for ever and ever. Amen”. He was ac-
claimed and descended, and remained there
until his death.

29 The text printed here by Thurn (p. 282, 36-37) was corrected by him on the basis of Chronicon Paschale
p. 589,3 Dindorf and of the Slavonic translation of Malalas; Jeffreys/Jeffreys/Scott (1986), p. 198 trans-
lated Bury’s conjecture <τω> λόγω, based on the Baroccianus reading λόγω.