Joseph Genesius

Joseph Genesios (Greek Ἰωσὴφ Γενέσιος ) was a Byzantine historian, who lived in the first half of the 10th century.

Life and work

Little is known about Joseph Genesios itself; it is doubtful that this is the real name of the historian. Ferdinand Hirsch suspected behind Genesios the son of Constantine the Armenian, Carl Gotthard de Boor, however, his grandson. However, both explanations are unlikely to occur; ultimately the author remains unknown.

On behalf of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, he wrote an imperial history ( Basileiai ) of the 9th century (from 813-886 ), which was characterized by iconoclastic emperors. It begins with Leo V, the Armenian, and leads up to Basil I, the grandfather of Constantine VII and the founder of the Macedonian dynasty. The text is sometimes tendentious - some people are being transformed, others, especially Leon, in a negative light; yet the narrative as a whole is more objective than in Theophanes Continuatus. The sources including several lost works served. Genesios took as his portrayal of the ancient classics, although this style is not always succeeded.

John Skylitzes Genesios mentioned in the preface to his Synopsis Historion and criticizing his tendentious account of the history.

Translations

• Joseph Genesios: Byzantium on the eve of a new size. Byzantine historian 18 Translated, introduced and explained by Anni Lesmüller -Werner. Vienna 1989 ( German translation with introduction and notes ).
• Genesios: On the Reigns of the Emperors. Byzantina Australiensia 11 Translated and annotated by Anthony Kaldellis. Canberra, 1998 (English translation with introduction and notes ).