The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu: Translated from Zotenberg's Ethiopic Text (Christian Roman Empire) [Hardcover]

R. H. Charles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2007 | ISBN-10: 1889758876 | ISBN-13: 978-1889758879

The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu is an important source for the history of the turbulent 6th and 7th centuries AD. Focusing on Egypt, where he was a Monophysite bishop, John is the only near-contemporary historian to describe in detail the conquest of this formerly Roman province by the Muslims under Amr. John is also one of our best sources for the rebellion of Heraclius against the Emperor Phocas in 610 and his Chronicle includes numerous unique points of Egyptian folklore and local history. He focuses on the religious turmoil in Alexandria and comments on the numerous quarrels and frequent violence that erupted between the Monophysite and Chalcedonian factions. As a Monophysite himself, John offers a rarely seen glimpse into the controversy that was still simmering even 250 years after the Council of Chalcedon. Out of print for nearly a century, this volume represents the only English translation of the work, made from an Ethiopic manuscript. Despite several lacunae and some obvious corruptions noted by the translator, this edition of The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu offers a wealth of insight into a very poorly understood era.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Evolution Pub & Manufacturing (February 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889758876
• ISBN-13: 978-1889758879
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #819,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu (late 7th Century), December 17, 2008

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Mithridates VI of Pontus (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu: Translated from Zotenberg's Ethiopic Text (Christian Roman Empire) (Hardcover)

The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu (late 7th Century), only comes down to us through an Ethiopian manuscript - it was most likely originally written in Greek (some sections might have been in Coptic). His Chronicle, an universal history beginning with creation, is an extraordinarily important chronicle for its later sections concerning the Muslim invasion of Egypt. Sadly, it is missing the important years of 610-640 AD, "from the accession of Heraclius to the arrival of the Arabs before Babylon in Egypt" (2). This Chronicle is mainly an annal (a year by year account of events).

Despite the annalistic format, it is rife with great stories including Emperor Nero's supposed pregnancy. Because Nero has married a young boy (as a woman) he is cursed by God with a disease that caused his stomach to swell. His doctors though he was pregnant so they cut him open and he died. John of Nikiu is appealing to a body of anti-pagan conceptions of bodily disease and disgust to characterized what Medieval and Late Antique writers considered the first persecutor of Christians. This is a fascinating history, mainly for its section on the Muslim conquest, and a very worthwhile purchase for the medieval or Late Antique specialist even in this 1916 re-print edition (somewhat lacking in notes and introduction).