Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 230.4-15

https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/59

Context

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 555/6, he depends closely on the account of John Malalas (mid-6th century) concerning the Samaritan revolt at Caesarea.

Text

κθʹ. λαʹ. ιηʹ. δʹ. ιαʹ. ζʹ. ιαʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει μηνὶ Ἰουλίῳ, ἰνδικτιῶνος δʹ, ἐστασίασαν Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ Σαμαρεῖται ἐν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Παλαιστίνης καὶ ποιήσαντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐν τάξει πρασινοβενέτων ἐπῆλθον τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνεῖλον καὶ ἐκκλησίας κατέκαυσαν, Στέφανον δέ, τὸν ἔπαρχον τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως, ἐν τῷ πραιτωρίῳ ἀνεῖλον καὶ τὴν ὑπόστασιν αὐτοῦ καθήρπαξαν. ἡ δὲ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἀνελθοῦσα ἐν τῇ πόλει προσῆλθε τῷ βασιλεῖ· καὶ ἐκέλευσεν Ἀμαντίῳ τῷ στρατηλάτῃ κατελθεῖν ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ καὶ τὸν φόνον τοῦ Στεφάνου ἐκζητῆσαι· ὅστις εὑρὼν τοὺς μὲν ἐφούρκισεν, τοὺς δὲ ἀπεκεφάλισεν, τοὺς δὲ ἠκρωτηρίασε καὶ ἐδήμευσεν. καὶ ἐγένετο φόβος μέγας ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀνατολικοῖς μέρεσιν. 1

Textual Note

Ed. de Boor 1883

Translation

[A.M. 6048=555/6 C.E.] Justinian, 19th year Chosroes, 31st year Vigilius, 18th year Eutychios, 4th year Peter, 11th year Apolinarios, 7th year Domnus, 11th year In July of this year, the 4th indiction, the Jews and Samaritans staged a revolt at Caesarea Palestinae. Combining into a Green-Blue faction, they attacked the Christians of that city, killed many of them, burned their churches, murdered Stephan, the prefect of the city, in the praetorium and looted his property. His wife went up to Constantinople and approached the emperor. He ordered Amantius, the magister militum, to go down to Palestine and investigate Stephan's murder. Having found the culprits, Amantius hanged some, beheaded some, mutilated some, and fined others. So great fear prevailed in all the eastern parts. 2

Translation Note

Rev. Mango, Scott, and Greatrex 1997

Corrigenda Note

Minor corr. (toponymy)

Works Cited

1 Theophanes the Confessor, Theophanis Chronographia I, ed. Karl de Boor, 2 vols., Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana (Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1883), p: 230.4-15.
2 Theophanes the Confessor, The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor: Byzantine and Near Eastern History, A.D. 284-813, trans. Cyril Mango and Roger Scott (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997), p: 337-338.

How to Cite This Entry

Joseph L. Rife, “Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 230.4-15,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/59.

Bibliography:

Joseph L. Rife, “Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 230.4-15.” 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/59.

About this Entry

Entry Title: Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 230.4-15

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, “Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 230.4-15”
Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 230.4-15”

Additional Credit:

TEI encoding by William L. Potter
Electronic text added by Joseph L. Rife
Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife

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