John Malalas, Chronicle 10.25
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/135
Context
John Malalas, a moniker probably derived from Aramaic
malolo meaning “orator”, was an educated Syrian who moved from
Antioch to Constantinople early in the reign of Justinian I. His only known work is a
historical chronicle in 18 books, apparently composed in two editions, spanning from
early times probably to the death of Justinian, with a distinct focus on events in the
eastern Mediterranean. In this passage, John records for the year 49 C.E. a Jewish
rebellion against Roman rule and a strong response by the tribune Festus and the
governor Felix. The unrest is vaguely portrayed, so that we cannot tell whether the
historian has in mind the movement under the Egyptian pseudo-prophet or another activity
around the same time.
Text
Τῷ δὲ ὀγδόῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ αὐτοῦ Κλαυδίου Καίσαρος διωγμὸν μέγαν
ἐποίησαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι κατὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τυραννίδα κατὰ Ῥωμαίων
ἐμελέτουν. ὅθεν πρῶτος ἐπέμφθη κατ’ αὐτῶν χιλίαρχος ὀνόματι Φῆστος· καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου
ὄλεθρος αὐτοῖς ἐγένετο. καὶ ἄρχοντα γὰρ προεχειρίσατο αὐτοῖς ὁ αὐτὸς Κλαύδιος βασιλεὺς
Φήλικα ὀνόματι, ταράσσοντα αὐτούς.
1
Textual Note
Ed. Thurn 2000Translation
In the eighth year of the reign of Claudius Caesar the Jews began a
fierce persecution of the apostles and their disciples, and planned a rebellion against
the Romans. Therefore a tribune, named Festus, was sent against them first, and from
that time destuction came upon them. The emperor Claudius also appointed a governor over
them, named Felix, who harrassed them.
2
Translation Note
Adapted from Jeffreys et al. 2017Works Cited
- 1 John Malalas, Ioannis Malalae Chronographia, ed. Johannes Thurn, repr. 2012, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 35 (Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2000), bk: 10.25, p: 131.
- 2 Jerome, Lives of Illustrious Men: Machine Readable Text, ed. Philip Schaff (Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1993), bk: 10.25, p: 187.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “John Malalas, Chronicle 10.25,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/135.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “John Malalas, Chronicle 10.25.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/135.About this Entry
Entry Title: John Malalas, Chronicle 10.25
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “John Malalas, Chronicle 10.25”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “John Malalas, Chronicle 10.25”
Additional Credit:
- TEI encoding by William L. Potter
- Electronic text added by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife