202

Peter van Nuffelen

historiography), analysis should not stop at that point. As my second section shows,
Malalas can be used to gauge the transformation of the Eusebian chronicle under the
influence of contemporary interests.

i. Theophilus, Clement and the others
A preface is a serious matter in ancient historiography: it is the place where the author
sets out his aims, method and form. One way to do this was to cite predecessors, as
does John Malalas:
Δίκαιον ήγησάμην μετά τό άκρωτηριάσαι τινά έκ των Εβραϊκών
κεφαλαίων ύπό Μωϋσέως <καί τών> χρονογράφων Αφρικανού καί
Ευσεβίου τού Παμφίλου καί Παυσανίου καί Διδύμου καί Θεοφίλου
καί Κλήμεντος καί Διοδώρου καί Δομνίνου καί Εύσταθίου καί άλλων
πολλών φίλο πόνων χρονογράφων καί ποιητών καί σοφών έκθέσαι
σοι μετά πάσης άληθείας τά συμβάντα εν μέρει εν τοϊς χρόνοις τών
βασιλέων έως τών συμβεβηκότων εν τοϊς έμοϊς χρόνοις έλθό<ν>των είς
τάς εμάς άκοάς, λέγω δή άπό Αδάμ έως τής βασιλείας Ζήνωνος καί τών
έξής βασιλευσάντων.2
I thought it right, after abbreviating some material from the Hebrew books written
by Moses and from the chronographers Africanus and Eusebius, son of Pamphi-
lus, and Pausanias and Didymus and Theophilus and Clement and Diodorus and
Domninus and Eustathius and many other industrious chroniclers and poets and
wise men, to relate to you as truthfully as possible a summary account of events
that took place in the time of the emperors, up till the events of my own life-time
which came to my hearing, I mean indeed from Adam to the reign of Zeno and
those who ruled afterwards.3
This is a fairly terse statement to start an expansive chronicle with. Except for the list
of names, there is no hint as to how Malalas positions himself vis-ä-vis earlier and
contemporary historical writing. It is, then, to this list that we must turn for answers.
At first sight, it appears as a disorganised series of names, and thus confirms the sus-
picion held about Malalas. Let us take a closer look. A first observation to make is
that the list seems to suggest chronological order. Africanus and Eusebius are the first,
traditional names of chronicle writing, and they are the usual, earliest points of refer-
ence in this period. The last name, Eustathius of Epiphania, is (whoever one identifies
behind the other names) the last one in chronological order, having composed his
chronicle early in the 6th century. In Antioch, at least, Eustathius seems to have been

2 Malalas, Chronographia praefatio (p. 3,4-11 Thurn).
3 Jeffreys/Jeffreys/Scott (1986), p. 1, adapted.