Constantine Porphyrogenitus - de Administrando Imperio

 

CONST

NTINE

PORPHYROGENITUS

E

NDO IMPERIO

DMINISTR

G R E E K T E X T EDITED

y

GY.

MORAVCSIK

E N G L I S H TRANSLATION

y

R.

J

H.

JE N K I N S

New Revis Revised ed Edi Editio tion n

Dumbarton Center

Oaks

for Byzantine Studies

Trustees for

H a rv a rd

Washington District 967

of

University Columbia

 

CORPUS

FONTIUM

H I S T O R I A E BYZ ANT INAE

C ONSI LI O SOCIETATIS

INTERNATIONALIS

STUDI I S BYZANTINIS PR OVEHENDI S DESTI NATAE

EDITUM

V O LU M EN I

CONSTANTINUS P O R P H Y R O G E N I T U S D E ADMINISTRANDO I M P E R I O

ED I D I T

GY

MORAVCSIK

ANGLIC E V E R T I T

R J

H JENKINS

 

All rights reserved y the

Trustees for Harvard University The Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection Washington D C

Second Impression 1985

Library o f Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, Emperor o f the East, 905-959. Constantine Porphyrogenitus De administrando imperio. Corpus fontium historiae Byzantinae;

v

I)

Dumbarton Oaks texts; 1 Translation of: De administrando imperio. English and Greek. Includes index. 1 Byzantine Empire-History-Constantine VI I Porphyrogenitus, 913-959. 2 Byzantine E m p i r e - H i s t o r y  T o 527. 3 Byzantine Empire-History-527-1081. 4. Education o f princes. I. Moravcsik, Gyula, 1892-1972. II. Title. III. Series. IV. Series. DF593.C6613 DF593.C66 13 1985 1985 949.5 8585-695 6950 0 ISBN 0-88402-021-5

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CA TA LO G C A R D N U M B E R

68-24220

 

T BLE O F CONTENTS Foreword t o th thee Firs Fi rstt Edition Editi on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Foreword to th thee Second Second Edit Ed itio ion n .................................. General Introd Int roduct uction ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Critical Intro In troduc ductio tion n . . .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. .. .. .. . .. . .. .. ..

3 5 7 15

Man uscripts Manuscr ipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edit Ed itio ions ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tr Tran ansl slat atio ions ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mutual Relationship of Manuscripts and Edi Editio tions ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Method followed in the pre presen sentt E Edi diti tion on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15 23 26 27 34

List o f Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Text Te xt and an d Translat Tran slation ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 43

EN X P I ~ T m B A ~ I A E I A i n N i n I B A ~ I A E n ~ P11MAI11N TON IMON YION P11MANON TON E O ~ T E < I > H KAI IIOPYPOI I P O ~ . . . . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. rENNHTON B A ~ I A E A

44

CONSTANTINE I N CHRIST THE ETERNAL EMPEROR EMPEROR OF THE ROMANS TO HIS SON ROMANUS THE EMPEROR CROWNED OF GOD AND BORN I N THE PURPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45

I

2. 3. 4. 5.

K

N ~ T A N T I N O Y

Ilpoo( Ilp oo(µrnv µrnv . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . roem

...............................................................

1 Ilept TWV

I I o c T ~ W O C X L T W V ,

Proµoc(rov dpl)ve;uov-rec;

I

xocl Ttpoc;

Tt croc

c r u µ ~ o c A A O V

r l X L

µe-roc

·r u

44 45

~ I X c r t A t < U c

. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .•. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .

48

Of the Pechenegs, and how many advantages accrue from their being a t peace thee Rom R oman anss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . with the emperor of th

49

2. Ilept -rwv

I I o c - r ~ L v a x L - r w v

xocl -rwv Pwc; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Of the Pechenegs and the 3. Ilepl -rwv

I I o c - r ~ L v o c x L - r w v

48

49

Russians

xocl Toup Toupxrov xrov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

3. Of the Pechenegs and Turk Tu rks. s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

51

4. Ilept -rwv

5

I l o c - r ~ L v o c x L - r w v

xocl Pwc; xocl Toupx Toupxrov rov

. . .. . . .. . . .. .. . . .. . . .. . .. .

4. Of the Pechenegs and an d Russians Russ ians and an d Turks Tur ks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

51

5. Ilepl -rwv

52

I l o c - r ~ L v o c x L - r w v

xocl -rwv Bou)..yocpwv . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. Of the Pechenegs and the Bulg Bulgaria arians ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

53

 

v

6. Ile;pt -.:wv

xix Xe;pcrwvt-.:wv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

52

6. Of the Pechenegs and a nd Chersonites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

53

I l i x T ~ t v o c x t - . : w v

..........

54

7. Of the dispatch o f imperial agents from Cherson to Patzinacia . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

55

7. Jle;p -.:wv

8. IIe;p TWV

no

Xe;pcrwvoc; cbtocrTe:l.Aoµevwv (3ixm).txwv i:v

I l i x T ~ t v i x x £ ~

'rijc; -ln:oq>UAOCXTOU 7t 6Ae;roc; ocnocr-.;e;/.Aoµevwv (3acrLALXWV µe:-.:oc XE:AIXV  lwv 8toc Te; -.:ou ~ i x v o u ( 3 £ o u xixl ~ o c v a n p t xal ~ . v i x c r T p t noTaµou i:v I l a T ~ t v a x £ ~ . . .

54

the dispatch o f imperial agents with ships o f war from the city protected 8. oOf f God to Patzinacia along the Danube and Dnieper and Dniester river. . . . . .

55

9. Ile;p

OC7t O

'Procr£ixc; i:pxoµevrov ' P < ~ c ; µe:-.:oc -.:wv µ o v o ~ u ) . r o v i:v Krovcr-raVTtvou6 A e;t.............................................................

56

9. Of the coming o f the Russians i n monoxyla from Russia to Constantino ple .

57

7t

-.:wv oc7t o

10. Ile;p 'rijc;

7twc; 8e:'L no).e:µe:i:cr&at xix 7tapoc -r£vrov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . .

62

10.. Of Chazaria, how and by whom war must b e made upon i t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

63

11. Ile;pl :OU XOCO Tpou Xepcrwvoc; xixl :OU xoccr-rpou Bo 'rijc; TOU x6crµou crucr-.:cfoe:roc; i:ysve:-ro, xal -r£c; 0 TOC 11>'7jn-rpa Tijc; (3ocat).e£ac; 'Proµix£wv 8t 8ten enro rov v . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . • . ••. . .

80

16. From the canon which Stephen the astrologer cast from the stare concerning the Exodus of the Saracens, i n what year of the foundation o f the world i t took place, and who then held the sceptre of the empire o f the Romans . . . . . .

81

17. E x Tou Xpovtxou -.:ou µixxap£ou 0e:oqi&.vouc;. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

80

17. From the Ch Chron ronicl iclee ofTh eoph eophanes anes,, o f blessed memory . • . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •

81

14. Of the genealogy o f Mah Mahom omet et

~ e ; 6 - . ; e ; p o c ;

-.:wv

ocp:x_1)yoc; 'Apa(3rov, 'A(3ou(3&:x_ixp, f : 1} -.:p£ix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18. 18.. The second chie 18 chieff of the Arabs, Aboubachar, three years.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

82 83

19. TplToc; ocp:x_1)yoc; 'Ap&(3rov, 0i)µixp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •

82

19. The third chief of the Arabs Arabs,, O uma r

83

. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. . ... .. .. .. ... .. .

 

Vll

20. TihocpToc; 'Ap&:(3rov ocpJ(l)y6c;,

O ~ µ

84

: v

20. The fourth chief of the Arabs, Outhman

85

21. E x TOU XpovLxou 0e;oqi&:vouc;· i£Toc; oc7t'o XT(ae:wc; x6aµou ,c;poa'

..............

84

21. From the Chronicle o f Theophanes: the year from the creation of the world 6171

85

22. E x TOU Xpovoypocqiou 't OU µocxocpfou @e;oqi&:vouc; 7te:pt TWV IXUTWV xoct 7te;pt Mocu(ou xoct T'ijc; ye:ve;iic; IXUTOU, 57t'roc; 8te;7t'epocae;v ev 'lCJ7t'IXV(q;. 'Proµoc(rov (3ocat:Ae:uc; 'louO TWLIXvoc; O Ptv6Tµl)TO..oy(occ; Twv I ~ ~ p f f i v xixl TOU x6.a't pou A p 8 o c v o u T ~ ( o u .......... 46. Of the genealogy of the Iberians and of the city o f Ard Ardano anout utzi. zi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

214 215

47. Ile:pl Tljc;

laTop(oc Tii8e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

224

4 7. Of the migration of the Cypriotes the st stor ory y is as follows follows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

225

.;{Jw

48. Ke:ip A.ocLov

Ku7tptffiv µe:Tocv11a-r.. ' -rljc;

~ X e : L

.yt11c; &.Tl)c; ouv68o•), -rljc;

Tij> TpouAA.cp Tou µe:y :>..ou 7t'ocAIXT[ou

ye:yovu(occ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

48. Chapter 39 o f the holy sixth synod, held in the Domed Hall of the Gre at Palace 49.

224 22 225 5

Bou:>..e:ue:Lv xoct u7toxe:fo.itixL 87t'ffic; -r'(i -rwv Iloc-rpwv ~ x x ) . . l J a ( ~ ot ~ x M ~ o hax lJaixv, EX Tljc; 7t1Xpoual)c; µ11v&ocvtT(l) ypocipljc; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

228

49. H e who enquires how the Slavs were put in servitude and subjection to the church of Patras, let him learn from the pr pres esen entt passag passagee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

229

O ~ l ) T w v ,

50. Ile:pt -rwv

-rwv -re Ml):>..Lyywv xoct E ~ e : p t T w v xixt 7t'e:pt TWV n;)..ouµtV(l)V 7t'ocp' IXUTWV 7t'iiXT(l)V, oµo((l)c; xixt 7t'e:pt TWV olXl)T6pwv TOU xocCJTpou Moct\ll)c; xoct -rou 7tocp' ocu-rwv n:>..ouµivou 7t'cXXTOU . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EV -rc'ji &eµoc-rL Ile::>..o7t'ovv1)aou

~ x : > . . o c ~ w v ,

232

50. Of the Slavs in the province o f Peloponnesus, the Milingoi and Ezeritai, and of the tribute paid b y them, and in like manner o f the inhabitants of the city of Maina and of the tribute paid b y them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

51. Ile:pt Tou, -rlvL -rp67tCJ> yeyove:v -ro ~

l ) V

~ o c a L : > . . t x o v Bpoµwvwv, xoct 7te:pt -rwv 7tpffiToxocp6.-rou IXUTOU Bpoµffivfou, xocl 8aoc 7te:pl -rou 7t'pffiTOCJ7t'IX ocpfou Tljc; lj)LOCAl)c;. . . . . . •

246

51. Why the imperial galley came t o be made, and of the steersmen o f this same galley, and all about the protospatharius of the b a s i n 247 52. H ye:voµtvl) &7tockl)aLc; Twv [mtixp(wv EV Tc'ji &eµocTL Ile::>..o7tovv1Jaou E7t'L 'Pwµocvou 8e:CJ7t'6Tou, XIX 6:ic; 7tpodpl)TIXL . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

256

52. Demand made for horses in the province of Peloponnesus in the time of the sovereign Rome.nus, as stated ab abov ovee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

257

53. 'la-rop(oc m:pt -rou xocaTpou Xe:pawvoc; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . .

258

53. Story of the city o f Ch Chers erson on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

259

Index of Pro P rope perr Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

288 314 33 333 3 337

Gloss ary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glossary. Gramma Gra mmati tical cal Notes . .. ... .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. . Index o f Sources and Par Parall allel el Passa Passages ges ... ..................... Cod. Parisinus gr. 2009. fol. 12v (facsim (facsimile) ile) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

facing page

16

 

DUMB

RTON O

I

KS TEXTS

 

CO N S T DE

NTINE

P O RP H Y RO G E N I T U S

DMINISTR

NDO

IMPERIO

 

FOREWOR

TO THE FIRST E ITION

publishing this critical edition and translation of the text of the treatise e Administrando Imperio compiled exactly one thousand years ago by the emperor Constantine VII we feel that we should explain how our work began. The editor of the Greek text started to work work on i t as long ago as 1926; but the carrying out of oth other er academic projects interfered during during many years with completing comp leting th thee collec collection tion of his his material and bringing bringing i t into final shape n

for publ publicatio ication. n. Then th thee lat latte terr years of the wo worl rld d war war ma made de com comple pletio tion n and publica pub lication tion alike imposs impossibl ible. e. For Fortun tunate ately ly ho howe weve verr the m s survived the siege of Budapest; and immediately after the war efforts were again made to finish the work and an d th thee question question arose arose of brin bringin ging g i t out. The first draft of the English translation was made independently. But whil wh ilee its publicati pub lication on was was under consideration consideration chan chance ce brought broug ht i t into relation with the publication of the Greek text. n the pursuit of our common purpose we established contact con tact with one one another another and agree agreed d that tex textt and an d tra transla nslation tion should be published together beli believi eving ng that an edition of a Greek text is incomplete comp lete with without out a translation and having having iin n mind that apart apa rt fr from om the o old ld Latin Lat in versions and an d those in the th e Russian and Croat Croat la langu nguag ages es ther theree is still no complete translation of the treatise in existence. From the beginning of 1947 we have wor worked ked together through throug h the medium of corresp correspondence ondence to bring text and translation into line with one another an and d have th thus us been aable ble to subject the th e work work of eac each h t o the revision of th thee o other. ther. Doubtless both bo th pa part rtss of the th e work have benefi benefited ted fro from m this re revi visi sion on.. Certain deficiences came to light in the Greek Greek text and the editor owes some corrections to the th e tran translat slator or who who has al also so contrib contributed uted a few conjectural emendations to the appara apparatus. tus. t the th e ssame ame tim timee the tran translat slator or wi wish shes es t o own a special special deb debtt to the th e editor whos whosee long long study stu dy an and d de deep ep kn know owle ledg dgee of the text have assisted in solving many difficulties of interpretation; and though the

 

Foreword

4

translator takes responsibility for everything printed in the English version, he is happy t o make this cordial acknowledgment to his senior colleague. Edition and translation are complementary. For all that their purposes are not quite identical; and i t has been necessary that a few corruptions and errors whi which ch stand stan d in the tex t extt of Constantine should be corrected correcte d i n the version. We have therefore printed in italic those few words or phrases of the trans lation which do not corresp correspon ond d exactly with the tex text. t. Refer Reference encess to t o the present th

b y chapter the letter are for cited and line i.e. of the chapter; in suchpassage citationswhich «edition » stands Ilpoolµwv), introductory pre « roem»

cedes chapter 1 Fifty years ago two scholars, the Hungarian R. V ari and the English man J . B Bury were already concerning themselves with the preparation of a new edition of Constantine. n bringing to fulfilment what they were compelled to abandon, we dedicate this work to the memory of both. B u d a p es t - L o n d o n 15th of March, 1949. GY. MORAVCSIK -

R. J . H.

JENKINS

 

FOREWORD TO THE SE OND EDITION This r e ~ e i t i o n of the Text and Translation of D A. I. which appeared in Budapest eighteen years ago, is published by the Harvard University Center for Byzantine Studies, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D. C. and is the first of a series of texts to be brought out by this institute. We wish to thank Dumbarton Oaks for its generosity; and also that large number of scholars whose suggestions have enlarged our apparatus and improved our translation. Despite minor corrections, i t has been possible to preserve the earlier pagination and alignment of the Greek text: so that the Commentary , which was arranged for use with the first edition, may equally well be used with the second. Washington, D. C. November, 1966

Gy. M.

R.

J.

Const. Porph. De Adm Imp Vol. I I Commentary (University of London, The Athlone Press, 1962).

 

GENER GEN ER

L INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION

The emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus1 (905-959) was the second and only surviving son2 of the emperor Leo VI, surnamed the Wise, (866-912) by his mistress and lat later er fourth wife, Zoe Carbunopsina.3 Constan tine s early life was clouded b y a series of misfortunes for which he himself was in no way responsible. His constitution was sickly, and he was indeed invalid throughout his life. 4 His father s birth was doubtful; and he was him self born out o f regular wedlock, although his legitimacy was afterwards grudgingly recognized. From his eighth to his sixteenth year he was the pawn b y turns of his malignant uncle Alexander, o f his mother, of the patriarch Nicholas and o f the lord admiral Romanus Lecapenus. After the seizure of power by the last o f these in the year 920, he was for the next twenty four years held in a degrading tutelage, cut off from all power and patronage, and, usurper per s dau daught ghter er Helen Helen,, demoted demoted su succ ccess essiv ivel ely y to though married to the usur second, third and perhaps fifth place in the hier hierarch archy y of co-emp co-emperor erors. s. I t was not until January of the year 945, a t the age of nearly forty, that, with the aid o f a clique o f guards officers devoted t o his house, he was able to expel the Lecapenid usurpers and seat himself in sole majesty on the throne that was rightfully For his. the next fourteen years he governed, or seemed to govern: for the substance o f power appears to have been in the hands of the Augusta Helen, of the hetaeriarch Basil Peteinos, of the eparch Theophilus, of the sacellarius Joseph Bringas, and of the prot protoves ovestia tiary ry Basil, Basil, th thee emperor s illegitimate

A. Ramba.ud, L Empire grec au dixieme siecle (Paris, 1870), pp. 1 4 . For date of birth, see Vita Euthymii, (ed. de Boor, Berlin, 1888), pp. 116-118; R J . H . Jenkins, Dumharton OakJJ Papers 19 (1965), pp. 108, 109. 2 His elder brother, Basil, son o f his father s third wife Eudocia, died n infancy; 1

Sources

n

see De Ger., (ed. Bonn.), I , p. 643. a For her family, see Theoph. Cont., (ed. Bonn.), p. 370; ) 4. I . mii p. 58; and G. Kolias, U o n Choerosphactes, (Athens, 1939), p. 18. Th eo p h . Cont., pp. 212, 379, 459, 464, 465.

79 ;

Vita Euthy-

 

General Introduction

8

brother-in-law. 5 These made or marred f o r the traditions are conflicting6 the internal administration. The church was scandalized b y the impieties of the worldly patriarch Theophylact; he, dying in 956, was succeeded by the ascetic Polyeuctus, who soon showed that stiff-necked king Stork might be worse trouble than disreputable king Log. But abroad the imperial forces, under the leadership of Bardas Phocas and his two sons, and of the proto vestiary Basil, continued, with occasional set-backs, that glorious career III and whichthe haddeath begun Michael was tooftermi nate only with of with Basilthe II.accession The soleofmajor disaster recorded the reign was the failure o f a costly but ill-led expedition against Crete in 949. 7 During these years the emperor devoted himself with tireless zeal to the minutiae of every department of administration, and t o the punctilious obser ob servan vance ce o off every kind of imperial ritual. ritua l. 8 His greatest personal contributions to the prosperity of his empire were externally, in the sphere o f diplomacy,9 and internally, in the encouragement o f higher education.10 His relaxations which h had alway alwayss lain next ne xt his his heart, hear t, and which, during the were the pursuits whic long years of his enforced seclusion, he had been able to cultivate without interruption: art, literature, history and antiquities. 11 H e found domestic

happiness in the society society of his his three daughters, whom he tend tenderl erly y loved ;12 nor s there evidence that his relations rela tions with his wife wife were were othe ot herr than uniformly affectiona affect ionate, te, despite a dif differe ference nce of temper tem perame ament. nt. 13 With his only only son Romanus Romanu s he was not so fortun fortunate. ate. To fit fit the youth fo forr his fut future ure lofty l ofty stati st ation, on, he lavished la vished on him a wealth of minute instruction14 which was probably excessive. The boy is said to have grown up weak and even vicious; but the accounts are confiicting, and he died a t the age of 24 By the age of fifty-four the emperor was old and worn out. His fourteen years of power had been years of ceaseless toil, and his infirmities grew fast upon him. A quarrel with the patriarch Polyeuctus, whom he seems t o have had in mind t depose, 15 occasioned a journey t o the monks and hermits of the Bithynian Olympus; and from them he learnt the mournful tidings o f his own approaching dissolution. He dragged himself back to the City guarded of

Cedrenus, (ed. Bonn.), I I p. 326. 6 F . Hirsch, Byzantin Byzantinische ische Studien Studi en (Leipzig, 1876), pp. 286ff. 7 Leo Diac., (ed. Bonn.), p. 7 ; Cedrenus, I I p . 336. 8 Theoph. Cont., pp. 447 447,, 449. 9 Theoph. Cont., pp. 448, 455;De0er. I pp. 570ff.; Liutprand Antapodosis V I 5. 10 Theoph. Cont., p. 446. 5

11

amante VIIdi arti A. VStransky, Porfirogenito, delle collezioAttidel Studi Bizantini I I epp. nista. , in i n See OongressoCostantino lnterrU ziorude (Rome, (Rom e, 194 1940), 0), 412ff. 12 Theoph. Cont., p. 459. 1 3 Theoph. Cont., p. 458. 4 Theoph. Cont., p. 458. u Cedrenus, I I p. 337; Theoph. Cont., pp. 463ff 463ff..

 

General Introduction

9

God; and there, on the 15th of November, 959, he died. 16 n person, he was tall, broad-shouldered and erect in bearing, with a long face, an aquiline nose, blue  7 eyes and a fair complexion. Of stainless morals, deep piety and unre mitting devotion to duty, he was a n emperor after the hearts of his people, who testified their affection by a spontaneous outburst of grief a t his funeral. The favourab favourable le and the unfavourable traditions concerning the character of Constantine VII provide no mutually incompatible elements. 18 They show him t o have a wine weaktoand retiring personality, studious and I f hebeen drank i t was I f he had laborious. excess, his antidoteartistic, to shyness. fits o f severity, even o f cruelty, they were the obverse of his diffidence. His love of learning was inherited from his father, and was confirmed by seclusion. His lack l ack of se selflf-con confid fidenc encee was inve invetera terated ted b y his long durance in the hands of the Lecapenids. Yet i n those years he was amassing a wealth of historical and antiquarian knowledge which bore fruit in those encyclopedic manuals and historical studies to which we owe the chief part of our knowledge of the machinery and organization of the mediaeval empire of East Rome. His achievements in the cultural field were indeed immense. Of his patronage of the manual arts this is no place to speak. But of his encourage ment of learning and research a word must be said. Himself deeply versed in 19

classical learning, his liberal intelligence comprehended both the theoretical and the practical aspects of knowledge, the knowledge which was good in itself, and the knowledge which was necessary to enable the practical man to arrive a t a correct decision in the affairs of life. 20 To the latter branch, which was principally concerned with the study of history, 21 he devoted especial attention; and from among the graduates of his university, of which he was, after the Caesar Bardas, second founder, he chose his higher bureaucrats and churchmen. 22 To this practical education he naturally subjected his son Romanus also. I f such knowledge was important for the governed in the con duct o f their individual, everyday lives, how much more important was it for him who should govern all 23 How essential was i t that decisions which would affect the whole world should be dictated by the utmost practical wisdom, sharpened b y the widest experience and knowledge of every similar decision or parallel set o f circumstances in the past

The symptoms recorded (Theoph. Cont., p. 464) do not seem t o support the later allegation that he was poisoned. 7 Theoph. Cont., p. 468, i f that is what xrxporrornuc; means here; but cf. Genesis 49, 12, where the reference is to wine-induced brightness, and may in Theoph. Cont. covertly refer t o the emperor s -r Myov x.oct yvwfnV -rote; v( pw7t)otc; owpouµEvcp: ,occp6': LOU..   ) c:, n en/\ELWV' / o.( lJ ) : ,ocqwoN v µocLcp - cuv xoc-roc · tc; 7l . c:ycu A v-rwvrnc; o E 7tocpzoc; 7tOCLc; (tcp -ro ,occ:p 'ov ~ r o e ; ~ y p o c l j J o c -ro vcu (c:v) ~ L ~ / . . . L o v («Glory be to God who giveth under standing and knowledge t o men: finished, 5th June 1509. - 16 May, 1554: I , Antony Eparchus, then a boy, wrote this book in the year 1509.») I t was, then, the well-known humanist o f Corfi.ot origin, Antony Eparchus (14911571), who copied the m s . - a p a r t fro from m a singlepass singlepassageatfol ageatfol.16v .16v = 1319   19 7   , which is in another hand - in the 18th year of his age; three years before, in 1506, he had completed his ms. copy of the Gospels. 15 The ms. passed into the possession of John Egnatius (1473-1553), 16 probably very soon after i t was copied, since Egnatius in the book which he published in 1516 refers to i t as being already in his library.17 I t should seem that the second note, dated 16th May 1554, was penned when Eparchus, after the death of Egnatius, came across his own copy among the relics of the deceased. The codex next passed   '

a See H . Stevenson, Codices manuscripti Palatini rrraeci bibliothecae Vaticanae, (Romae, 1885), p. 60. 15 See E . Legrand, Bibliographie hellenique au 15e et J6e siecles, I , (Paris, 1885), pp. CCX -CCX X V II; L . Dorez, Antoine Eparque , Me langes d archeologie et d histoire, 13 (1893), pp. 281-364; M. Vogel-V. Gardthausen, Die griechischen Schreiber des M ittel alters und der Renaissance, (Leipzig, 1909), p. 35. 16 Stevenson, op. cit., p. 302; A. Firmin-Didot, AldeManuce et l hellenisme a Venise, (Paris, 1875), pp. 449-452. 17 « .• hie (sc. Constantinus) a literis, optimisque disciplinis non abhorrens, quas pene extinctas ab interitu uindicauit, librum Roman Romano o fili filio o reliquit. reli quit. in quo summam totius imperii, sociorum omnium foedera, hostium uires, rationes, consilia explicuit. quern nos i n bibliotheca nostra tanquam thesaurum seruamus, in quo multa de Venetis etiam nostris imperator ipse disserat.» See J . B . Egnatius, De Caesaribus libri libr i

a dictatore dictatore Cae sare ad Constantinum Palaeologum, kine a Carola Magno ad Maximilianum Caesarem, (Venetiis, 1516) (sine numeris pag.); cf. Romanorum principum ll. I I I ex recognitione Des. Erasmi Roterodami, (Basileae, 1518), p. 850.

 

Critical I ntroductwn

to the Biblioth Bibliotheca eca Palatin Pala tinaa a t Heidelberg, where i t appears in the catalogue compiled b y Fr. Sylburg about the year 1584.18 From Heidelberg i t was trans-

ferred in 1623, along with other mss., to the Vatican Library in Rome. n the margins o f V, as of P, there is a number of notes in Greek and Latin, which are the additions of later readers. An exceptionally large proportion of these notes is appended to the chapters dealing with Venice (27, 28), which obviously were of particular interest to Italian readers. Some o f these are worth our attention: 27 µ o c c r ' t p o µ ~ A l J < ; o oc7tc:'t ocvLo