The Constantinian Excerpts[a] was a 53-volume Greek anthology of excerpts from at least 25 historians.[1] It was commissioned by the Byzantine emperorConstantine VII (945–959), but probably not completed until after his death.[2] Today only two volumes survive complete plus fragments of three others. The titles of 21 other volumes are known.[1] The volumes are typically known by their Latin titles.[2] The title of the whole, Excerpts, is also conventional.[3][4]
The original work may not have been truly a selection of excerpts so much as an anthology of whole texts rearranged thematically. According to the preface, the project involved taking the works of selected historians and rearranging their passages by topic rather than chronology so that "nothing contained in the texts would escape this distribution into subjects; by this division according to the content nothing of the continuous narration is omitted, but rather it is preserved entire."[2] Nonetheless, there is evidence of abridgement.[1] There is also commentary.[4]
Only four volumes of the original 53 survive either in whole or in part. The complete surviving volume is the Excerpta de legationibus, which is divided into two parts: Excerpta de legationibus gentium ad Romanos (On embassies to Rome) and the Excerpta de legationibus Romanorum ad gentes (On embassies from Rome).[7] The original volume, kept in the Escorial, was lost to fire in 1671, but not before several copies had been made. Also kept in the Escorial (shelfmark Ω.I.11) is a 16th-century copy of Excerpta de insidiis (On ambushes), with another 16th-century copy in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Graecus 1666). Two more original volumes survive in part: the Excerpta de virtutibus et vitiis (On virtues and vices) in the Codex Peirescianus and the Excerpta de sententiis (On gnomic statements) as a palimpsest in the Vatican Library (Graecus 73).[2]Fulvio Orsini prepared the first edition of the Excerpta, printed at Antwerp in 1582.[8]
The purpose of the Excerpts was as a sort of mirror for princes. Since history was believed to contain useful lessons for rulers, it was considered advantageous to arrange history thematically so that, in the words of Leonora Neville, "if an emperor was concerned with an upcoming embassy, he could read all the examples of embassies in Roman history at one time."[2] The compilers of the Suda made use of the Excerpts more often than the original works.[1]
Notesedit
^Latin: Excerpta Constantiniana, Excerpta Historica or simply Excerpta; Greek: ᾽Εκλογαί, Eklogai, eclogues.
Editionsedit
Excerpta Historica iussu imperatoris Constantini Porphyrogeniti Confecta, ed. Ursul Boissevain, Carl de Boor, Theodor Büttner-Wobst, and Anton Roos, 4 vols. Berlin: Weidmann, 1903–1910.
Banchich, Thomas M. (2012). "Constantinian Excerpts". The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. Blackwell. doi:10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah08041.
Banchich, Thomas M. (2015). The Lost History of Peter the Patrician: An Account of Rome's Imperial Past from the Age of Justinian. Routledge.
Humphreys, Mike (2018). "Excerpta". In Oliver Nicholson (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, Volume 1: A–I. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. p. 574.
Manafis, Panagiotis (2017). "The Excerpta Anonymi and the Constantinian Excerpts". Byzantinoslavica. 75 (1–2): 250–264. CEEOL 608919
Németh, András (2018). The Excerpta Constantiniana and the Byzantine Appropriation of the Past. Cambridge University Press.
Neville, Leonora (2018). Guide to Byzantine Historical Writing. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781139626880.
January 01, 1970
constantinian, excerpts, volume, greek, anthology, excerpts, from, least, historians, commissioned, byzantine, emperor, constantine, probably, completed, until, after, death, today, only, volumes, survive, complete, plus, fragments, three, others, titles, othe. The Constantinian Excerpts a was a 53 volume Greek anthology of excerpts from at least 25 historians 1 It was commissioned by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII 945 959 but probably not completed until after his death 2 Today only two volumes survive complete plus fragments of three others The titles of 21 other volumes are known 1 The volumes are typically known by their Latin titles 2 The title of the whole Excerpts is also conventional 3 4 The original work may not have been truly a selection of excerpts so much as an anthology of whole texts rearranged thematically According to the preface the project involved taking the works of selected historians and rearranging their passages by topic rather than chronology so that nothing contained in the texts would escape this distribution into subjects by this division according to the content nothing of the continuous narration is omitted but rather it is preserved entire 2 Nonetheless there is evidence of abridgement 1 There is also commentary 4 The earliest historian included in the Excerpts is Herodotus 5th century BC and the latest George Hamartolos 9th century AD 1 There is some material preserved in the surviving Excerpts that is not preserved anywhere else including selections from Polybius Nicolaus of Damascus Dexippus Eunapius Priscus Peter the Patrician Menander Protector and John of Antioch 1 4 Other historians included were Thucydides Xenophon Diodorus of Sicily Dionysius of Halicarnassus Josephus Arrian of Nicomedia Iamblichus Appian of Alexandria Cassius Dio Socrates of Constantinople Theodoret of Cyrrhus Sozomen Philostorgius Zosimus Procopius Agathias of Myrina Theophylact Simocatta John Malalas and Malchus of Philadelphia 5 The ordering of authors within volumes follows no obvious rationale 1 An author s excerpts within a volume however are never presented out of order 6 Only four volumes of the original 53 survive either in whole or in part The complete surviving volume is the Excerpta de legationibus which is divided into two parts Excerpta de legationibus gentium ad Romanos On embassies to Rome and the Excerpta de legationibus Romanorum ad gentes On embassies from Rome 7 The original volume kept in the Escorial was lost to fire in 1671 but not before several copies had been made Also kept in the Escorial shelfmark W I 11 is a 16th century copy of Excerpta de insidiis On ambushes with another 16th century copy in the Bibliotheque nationale de France Graecus 1666 Two more original volumes survive in part the Excerpta de virtutibus et vitiis On virtues and vices in the Codex Peirescianus and the Excerpta de sententiis On gnomic statements as a palimpsest in the Vatican Library Graecus 73 2 Fulvio Orsini prepared the first edition of the Excerpta printed at Antwerp in 1582 8 The purpose of the Excerpts was as a sort of mirror for princes Since history was believed to contain useful lessons for rulers it was considered advantageous to arrange history thematically so that in the words of Leonora Neville if an emperor was concerned with an upcoming embassy he could read all the examples of embassies in Roman history at one time 2 The compilers of the Suda made use of the Excerpts more often than the original works 1 Notes edit Latin Excerpta Constantiniana Excerpta Historica or simply Excerpta Greek Eklogai Eklogai eclogues Editions editExcerpta Historica iussu imperatoris Constantini Porphyrogeniti Confecta ed Ursul Boissevain Carl de Boor Theodor Buttner Wobst and Anton Roos 4 vols Berlin Weidmann 1903 1910 References edit a b c d e f g Banchich 2012 a b c d e Neville 2018 pp 110 113 Humphreys 2018 a b c Kazhdan 1991 Nemeth 2018 pp 5 11 Nemeth 2018 p 4 Banchich 2015 p 3 Nemeth 2018 p 5 Bibliography edit Banchich Thomas M 2012 Constantinian Excerpts The Encyclopedia of Ancient History Blackwell doi 10 1002 9781444338386 wbeah08041 Banchich Thomas M 2015 The Lost History of Peter the Patrician An Account of Rome s Imperial Past from the Age of Justinian Routledge Humphreys Mike 2018 Excerpta In Oliver Nicholson ed The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity Volume 1 A I Vol 1 Oxford University Press p 574 Kazhdan Alexander 1991 Excerpta In Alexander Kazhdan ed The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium Oxford University Press pp 767 768 Manafis Panagiotis 2017 The Excerpta Anonymi and the Constantinian Excerpts Byzantinoslavica 75 1 2 250 264 CEEOL 608919 Nemeth Andras 2018 The Excerpta Constantiniana and the Byzantine Appropriation of the Past Cambridge University Press Neville Leonora 2018 Guide to Byzantine Historical Writing Cambridge University Press doi 10 1017 9781139626880 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Constantinian Excerpts amp oldid 1164516650, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
