Hesychius of Miletus

Hesychius of Miletus was a late antique historian who lived in the 6th century.

Hesychius came from Miletus in Asia Minor, his father was also named Hesychius, his mother Philosophia. It is unclear whether Hesychius was a Christian or not; in research both assumptions are to be found. Hesychius, who bore the title of high rank vir illustris and therefore belonged to the senatorial elite Empire was the Eastern Empire, literary quite active; his three works were written in ancient Greek language and are preserved only in fragments.

Hesychius described in his world history (the title is specified by the Middle Byzantine encyclopedia Suda and the Byzantine scholar Photius different) in six sections, the time of the legendary Assyrian king Belus to the death of the Emperor Anastasius ( 518). The first book ended with the fall of Troy, the second with the founding of Rome. From the third book, Hesychius seems to have focused on the Roman history. So book describing three Roman monarchy, Book 4, the period of the Republic to Gaius Julius Caesar, Book 5, the imperial period until the establishment of Constantinople Opel 330 and book 6, finally, the time of Constantine to Anastasius. The representation must have been very scarce. Photios, the templates the works of Hesychius still noticed that Diodorus was in much greater detail, but praised the style of Hesychius.

Hesychius also wrote a classical contemporary historical work, which included the reign of Emperor Justin and the first years of Justinian, but is known to us only through excerpts in Photius. After his statement, it was rather short, but elegant drafted. Finally, Hesychius wrote a rich and important literary -historical lexicon ( Onomatologos ) containing biographies of Greek writers and was ordered by literary genres. It was later shortened and rewritten by an editor. In the Suda Heychios was probably often used as a source, but probably in the form of an epitome. However, any Hesychius as a source for the lost chronicle of Helikonios of Byzantium.

The historical fragments are collected in The fragments of Greek historians (No. 390 ) or in Brill 's New Jacoby ( there with English translation and commentary by Anthony Kaldellis ).