Late Antique Historiography

Historical commentaries

Title(s):
  • Historical commentaries
  • Ἱστορικὰ ὑπομνήματα
    (Historika hupomnēmata, Historical commentaries)
Author:
Period covered:
Unknown
Language:
Greek
State of Preservation:
Fragmentary
Genre:
  • Secular history (miscellany)
  • Form (compilation)
Remarks:
The Suda states that the sophist Abas wrote Historical commentaries and a treatise of rhetoric. Dowden (BNJ 46) identifies him with the namesake quoted by Servius Danielis (BNJ 46 F1) and Photius (F2), whose work on the Trojan war (Troica) was a source of Ptolemy Chennus (second century). Since Jacoby considered this second Abas to be an author invented by Ptolemy, he did not include the Suda’s reference in his edition (FGrHist 46). Dowden’s identification is only based on the homonymy of the two names. Dating Abas is difficult: the Suda defines him as a sophist, and that could indicate an imperial dating (second to fourth century). The identification with the second Abas would place him before the second century instead.      
Edition - Translation:
Fragments:
  • Scholia on Staseis (Walz 1833: 203)
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • Al. Cameron (2004) Greek mythography in the Roman world. New York: 202.
  • C. Walz (1833) Rhetores Graeci ex codicibus Florentinis, Mediolanensibus, Monacensibus, Neapolitanis, Parisiensibus, Romanis, Venetis, Taurinensibus et Vindobonensibus. Volume Seven, Part One. Stuttgart e.a.