The
Chronicon or
Chronicle (Greek,
Pantodape historia, "
Universal HistoryUniversal history is basic to the Western tradition of historiography, especially the Abrahamic wellspring of that tradition. Simply stated, universal history is the presentation of the history of mankind as a whole, as a coherent unit.-Ancient authors:...
") was a work in two books by Eusebius of Caesarea. It seems to have been compiled in the early 4th century. It contained a world chronicle from
AbrahamAbraham is the founding patriarch of the Israelites, Ishmaelites, Midianites and Edomite peoples, as described in the book of Genesis. He is widely regarded as the patriarch of Jews, Christians, and Muslims....
until the vicennalia of
Constantine ICaesar Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus , commonly known in English as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine , was Roman emperor from 306, and the sole holder of that office from 324 until his death in...
in
325-Roman Empire:* Gladiatorial combat is outlawed in the Roman Empire.* Constantine I personally assures the security of the Danube border by defeating the Goths, Vandals and Sarmatians.-Art:...
AD. Book 1 contained sets of extracts from earlier writers; book 2 contained a technically innovative list of dates and events in tabular format.
The original
GreekKoine Greek is the popular form of Greek which emerged in post-Classical antiquity . Other names are Alexandrian, Hellenistic, Patristic, Common, Biblical or New Testament Greek...
text is lost, although substantial quotations exist in later chronographers. Both books are mostly preserved in an
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
translation. Book 2 is entirely preserved in the
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
translation by
JeromeSaint Jerome was a Christian priest and apologist. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Strido, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
. Portions also exist in quotation in later Syriac writers such as the fragments by James of Edessa and, following him,
Michael the SyrianMichael the Syrian was a patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1166-1199. He is best known today as the author of the largest medieval Chronicle, which he composed in Syriac. Various other materials written in his own hand have survived.-Life:He was born ca...
.
Contents
The work was composed in divided into two parts. The first part (Greek,
Chronographia, "Annals") gives a summary of universal history from the sources, arranged according to nations. The second part (Greek,
Chronikoi kanones, "Chronological Canons") furnishes a synchronism of the historical material in parallel columns, the equivalent of a parallel
timeline-Uses of timelines:Timelines are often used in education to help students and researchers with understanding events and trends for a particular subject.-History:...
, where each line is a year. It is the longest preserved list of
OlympicThe Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions held for representatives of various city-states of Ancient Greece. Records indicate that they began in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. They were celebrated until 393 AD. The Games were usually held every four years, or olympiad, as...
victors, containing however mainly the stadion (running race) winners from 776 BC to
217-Roman Empire:* April 8—Caracalla is assassinated by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. Macrinus, of Mauritania, becomes the first equestrian Roman Emperor.* Rome retains Mesopotamia under a treaty with Parthia....
AD.
The work as a whole has been lost in the original, but it may be reconstructed from later chronographists of the Byzantine school who made excerpts from the work with untiring diligence, especially
George SyncellusGeorge Syncellus was a Byzantine chronicler and ecclesiastic. He had lived many years in Palestine as a monk, before coming to Constantinople, where he was appointed syncellus to Tarasius, patriarch of Constantinople...
.
The tables of the second part have been completely preserved in a
Latin translation by JeromeThe Chronicle was a universal chronicle, one of Jerome's earliest attempts in the department of history. It was composed circa 380 in Constantinople; this is a translation into Latin of the chronological tables which compose the second part of the Chronicon of Eusebius, with a supplement covering...
, and both parts are still extant in an Armenian translation. The loss of the Greek originals has given an Armenian translation a special importance; thus, the second part of Eusebius' "Chronicle", of which only a few fragments exist in the Greek, has been preserved entirely in
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
. Fragments also exist in Syriac, notably in the "Chronicle" of
Michael the SyrianMichael the Syrian was a patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1166-1199. He is best known today as the author of the largest medieval Chronicle, which he composed in Syriac. Various other materials written in his own hand have survived.-Life:He was born ca...
.
The "Chronicle" as preserved extends to the year 325. It was written before the "Church History."
See also
- Universal chronicle
- Chronicon (Jerome)
The Chronicle was a universal chronicle, one of Jerome's earliest attempts in the department of history. It was composed circa 380 in Constantinople; this is a translation into Latin of the chronological tables which compose the second part of the Chronicon of Eusebius, with a supplement covering...
- Classical authorities on Babylonia and Assyria
External links