Late Antique Historiography

Patria of Byzantium

Title(s):
  • Patria of Byzantium
  • Τὰ πάτρια τοῦ Βυζαντίου
    (Ta patria tou Buzantiou, The patria of Byzantium)
Author:
Period covered:
At least 339 B.C.
Language:
Greek
State of Preservation:
Fragmentary
Genre:
  • Secular history (patria)
  • Secular history (local history)
Remarks:
The epitome of Stephanus’ Ethnica describes the siege of Byzantium by Philip II. A more extended quotation of the same passage by Constantine Porphyrogenitus reveals that the story was narrated by ‘those who wrote the Patria of Byzantium’. The reference may therefore be to more than one text. It is not possible to determine whether they wrote patria of Byzantium, or local histories also dealing with the origin of the city.    
Edition - Translation:
  • L. Focanti (2018) The fragments of the late antique patria. Diss. Ghent - Groningen.
Fragments:
  • Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica s.v. Βόσπορος
  • Constantine Porphyrogenitus, On the themes 2.12.30–33
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • M. Billerbeck (2006) Stephani Byzantii Ethnica. Volume One: A - Γ (Corpus fontium historiae Byzantinae, 43.1). Berlin - New York.
  • G. Pertusi (1952) Constantinus Porphyrogenitus. De thematibus. Vatican City.