Late Antique Historiography

Histories

Title(s):
  • Histories
  • Ἱστορίαι
    (Historiai, Histories)
  • Ἀγαθίου σχολαστικοῦ χρονικὴ διήγησις τῆς βασιλείας Ἰουστινιανοῦ
    (Agathiou scholastikou chronikē diēgēsis tēs basileias Ioustinianou, Of Agathias Scholasticus, chronological narrative of the reign of Justinian)
Author:
Period covered:
552-557 (Easterh history), 552-559 (Western history)
Language:
Greek
State of Preservation:
Full
Genre:
  • Secular history (classicizing history)
Remarks:
Agathias wrote also series of epigrams, the so-called Cycle and Daphniaka. An epigram identifies Agathias as 'curator civitatis' in Smyrna (Cameron 1970: 2).
His history continues that of Procopius.
Edition - Translation:
  • J.D. Frendo (1975) Agathias: The Histories (Corpus fontium historiae Byzantinae). Berlin.
  • R. Keydell (1967) Agathiae Myrinaei Historiarum libri quinque. Berlin.
  • S. Costanza (1969) Agathiae Myrinaei Historiarum libri quinque. Messina.
  • P. Maraval (2007) Agathias, Histoires: Guerres et malheurs du temps sous Justinien. Paris.
Fragments:
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • B. Baldwin (1977) 'Four problems in Agathias'. Byzantinische Zeitschrift 70: 295-305.
  • B. Bleckmann (2021) Die letzte Generation der griechischen Geschichtsschreiber: Studien zur Historiographie im ausgehenden 6. Jahrhundert. Stuttgart.
  • Av. Cameron (1970) Agathias. Oxford.
  • Av. Cameron (1968) 'Agathias on the early Merovingians'. Annali della Scuola Norrnale Superiore di Pisa, series 2, 37: 95-140.
  • Av. Cameron (1969-1970) 'Agathias on the Sassanians'. Dumbarton Oaks Papers 23-24: 69-183.
  • Av. Cameron (1964) 'Herodotus and Thucydides in Agathias'. Byzantinische Zeitschrift 57: 33-52.
  • S. Costanza (1962) 'Orientamenti cristiani della storiografia di Agazia'. Helicon 1-2: 90-111.
  • A. Kaldellis (1997) 'Agathias on history and poetry'. Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 38: 295-306.
  • A. Kaldellis (1999) 'The historical and religious views of Agathias: A reinterpretation'. Byzantion 69: 206-252.
  • A. Kaldellis (2003) 'Things are not what they are: Agathias Mythistoricus and the last laugh of classical culture'. The Classical Quarterly 53: 295-300.
  • R.C. McCail (1970) 'On the early career of Agathias Scholasticus'. Revue des études byzantines 28: 141-151.
  • R.C. McCail (1968) 'Poetic reminiscence in the Histories of Agathias'. Byzantion 38: 563-565.
  • G. Moravcsik (1958) Byzantinoturcica: Die byzantinischen Quellen der Geschichte der Türkvölker. Berlin: 214-216.
  • O. Veh (1952-1953) 'Der Geschichtsschreiber Agathias von Myrina'. Programma Gymnasiums Bayreuth: 18-39.