146

Pia Carolla

clesiastical’ correctness to modify or interpolate the text, as the fame of killing bishops
would have been uncomfortable for both communities; however, in a philological view,
Cotyaeum looks better in the context, since it can be regarded as the lectio difficilion not
surprisingly, independent witnesses (not only the Life of Daniel the Stylite) confirm this.
Chapter 19 of Malalas’ book XIV deals with the powerful Chrysaphius, a protege
of the emperor Theodosius; this man, a cubicularius, was so deeply hated by Priscus34 35
that the negative tone of the comments about him in Chronographia XIV19 is in itself
a good reason for taking into serious consideration the ultimately Priscan provenance
of the whole section XIV15-19; this is especially true for chapters 18 (end) and 19, par-
alleled by Fragmentum Tusculanum 3 and Excerpta de Virtutibus et VitiisF> One is also
left to wonder whether or not chapter 17 and 18 should as well be included amongst
Priscus’fyragwcTi/ö dubia’.

Malalas, Chronographia XIV 17-18

GREEK TEXT according to the edition
of Thurn (pp. 282,39-283,44)
17 (Ο) Kai προηγάγετο έπαρχον
Αντίοχον τον Χούζωνα, τον έγγονον
Αντιόχου του Χούζωνος του μεγάλου,
ός παρέσχεν εν Αντιόχεια τή μεγάλη
προσθήκην χρημάτων εις τό ιππικόν
και τά Ολύμπια και τον Μαϊουμάν.
ι8 (Ο) Και μετ αυτόν προήχθη έπαρχος
Τουφΐνος ό συγγενής τού αύτού
βασιλέως· fragmentum Tusculanum 3 + Ο)
και έφονεύθη ώς μελετήσας τυραννίδα.

TRANSLATION by Jeffreys/Jeffreys/Scott
(1986), 198
The emperor appointed as prefect Antiochos
Chouzon, the grandson of the elder Anti-
ochos Chouzon. He supplied funds for the
horse-races in Antioch the Great and for the
Olympic festival and the Maioumas.
After him Rufinus the emperor’s relative was
appointed prefect. He was put to death for
plotting a rebellion.

As the PLRE has pointed out,36 Malalas is twice mistaken here:
- He mixed up the great Antiochus Chuzon (prefect of the East in 431) with his
grandson, who has nothing to do here (Antiochus Chuzon the younger would

34 The eunuch Chrysaphius is a main character and always a negative one in Priscus’work: see his silly plot
to kill Attila in Priscus Panita, exc. 7,5-14 Carolla (pp. 13-15), a risky plan which was easily prevented by
Attila, but could have been fatal to Priscus as a member of the embassy unaware of the threat, yet in
Attila’s hands for long time. See also the bitter consequences for Chrysaphius in Priscus’ exc. 12,1-4
Carolla (pp. 53-54); exc. 12.1,1 (p. 54) and exc. 13,1-2 (pp. 54-55); Chrysaphius’power and death by Pul-
cheria’s will: fr. 52* (p. 83, in apparatus; p. 84,8). Priscus’usual hostility against Chrysaphius is one reason
why the famous story of Eudocia’s apple (Malalas, Chronographia XIV 8) cannot, in my opinion, have
been originally spread by Priscus, because it seems rather to justify the powerful eunuch. For the Mia-
physite propaganda behind the story of the apple, see Schulz (2016), pp. 160-164; for Chrysaphius’role
in ousting Eudocia from court, see Cameron (2016), pp. 60-64. A different interpretation of the apple
story and its political (Chalcedonian) meaning is offered by Scott (2010), esp. pp. 127-128; see also Roger
Scott’s contribution in this volume.
35 Chapter 18: Fragmentum Tusculanum 3 (p. 17,1-2 Mai); Chapter 19: Excerpta de Virtutibus et Vitiis p. 162,
25-163, 2 Büttner-Wobst. See also Blockley (1981), p. 117.
36 PLRE II, s.n. Rufinus 8, p. 953.