Beyond the Compilation: The Two "Historiae Tripartitae" of Theodore Lector and Cassiodorus
The two so-called Historiae Tripartitae composed by Theodore Lector and Cassiodorus during the first half of the sixth century are traditionally perceived and studied as a random collection of excerpts copied from earlier sources (The Church Histories of Socrates, Sozomen and Theodoret of Cyrrhus)....
| Subtitles: | Techniques of compilation in late ancient and medieval historiography |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brepols
[2017]
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| In: |
Sacris erudiri
Year: 2017, Volume: 56, Pages: 415-444 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Theodorus, Anagnosta, Historia tripartita
/ Cassiodorus, Flavius Magnus Aurelius 490-583, Historia ecclesiastica tripartita
/ Compilation
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| IxTheo Classification: | KAA Church history KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity KAD Church history 500-900; early Middle Ages |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | The two so-called Historiae Tripartitae composed by Theodore Lector and Cassiodorus during the first half of the sixth century are traditionally perceived and studied as a random collection of excerpts copied from earlier sources (The Church Histories of Socrates, Sozomen and Theodoret of Cyrrhus). This paper intends to show that the nature of Theodore' and Cassiodorus' works as compilations does not exclude the authors' expressions of their personal historiographical viewpoints, concerning the political and religious transformations of their time. Actually, the process of compilation, through the choice and combination of the excerpts it entails, is a subtle mechanism to create original works: the authors are allowed to convey their own message while exploiting the authority of the established Christian sources they quote. In order to demonstrate that, we suggest an examination of the selection and assemblage of documents excerpted from the three Church Histories in both Historiae Tripartitae, and then the impact of this selection on the picture of the Emperor Constantine. The careful observation and analysis show that Theodore and Cassiodorus did not copy one specific source's point of view and that they did not depict the same Constantine. In Theodore's work, the opposition of a passive Emperor in the Church affairs and an Emperor involved in Church affairs may refer to the evolution of the role played by the Emperor Anastasius I. In Cassiodorus work, Constantine may suggest a criticism of the Emperor Justinian's policy and behaviour toward the Church. |
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| Item Description: | Seite 393-393: Einleitung "Techniques of compilation in late ancient and medieval historiography" edited by P. Van Nuffelen, E. Delacenserie, P. Manafis in diesem Heft |
| ISSN: | 2295-9025 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Sacris erudiri
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1484/J.SE.5.114779 |