John the Lydian

John the Lydian or John Lydus (Latin: Joannes Laurentius Lydus; Greek: Ἰωάννης Λαυρέντιος ὁ Λυδός) was a 6th century Byzantine administrator and writer on antiquarian subjects. His works are of interest for specific data about classical events.

Contents 1 Life and career 2 Literary work 3 References 4 Editions and translations 5 External links

Life and career

He was born in 490 AD at Philadelphia in Lydia, whence his cognomen "Lydus". At an early age he set out to seek his fortune in Constantinople, and held high court and state offices in the praetorian prefecture of the East under Anastasius and Justinian. In 552 he lost favour, and was dismissed. The date of his death is not known, but he was probably alive during the early years of Justin II (reigned 565-578).

Literary work

During his retirement he occupied himself in the compilation of works on the antiquities of Rome, three of which have been preserved:

1. De Ostentis (Gr. Περὶ Διοσημείων), on the origin and progress of the art of divination
2. De Magistratibus reipublicae Romanae (Gr. Περὶ ἀρχῶν τῆς Ῥωμαίων πολιτείας), especially valuable for the administrative details of the time of Justinian [now dat. 550 by Michael Maas, John Lydus and the Roman Past (London-New York, 1992)]
3. De Mensibus (Gr. Περὶ τῶν μηνῶν), a history of the different festivals of the year.

The chief value of these books consists in the fact that the author made use of the works (now lost) of old Roman writers on similar subjects. Lydus was also commissioned by Justinian to compose a panegyric on the emperor, and a history of his campaign against Sassanid Persia; but these, as well as some poetical compositions, are lost.

There is an edition of De Ostentis by Curt Wachsmuth (1897), with full account of the authorities in the prolegomena.

There is an edition of De Magistratibus and De Mensibus by Richard Wünsch (1898–1903). See also the essay by CB Hase (the first editor of the De Ostentis) prefixed to I. Bekker's edition of Lydus (1837) in the Bonn Corpus scriptorum hist. Byzantinae

For De Magistratibus, Wünsch's edition has been superseded by Bandy's 1983 edition and translation.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Editions and translations

• John the Lydian, De Magistratibus. On the Magistracies of the Roman Constitution. Translated by T. F. Carney. December 1971, Coronado Press.
• On powers, or, The magistracies of the Roman state / Ioannes Lydus; introduction, critical text, translation, commentary, and indices by Anastasius C. Bandy. Series: Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, v. 149 ISSN: 0065-9738. Philadelphia : American Philosophical Society, 1983, c1982. Greek text, parallel English translation. Based on the Codex Caseolinus.
• Des magistratures de l'état romain. Jean le Lydien. Text, French translation and commentary by Michel Dubuisson, Jacques Schamp. Belles Lettres (2006)

External links

• Bonn corpus edition of the works of John Lydus (1837) with Latin translation at the bottom of each page.
• Greek Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Graeca with analytical indexes
• Teubner edition of De Mensibus (1898) by R. Wünsch.
• English translation of De Mensibus 4:158 (on December)

Persondata
Name	Lydus, Joannes Laurentius
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Date of birth	490
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Date of death
Place of death