Unknown, Easter Chronicle 619.14-620.2
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/500
Context
The so-called Easter Chronicle (Chronicon
paschale) is a universal history from the Creation down to the later reign of
Heraclius, when it was composed, based an amalgam of biblical, Christian, and secular
sources. While the work shows a particular interest in the dating of religious
festivals, it contains a wealth of historical and geographic information. Like other
chronographic works in the Byzantine tradition—John Malalas before and Theophanes the
Confessor and George Syncellus after—the Easter Chronicle is organized
annalistically with successive entries by year. In this passage, the unknown author
recounts the Samaritan uprising under Julianus ben Sabar in 529-531 C.E.
Text
Ἰνδ. η´. γ´. ὑπ. Λαμπαδίου καὶ Ὀρέστου.Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Σαμαρειτῶν
στασιασάντων, καὶ ποιησάντων ἑαυτοῖς βασιλέα καὶ Καίσαρα, ἐπέμφθη Εἰρηναῖος ὁ Πενταδίας
στρατηλάτης, καὶ ἐθανάτωσε πολλοῖς. καί τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν φοβηθέντες προσῆλθον ἐξ ἀνάγκης
τῷ χριστιανισμῷ καὶ δεχθέντες ἐβαπτίσθησαν, καὶ ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἐπαμφοτερίζουσιν, καὶ
ἐπ’ αὐστηρίᾳ μὲν ἀρχόντων σχήματι διεψευσμένοι ὑπούλως καὶ κακούργως ὡς χριστιανοὺς
ἑαυτοὺς ἐμφανίζουσιν, ἐπὶ χαυνότητι δὲ ἀρχόντων φιλοχρημάτων Σαμαρεῖται καὶ
μισοχριστιανοὶ καὶ ὡς μὴ γνόντες χριστιανισμόν, οὕτω διαπράττονται, τοὺς ἄρχοντας
πείθοντες σαμαρειτίζειν διὰ τῶν χρημάτων.1
Textual Note
Ed. Dindorf and du Cange 1832Translation
Indiction 8. Year 25. Consuls Lampadius and Orestes. [530 C.E.]In
this year, when the Samaritans revolted and created for themselves an emperor and a
Caesar [Julianus ben Sabar], Eirenaios son of Pentadia was sent as magister
militum and put many to death. And certain ones of them in fear came to
Christianity under compulsion, and were received and captized, and up until the present
day they waver between the two: under stringent officials they deceive by appearance and
they falsely and wickedly manifest themselves as Christians, but under lax and greedy
officials, they conduct themselves as Samaritans and haters of Christians and, as if
ignorant of Christianity, persuading the officials with money to favor Samaritans.2
Translation Note
Revised from Whitby and Whitby 1989Works 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), p: 619.14-620.2.
- 2 Unknown, Chronicon Paschale, 284-628 AD, trans. Michael Whitby and Mary Whitby, Translated Texts for Historians 7 (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1989), p: 111.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Unknown, Easter Chronicle 619.14-620.2,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/500.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Unknown, Easter Chronicle 619.14-620.2.” 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/500.About this Entry
Entry Title: Unknown, Easter Chronicle 619.14-620.2
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, “Unknown, Easter Chronicle 619.14-620.2”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Unknown, Easter Chronicle 619.14-620.2”
Additional Credit:
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife