148

Pia Carolla

poets Claudianus and Cyrus on the authority of Eustathius of Epiphania,49 we can
think of another kind of misunderstanding (or conflation) happening here: namely,
that Eustathius or Malalas might have tampered with information about the re-
nowned two books In Rufinum (the famous one, the prefect appointed by Theodosius
I) by Claudianus, so that this poet’s hostility against Theodosius Is official may have
resulted in contempt for a younger namesake. Malalas does not mention Claudianus
anywhere, but he might have found his name in Eustathius; about Cyrus of Panopolis’
career as a poet we are well informed.50
One might be tempted not to blame Malalas for the misunderstanding or erro-
neous cut-and-paste, but rather the epitomist who originated the abbreviated and
modified version of the codex Baroccianus (O). However, at least the end of chapter
18 in book XIV as preserved by O correspond to the early, genuine Malalas’ text, be-
cause the same wording is attested also at the beginning of Fragmentum Tusculanum 3
(p. 17,1-2 Mai), preserved by a manuscript from the early 7th century AD.51 Moreover,
the insistence on Theodosius H’s fear of usurpers which motivates Rufinus’ murder
in Chronographia XIV 18 is a typical feature of Priscus’ηθοποιία or characterization
of this good-for-nothing emperor’,52 as revealed for example by Theodosius’ plans to
destroy the general Zeno reported in fr. 62* Carolla (pp. 90-91).53
4. Conclusion: four fragmenta dubia of Priscus
My main suggestion in this paper is to consider also some other passages from Mala-
las’ Chronicle as coming from Priscus’historical work - although profoundly reworked
by Eustathius/Malalas, and so to be printed among Priscus’ dubia and italicized, as
follows:

49 Evagrius, Historia Ecdesiastica 119 (p. 28,13-16,17-22 Bidez/Parmentier); Nicephorus Callistus, Historia
Ecdesiastica XIV 57 (PG 146,1272 B 12-13), see Brodka (2012), pp. 207-208; Brodka (2016), esp. pp. 287-
288, 299-300. A new critical edition of Nicephorus Callistus’ Historia Ecdesiastica is currently being
prepared by Albrecht Berger, Christian Gastgeber, Sebastiano Panteghini and other Vienna collabora-
tors; see Berger (2015), p. 55 n. 1, with bibliography; Gastgeber (2009); Panteghini (2009); Gastgeber/
Panteghini (2015).
50 Suda K 2776 Adler s.v. Κύρος; see Livrea (1997) pp. 46 (with n. 20), 48; Tissoni (2008); Cameron (2016),
esp. pp. 37-46.
51 For the Fragmenta Tusculana see the recent reappraisal by Schulz (2016), esp. p. 156 with n. 18 for the date.
52 For the ηθοποιία ofTheodosius II see e.g. Priscus Panita, exc. 4-6 Carolla (pp. 9-13) and exc. 8 Car-
olla, esp. 1-12 (pp. 15-18), 42-48 (24-25): Theodosius Il’s plot to kill Attila is a complete failure, his
embassy is undermined by treason, his behaviour is far worse than Attila’s both towards his own
people and towards his imperial tasks. Completely the opposite characterization is given by Priscus for
Marcianus, Theodosius’ successor: see exc. 24,1-3 Carolla (p. 64); exc. 26, 2 Carolla (p. 66); exc. 42 Ca-
rolla (pp. 78-79); exc. 44 Carolla (p. 80); fr. 56* Carolla (pp. 85-86); fr. 57* Carolla (p. 86); fr. 63* Carolla
(PP- 9T-92)·
53 This text corresponds to loannes Antiochenus, Historia chronica fr. 292 Roberto = fr. 223 Mariev.