Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 341.18-23
created: This entry is taken from Chronicle 341.18-23 written by Theophanes the Confessor
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
language: grc; grc
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/136

Καισάρειαν τῆς Παλαιστίνης

, and

Caesarea Palestinae

are directly attested at Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 341.18-23. This passage was written ca. ca, 810-814 C.E. possibly in Cyzicus. Theophanes, born to noble parents in Constantinople, was raised in the Palace under Constantine V (740-775 C.E.) He spent much of his career as a member and leader of monastic communities around the Sea of Marmara, before his condemnation and exile to Samothrace in 817 C.E. by Leo V the Armenian during the controversies over Iconoclasm. At the request of George Syncellus, Theophanes wrote a continuation of his chronicle from Diocletian down to Michael I Rhangabes (284-813 C.E.), in the usual dry style and format of Byzantine chronography. In his entry for the year 640/1, he recorded the fall of Caesarea to the Arab general Muawiya, who was then governor of Syria. As is often the case, the chronology is erroneous: Michael the Syrian (see Related Texts) recorded a six-month siege from December to May; and we do not know exactly when it occurred between 639-641.

Ῥωμαίωνʹ βασιλεὺς Ἡρακλωνᾶς μῆνας ϛʹ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπίσκοπος Παῦλος ἔτη ιβʹ αʹ ηʹ αʹ θʹ Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει παραλαμβάνει Μαυΐας Καισάρειαν τῆς Παλαιστίνης μετὰ ἑπταετίαν τῆς πολιορκίας αὐτῆς· καὶ κτένει ἐν αὐτῇ Ῥωμαίους χιλιάδας ἑπτά.

[Ed. de Boor 1883]

[A.M. 6133=640/1 C.E.] Heraklonas, emperor of the Romans, (6 months) 1st year Oumaros 8th year Paul, bishop of Constantinople (12 years), 1st year Cyrus, 9th year In this year Mauias takes Caesarea Palestinae after a seven-year siege and kills 7,000 Romans in it.

[Rev. Mango, Scott, and Greatrex 1997]

Works Cited

[...] 341.18-23
[...] 474-475

[Michael the Syrian II.430

Pseudo-Dionysius of Tel-Maḥre, The Chronicle of Zuqnīn 4.150-151]

[Constantinople

Syria]

[Cyrus (?)

Heraklonas, emperor

Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān (معاوية ابن أبي سفيان)

Oumaros

Paul of Constantinople]

[Byzantine History

Government and Law

Islamic History

Military]