Theophylact Simocatta

This article is about the historian. For the bishop and biblical commentator of the same name, see Theophylact of Ohrid.

Theophylact Simocatta (Byzantine Greek: Θεοφύλακτος Σιμοκάτ(τ)ης Theophylaktos Simokat(t)es; Latin: Theophylactus Simocattus)^[1] was an early seventh-century Byzantine historiographer, arguably ranking as the last historian of Late Antiquity, writing in the time of Heraclius (c. 630) about the late Emperor Maurice (582–602).^[2]

Life

Byzantine Emperor Heraclius receiving the submission of the Sassanid king Khosrau II – during Simocatta's times (plaque from a cross. Champlevé enamel over gilt copper, 1160–1170, Meuse Valley). Housed at the Louvre.

Simocatta is best known as the author of a history in eight books, of the reign of the emperor Maurice (582–602), for which period he is the best and oldest authority. However, his work is of lesser stature than that of Procopius and his self-consciously classicizing style is pompous, but he is an important source of information concerning the seventh-century Slavs, the Avars and the Persians, and the emperor's tragic end.^[3] He mentions the war of Heraclius against the Persians (610–28), but not that against the Arabs (beginning 634), so it is likely that he was writing around 630. Among his sources he used the history of John of Epiphania.

Edward Gibbon wrote:

His want of judgement renders him diffuse in trifles and concise in the most interesting facts.^[4]

This notwithstanding, Simocatta's general trustworthiness is admitted. The history contains an introduction in the form of a dialogue between History and Philosophy.

Nicolaus Copernicus translated Greek verses by Theophylact into Latin prose and had his translation, dedicated to his uncle Lucas Watzenrode, published in Kraków in 1509 by Johann Haller. It was the only book that Copernicus ever brought out on his own account.^[5]

Simocatta was also the author of Physical Problems, a work on natural history,^[6] and of a collection of 85 essays in epistolary form.^[7]

In regards to the Far East, Simocatta wrote a generally accurate depiction of the reunification of China by Emperor Wen (r. 581-604 AD) of the Sui Dynasty, with the conquest of the rival Chen Dynasty in southern China, correctly placing these events within the reign period of Byzantine ruler Maurice.^[8] Simocatta also provided cursory information about the geography of China along with its customs and culture, deeming its people "idolatrous" but wise in governance.^[8] He also related how the ruler was named Taisson, the meaning of which was "Son of God", possibly derived from Chinese Tianzi (Son of Heaven, a title of the emperor of China) or even the name of the contemporaneous ruler Emperor Taizong of Tang.^[9]

Notes

↑ "Snub-nosed cat". Other forms of the name are Simocattos and Simocatos.
↑ J.D.C. Frendo, "History and Panegyric in the Age of Heraclius: The Literary Background to the Composition of the 'Histories' of Theophylact Simocatta", Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 1988.
↑ Important editions published in 1609, ed. pr. by J. Pontanus, and C.G. de Boor in 1887.
↑ E. Gibbon, The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire, The Folio Society (1997), s.v. "Simocatta".
↑ Angus Armitage, The World of Copernicus, pp. 75–77.
↑ Cf. ed. J. Ideler in Physici et medici Graeci minores, i. 1841.
↑ The best edition was published in 1873 by R. Hercher in Epistolographi Graeci. The letters were translated into Latin by Copernicus in 1509, reprinted in 1873 by F. Hipler in Spicilegium Copernicanum.
1 2 Yule (1915), pp 29-31.
↑ Yule (1915), p. 29, footnote #4.

References

Michael and Mary Whitby, translators, The History of Theophylact Simocatta: An English Translation with Introduction, Oxford University Press, 1986, ISBN 0-19-822799-X, 9780198227991
Angus Armitage, The World of Copernicus, New York, Mentor Books, 1947.
Yule, Henry (1915). Henri Cordier (ed.), Cathay and the Way Thither: Being a Collection of Medieval Notices of China, Vol I: Preliminary Essay on the Intercourse Between China and the Western Nations Previous to the Discovery of the Cape Route. London: Hakluyt Society. Accessed 21 September 2016.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "^{article name needed}". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

External links

Greek Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Graeca with analytical indexes
Raw Greek OCR of Carl de Boor's Teubner edition Theophylacti Simocattae Historiae (1887) from the Lace collection at Mount Allison University.

Byzantine historians

5th century	Malchus Panodorus of Alexandria Priscus

6th century	Agathias Evagrius Scholasticus Hesychius of Miletus John of Ephesus John of Epiphania Jordanes John Malalas Liberatus of Carthage Marcellinus Comes Menander Protector Peter the Patrician Procopius Theodorus Lector Theophanes of Byzantium Zacharias Rhetor Zosimus

7th century	Trajan the Patrician Theophylact Simocatta John of Antioch

8th century	Hippolytus of Thebes

9th century	Theophanes the Confessor George Syncellus Nikephoros I of Constantinople George Hamartolos

10th century	Constantine VII Joseph Genesius John Kaminiates Leo the Deacon Symeon the Metaphrast Theophanes Continuatus

11th century	Michael Attaleiates George Kedrenos Michael Psellos John Skylitzes John Xiphilinus Yahya of Antioch

12th century	Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger Niketas Choniates Eustathius of Thessalonica Michael Glycas Anna Komnene John Kinnamos Constantine Manasses Joannes Zonaras

13th century	George Akropolites

14th century	Nicephorus Gregoras Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos George Pachymeres Michael Panaretos

15th century	John Anagnostes John Cananus Laonikos Chalkokondyles Michael Critobulus Doukas George Sphrantzes

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 164779534 LCCN: n85238591 ISNI: 0000 0001 1827 3291 GND: 118621807 SELIBR: 96548 SUDOC: 027984966 BNF: cb130917160 (data) NKC: jn20000701639 ICCU: IT\ICCU\CUBV\146068

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