The Bibliotheca (Greek: Βιβλιοθήκη) or Myriobiblos (Μυριόβιβλος, "Ten Thousand Books") was a ninth-century work of Byzantine Patriarch of Constantinople Photius, dedicated to his brother and composed of 279 reviews of books which he had read.
Overview
Bibliotheca was not meant to be used as a reference work, but was widely used as such in the 9th century, and is one of the first Byzantine works that could be called an encyclopedia.[1] Reynolds and Wilson call it "a fascinating production, in which Photius shows himself the inventor of the book-review,"[2] and say its "280 sections... vary in length from a single sentence to several pages".[2] The works he notes are mainly Christian and pagan authors from the 5th century BC to his own time in the 9th century AD. Almost half the books mentioned no longer survive. These would have disappeared in the Sack of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, in the final Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, or in the following centuries of Ottoman rule, during which wealth and literacy contracted dramatically in the subordinate Greek community.
Possible Abbasid link
Some older scholarship had speculated that Bibliotheca might have been composed in Baghdad at the time of Photius' embassy to the Abbasid court, since many of the mentioned works are rarely cited during the period before Photius, i.e. the so-called Byzantine "Dark Ages" (c. 630–800),[3] and since it was known that the Abbasids were interested in translating Greek science and philosophy.[4] However, modern specialists of the period, such as Paul Lemerle, have pointed out that this cannot be the case, since Photius himself clearly states in his preface and postscript to the Bibliotheca that after he was chosen to take part in the embassy, he sent his brother a summary of the works he had read previously "since the time that I learned how to understand and evaluate literature," i.e. from his youth.[5] A further difficulty with supposing that Bibliotheca was composed during rather than before the embassy, besides Photius' own explicit statement, is that the majority of the works in Bibliotheca are of Christian patristic theology, and most of the secular works are histories, grammars, and works of literature, particularly rhetoric, rather than works of philosophy or science, and the Abbasids showed no interest in having Greek history or Greek high literature like rhetoric translated, nor were they interested in translating Greek Christian works. Their interest in Greek texts was confined almost exclusively to science, philosophy and medicine.[6] In fact, "there is almost no overlap (other than some Galen, Dioscorides, and Vindonius Anatolius) between the inventory of secular works in Photius's Bibliotheca and those works that were translated into Arabic"[7] in the Abbasid period.
Editions
- Editio princeps (in Greek): David Hoeschel, Augsburg, 1601. Modern critical edition by R. Henry.
Contents
N° | Author | Title | Religion | Cons. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Theodore of Mopsuestia | On the Genuineness of the works of Dionysius the Areopagite | Christian | Lost |
2 | Hadrian the monk | Introduction to the Scriptures | Christian | Extant |
3 | Nonnosus | History | Christian | Lost |
4 | Theodore of Mopsuestia | For Basil Against Eunomius | Christian | Lost |
5 | Sophronius | For Basil Against Eunomius | Christian | Lost |
6 | Gregory of Nyssa | For Basil Against Eunomius 1 | Christian | Extant |
7 | Gregory of Nyssa | For Basil Against Eunomius 2 | Christian | Lost |
8 | Origen | De Principiis | Christian | Extant |
9 | Eusebius | Praeparatio Evangelica | Christian | Extant |
10 | Eusebius | Demonstratio Evangelica | Christian | Extant |
11 | Eusebius | Praeparatio Ecclesiastica | Christian | Lost |
12 | Eusebius | Demonstratio Ecclesiastica | Christian | Lost |
13 | Eusebius | Refutation and defence | Christian | Lost |
14 | Apollinarius | Against the Heathen | Christian | Lost |
14 | Apollinarius | On Piety | Christian | Lost |
14 | Apollinarius | On Truth | Christian | Lost |
15 | Gelasius of Cyzicus | Acts of the First Council – Nicaea | Christian | Extant |
16 | Various | Acts of the Third Council – Ephesus | Christian | Lost |
17 | Various | Acts of the Fourth Council – Chalcedon | Christian | Lost |
18 | Various | Acts of the Fifth Council – Constantinople | Christian | Lost |
19 | Various | Acts of the Sixth Council – Constantinople II | Christian | Lost |
20 | Various | Acts of the Seventh Council – Nicaea II | Christian | Lost |
21 | John Philoponus | On the Resurrection | Christian | Lost |
22 | Theodosius the Monk | Refutation of John Philoponus | Christian | Lost |
23 | Conon | Refutation of John Philoponus | Christian | Lost |
23 | Eugenius | Refutation of John Philoponus | Christian | Lost |
23 | Themistius | Refutation of John Philoponus | Pagan | Lost |
24 | Anonymous | Acts of a disputation between Tritheites and Hesitators | Christian | Lost |
25 | John Chrysostom | Notes on Death | Christian | Lost |
25 | John Chrysostom | Homilies on the Ascension | Christian | Extant |
25 | John Chrysostom | Homilies on Pentecost | Christian | Extant |
26 | Synesius of Cyrene | On Providence | Christian | Extant |
26 | Synesius of Cyrene | On the Kingdom | Christian | Lost |
27 | Eusebius | Ecclesiastical History | Christian | Extant |
28 | Socrates | Ecclesiastical History | Christian | Extant |
29 | Evagrius Scholasticus | Ecclesiastical History | Christian | Extant |
30 | Sozomen | Ecclesiastical History | Christian | Extant |
31 | Theodoret | Ecclesiastical History | Christian | Extant |
32 | Athanasius | Letters | Christian | Extant |
33 | Justus of Tiberias | Chronicle of the Kings of the Jews | Jewish | Lost |
34 | Julius Africanus | Chronography | Christian | Lost |
35 | Philip of Side | Christian History | Christian | Lost |
36 | Cosmas Indicopleustes | Christian Topography | Christian | Extant |
37 | Anonymous | On Government | Christian | Lost |
38 | Theodore of Mopsuestia | Commentary on Genesis | Christian | Lost |
39 | Eusebius | Against Hierocles | Christian | Extant |
40 | Philostorgius | Ecclesiastical History | Christian | Lost |
41 | John of Aegae | Ecclesiastical History | Christian | Lost |
42 | Basil of Cilicia | Ecclesiastical History | Christian | Lost |
43 | John Philoponus | On the Hexaemeron | Christian | Extant |
44 | Philostratus | Life of Apollonius of Tyana | Pagan | Extant |
45 | Andronicianus | Against the Eunomians | Christian | Lost |
Theodoret | Eranistes | Christian | Lost | |
Theodoret | Polymorphos | Christian | Lost | |
47 | Josephus | The Jewish War | Jewish | Extant |
48 | Hippolytus | On the Universe | Christian | Lost |
49 | Cyril of Alexandria | Against Nestorius | Christian | Extant |
50 | Nicias the Monk | Against the Seven Chapters of Philoponus | Christian | Lost |
51 | Hesychius | On the Brazen Serpent | Christian | Lost |
52 | Anonymous | Acts of the synod of Side, 383, against the Messalians | Christian | Lost |
53 | Anonymous | Acts of the synod of Carthage, 412 or 411, against the Pelagians | Christian | Lost |
54 | Various | Copy of the Proceedings taken against the Doctrines of Nestorius | Christian | Lost |
55 | John Philoponus | Against the Fourth Council | Christian | Lost |
56 | Theodoret | Against Heresies | Christian | Extant |
57 | Appian | Roman History | Pagan | Extant |
58 | Arrian | Parthica | Pagan | Lost |
59 | Various | Acts of the Synod of the Oak, 403 | Christian | Lost |
60 | Herodotus | History | Pagan | Extant |
61 | Aeschines | Against Timarchus | Pagan | Extant |
61 | Aeschines | On the False Embassy | Pagan | Extant |
61 | Aeschines | Against Ctesiphon | Pagan | Extant |
62 | Praxagoras of Athens | History of Constantine the Great | Pagan | Lost |
Praxagoras of Athens | The Kings of Athens | Pagan | Lost | |
Praxagoras of Athens | Alexander King of Macedon | Pagan | Lost | |
63 | Procopius | History | Christian | Lost |
64 | Theophanes of Byzantium | History | Christian | Lost |
65 | Theophylact Simocatta | Histories | Christian | Extant |
66 | Nicephorus | Historical Epitome | Christian | Lost |
67 | Sergius the Confessor | History | Christian | Lost |
68 | Cephalion | Historical Epitome | Pagan | Lost |
69 | Hesychius | History | Christian | Lost |
Hesychius | On Justin | Christian | Lost | |
70 | Diodorus Siculus | Historical Library | Pagan | Extant |
71 | Cassius Dio | History | Pagan | Extant |
72 | Ctesias | Persica | Pagan | Lost |
72 | Ctesias | History of India | Pagan | Lost |
73 | Heliodorus | Aethiopica | Pagan | Extant |
74 | Themistius | Political Orations | Pagan | Lost |
74 | Lesbonax | Speeches | Pagan | Lost |
75 | John Philoponus | On the Trinity against John Scholasticus | Christian | Extant |
76 | Josephus | Antiquities of the Jews | Jewish | Extant |
77 | Eunapius | Chronicle | Pagan | Extant |
78 | Malchus | Byzantine History | Pagan | Lost |
79 | Candidus | History | Christian | Extant |
80 | Olympiodorus | Histories | Pagan | Lost |
81 | Theodore of Mopsuestia | On Persian Magic | Christian | Lost |
82 | Dexippus | History | Pagan | Lost |
82 | Dexippus | Historical Epitome | Pagan | Lost |
Dexippus | Scythia | Pagan | Lost | |
83 | Dionysius of Halicarnassus | Histories | Pagan | Extant |
84 | Dionysius of Halicarnassus | Synopsis | Pagan | Lost |
85 | Heraclian | Against the Manichaeans | Christian | Lost |
86 | John Chrysostom | Letters | Christian | Extant |
87 | Achilles Tatius | Leucippe and Clitophon | Pagan | Extant |
88 | Gelasius of Cyzicus | Proceedings of the Synod of Nicaea | Christian | Extant |
89 | Gelasius of Caesarea | Continuation of the History of Eusebius Pamphili | Christian | Lost |
90 | Libanius | Various works | Pagan | Extant |
91 | Arrian | History of the Reign of Alexander | Pagan | Extant |
92 | Arrian | Continuation | Pagan | Lost |
93 | Arrian | Bithynica | Pagan | Lost |
94 | Iamblichus | Dramaticon | Pagan | Lost |
95 | John Scythopolita | Against Schismatics | Christian | Lost |
John Scythopolita | Against Eutyches and Dioscorus | Christian | Lost | |
96 | George of Alexandria | Life of St. Chrysostom | Christian | Extant |
97 | Phlegon of Tralles | Collection of Chronicles and List of Olympian Victors | Pagan | Lost |
98 | Zosimus | New History | Pagan | Extant |
99 | Herodian | History | Pagan | Extant |
100 | The Emperor Hadrian | Declamations | Pagan | Extant |
101 | Victorinus | Panegyrics on the Emperor Zeno | Christian | Lost |
102 | Gelasius of Caesarea | Against the Anomoeans | Christian | Lost |
103 | Philo Judaeus | Allegories of the Sacred Laws | Jewish | Lost |
103 | Philo Judaeus | On the Civil Life | Jewish | Lost |
104 | Philo Judaeus | On the Essenes and Therapeutae | Jewish | Extant |
105 | Philo Judaeus | Against Flaccus | Jewish | Extant |
105 | Philo Judaeus | Against Gaius | Jewish | Extant |
106 | Theognostus of Alexandria | Outlines | Christian | Lost |
107 | Basil of Cilicia | Against John Scythopolita | Christian | Lost |
108 | Theodore of Alexandria | Against Themistius | Christian | Lost |
109 | Clement of Alexandria | Outlines | Christian | Lost |
110 | Clement of Alexandria | The Tutor | Christian | Extant |
111 | Clement of Alexandria | The Miscellanies | Christian | Extant |
112-3 | Clement of Rome | Apostolic Constitutions and Recognitions | Christian | Extant |
114 | Leucius Charinus | Circuits of the Apostles | Christian | Lost |
115 | Anonymous | Against the Quartodecimans | Christian | Lost |
115 | Metrodorus | On the date of Easter | Christian | Lost |
116 | Anonymous | A Third Volume on the Holy Easter Feast | Christian | Lost |
117 | Anonymous | In Defense of Origen | Christian | Lost |
118 | Pamphilus of Caesarea | Defense of Origen | Christian | Extant |
119 | Pierius | Homilies | Christian | Lost |
120 | Irenaeus | Against Heresies | Christian | Extant |
121 | Hippolytus | Against Heresies | Christian | Extant |
122 | Epiphanius | Panarion | Christian | Extant |
123 | Epiphanius | Ancoratus | Christian | Extant |
124 | Epiphanius | On Weights and Measures | Christian | Extant |
125 | Justin Martyr | Apology | Christian | Extant |
126 | Clement of Rome | Letters to the Corinthians | Christian | Extant |
126 | Polycarp | Letter to the Philippians | Christian | Extant |
127 | Eusebius | Life of Constantine | Christian | Extant |
128 | Lucian | Dialogues | Pagan | Extant |
129 | Lucius of Patrae | Metamorphoses | Pagan | Lost |
130 | Damascius | Incredible Stories | Pagan | Lost |
131 | Amyntianus | On Alexander | Pagan | Lost |
132-5 | Palladius et.al. | Declamations | Pagan | Lost |
136 | Cyril of Alexandria | Thesauri | Christian | Extant |
137 | Eunomius of Cyzicus | Apology | Christian | Lost |
138 | Eunomius of Cyzicus | Against Basil | Christian | Lost |
138 | Eunomius of Cyzicus | Letters | Christian | Lost |
139 | Athanasius | Commentary on Ecclesiastes | Christian | Lost |
139 | Athanasius | Commentary on the Song of Songs | Christian | Lost |
166 | Antonius Diogenes | The Wonders Beyond Thule | Pagan | Lost |
167 | Joannes Stobaeus | Anthology | Pagan | Extant |
168 | Basil of Seleucia | Sermons | Christian | Extant |
170 | Anonymous | Precursors of Christianity | Christian | Lost |
171 | Eustratios of Constantinople | On the Status of Souls after Death | Christian | Extant |
172-4 | John Chrysostom | Homilies on Genesis | Christian | Extant |
175 | Pamphile of Epidaurus | Historical Commentaries | Pagan | Lost |
176 | Theopompus | Philippica | Pagan | Lost |
177 | Theodore of Mopsuestia | Against those who say that men sin by nature and not by intention | Christian | Lost |
178 | Pedanius Dioscorides | De materia medica | Pagan | Extant |
179 | Agapius (Manichaean) | Manichaean pamphlets | Manichaean | Lost |
180 | John the Lydian | On Prodigies | Christian | Extant |
180 | John the Lydian | On the months | Christian | Extant |
180 | John the Lydian | On the Public Magistracies | Christian | Extant |
181 | Damascius | Life of Isidore | Pagan | Lost |
See also
References
- ↑ Jenkins, Romilly J. H. (1963). "The Hellenistic Origins of Byzantine Literature". Dumbarton Oaks Papers. JSTOR. 17: 47. doi:10.2307/1291189. ISSN 0070-7546.
- 1 2 Reynolds, L. D. and N.G. Wilson (1991). Scribes and Scholars: A Guide to the Transmission of Greek and Latin Literature (3rd ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 321. ISBN 0-19-872145-5.
- ↑ Paul Lemerle, Byzantine Humanism: The First Phase: Notes and Remarks on Education and Culture in Byzantium from its Origins to the 10th century. Canberra: Australian Association for Byzantine Studies, 1986, 81–84.
- ↑ Jokisch, Islamic Imperial Law (2007), pp. 364–386)
- ↑ As Lemerle says "it is clear that this was written, and therefore that the collection has been composed, before the completion of the embassy (Lemerle, Byzantine Humanism: The First Phase, 40).
- ↑ As Paul Lemerle puts it, "while the renaissance in Hellenism in Byzantium extended progressively and more or less rapidly to all spheres of ancient literature including poetry, theatre, rhetoric, history, etc., Islam took an interest only in the sciences on the one hand, and philosophy on the other, Byzantine Humanism: The First Phase, 26–27
- ↑ Dmitri Gutas, Greek thought, Arab Culture, 1998, 186.
External links
- Photius, Bibliotheca at The Tertullian Project
- Photius, Bibliotheca (original text in Greek)