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E05746: John Malalas in his Chronographia mentions the dedication of the church of *Theodora (martyr venerated in Constantinople, S02277) in Constantinople in August 562; organised by the emperor Justinian, the festivities included an exhibition of silver goods and festal illumination. Written in Greek at Antioch (Syria) or Constantinople, in the 560s.

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posted on 2018-06-15, 00:00 authored by erizos
John Malalas, Chronographia, 18.137

Μηνὶ αὐγούστῳ ἰνδικτιῶνος δεκάτης ἐγένοντο τὰ ἐγκαίνια τῆς ἁγίας μάρτυρος Θεοδώρας τῆς οὔσης πλησίον τῆς γεφύρης. κατὰ κέλευσιν δὲ τοῦ αὐτοῦ βασιλέως καὶ πρόβλησις ἐκ τῶν ἀργυροπρατῶν καὶ φῶτα πάμπολλα ἐγένετο.

‘In the month of August of the 10th indiction there took place the dedication of the church of the holy martyr Theodora, which is near the bridge. At the emperor's orders, there was both an exhibition by the silversmiths and lavish illumination.’

Text: Thurn 2000. Translation: E. Rizos.

History

Evidence ID

E05746

Saint Name

Theodora, martyr venerated at Constantinople : S02277

Saint Name in Source

Θεοδώρα

Related Saint Records

Type of Evidence

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Language

  • Greek

Evidence not before

520

Evidence not after

570

Activity not before

562

Activity not after

562

Place of Evidence - Region

Constantinople and region Syria with Phoenicia

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Constantinople Antioch on the Orontes

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Constantinople Constantinople Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoupolis Constantinopolis Constantinople Istanbul Antioch on the Orontes Thabbora Thabbora

Major author/Major anonymous work

John Malalas

Cult activities - Liturgical Activity

  • Ceremony of dedication

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Cult activities - Activities Accompanying Cult

  • Fair

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Monarchs and their family

Source

The Chronographia of John Malalas (c. 490–c. 570) is a Christian chronicle of universal history, from Adam to the death of Justinian I (565). It appears to have been composed in two parts, the earlier of which focuses on the history of Antioch and the East, ending in c. 528 or 532. The second part focuses on the urban history of Constantinople up to the death of Justinian. Malalas is likely to have pursued a career in the imperial administration at both Antioch and Constantinople, writing the two parts of his chronicle while living in these two cities. Malalas was widely used as a source by Byzantine chroniclers and historians, including John of Ephesus, John of Antioch, Evagrius Scholasticus, the Paschal Chronicle, John of Nikiu, John of Damascus, Theophanes, George the Monk, pseudo-Symeon, Kedrenos, Zonaras, Theodore Skoutariotes, and Nikephoros Kallistou Xanthopoulos. The text of the chronicle is preserved in a very fragmentary form, based on quotations in other sources (notably the Paschal Chronicle and Theophanes), and on a Slavonic translation which follows a more extensive version of the original text. It is believed that we now have about 90% of the text. On the composition and manuscript tradition of the text, see Thurn 2000, and: http://pinakes.irht.cnrs.fr/notices/oeuvre/1298/

Discussion

This shrine was located in the upper part of the Golden Horn, near the bridge which crossed the stream of the Barbyses. The identity of the saint is obscure.

Bibliography

Text: Dindorf, L., Ioannis Malalae Chronographia (Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae; Bonn, 1831). Thurn, J., Ioannis Malalae Chronographia (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 35; Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2000). Translation: Jeffreys, E., Jeffreys, M., and Scott, R., The Chronicle of John Malalas: A Translation (Sydney, 1986). On Malalas: Carrara, L., Meier, M., and Radtki-Jansen, C. (eds.), Die Weltchronik des Johannes Malalas. Quellenfragen (Malalas-Studien 2; Göttingen: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2017). Jeffreys, E., Croke, B., and Scott, R. (eds.), Studies in John Malalas (Sydney, 1990). Meier, M., Radtki-Jansen, C., and Schulz, F. (eds.), Die Weltchronik des Johannes Malalas: Autor, Werk, Überlieferung (Malalas-Studien 1; Göttingen: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2016). Treadgold, W.T. The Early Byzantine Historians (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006), 235-256. Further reading: Janin, R., La géographie ecclésiastique de l'empire Byzantin. I 3: Les eglises et les monastères de la ville de Constantinople. 2nd ed. (Paris, 1969), 147.

Usage metrics

    Evidence - The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

    Categories

    Keywords

    S02277History

    Licence

    CC0

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