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== Editions ==
== Editions ==
* ''[[Editio princeps]]'' (in Greek): [[David Hoeschel]], Augsburg, 1601. Modern critical edition by R. Henry.
* ''[[Editio princeps]]'' (in Greek): [[David Hoeschel]], Augsburg, 1601. Modern critical edition by R. Henry.
== Contents ==

== Contents ==
== Contents ==


Revision as of 05:00, 4 September 2021

Not to be confused with Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus).
Cover of Bibliotheca

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 – c.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

Contents

Author Tile Religion Extant Lost
Theodore the Presbyter On the Genuineness of the works of Dionysius the Areopagite Christian X
Hadrian the monk Instroduction to the Scriptures Christian X
Nonnosus History Christian X
Theodore of Mopsuestia For Basil Against Eunomius Christian X
Gregory of Nyssa For Basil Against Eunomius 1 Christian X
Gregory of Nyssa For Basil Against Eunomius 2 Christian X
Origen De Principiis Christian X
Eusebius Praeparatio Evangelica Christian X
Eusebius Demonstratio Evangelica Christian X
Eusebius Praeparatio Ecclesiastica Christian X
Eusebius Demonstratio Ecclesiastica Christian X
Eusebius Refutation and defence Christian X
Apollinarius Against the Heathen Christian X
Apollinarius On Piety Christian X
Apollinarius On Truth Christian X
Gelasius of Cyzicus Acts of the First Council – Nicaea Christian X
Various Acts of the Third Council – Ephesus Christian X
Various Acts of the Fourth Council – Chalcedon Christian X
Various Acts of the Fifth Council – Constantinople Christian X
Various Acts of the Sixth Council – Constantinople II Christian X
Various Acts of the Seventh Council – Nicaea II Christian X
John Philoponus On the Resurrection Christian X
Theodosius the Monk Refutation of John Philoponus Christian X
Conon Refutation of John Philoponus Christian X
Eugenius Refutation of John Philoponus Christian X
Themistius Refutation of John Philoponus Christian X
Anonymous Acts of a disputation between Tritheites and Hesitators Christian X
John Chrysostom Notes on Death Christian X
John Chrysostom Homilies on the Ascension Christian X
John Chrysostom Homilies on Pentecost Christian X
Synesius of Cyrene On Providence Christian X
Synesius of Cyrene On the Kingdom Christian X
Eusebius Ecclesiastical History Christian X
Socrates Ecclesiastical History Christian X
Evagrius Scholasticus Ecclesiastical History Christian X
Sozomen Ecclesiastical History Christian X
Theodoret Ecclesiastical History Christian X
Athanasius Letters Christian X
Justus of Tiberias Chronicle of the Kings of the Jews Jewish X
Julius Africanus Chronography Christian X
Philip of Side Christian History Christian X
Cosmas Indicopleustes Christian Topography Christian X
Anonymous On Government Christian X
Theodore of Mopsuestia Commentary on Genesis Christian X
Eusebius Against Hierocles Christian X
Philostorgius Ecclesiastical History Christian X
John of Aegae Ecclesiastical History Christian X
Basil the Cicilian Ecclesiastical History Christian X
John Philoponus On the Hexaemeron Christian X
Philostratus Life of Apollonius of Tyana Pagan X
Andronicianus Against the Eunomians Christian X
Theodoret Against Heresies Christian X
Theodoret Eranistes Christian X
Theodoret Polymorphos Christian X
Flavius Josephus Jewish War Jewish X
Hippolytus On the Universe Christian X
Cyril of Alexandria Against Nestorius Christian X
Nicias the Monk Against the Seven Chapters of Philoponus Christian X
Hesychius On the Brazen Serpent Christian X
Anonymous Acts of the synod of Side, 383, against the Messalians Christian X
Anonymous Acts of the synod of Carthage, 412 or 411, against the Pelagians Christian X
Various Copy of the Proceedings taken against the Doctrines of Nestorius Christian X
John Philoponus Against the Fourth Council Christian X
Theodoret of Cyrrhus Against Heresies Christian X
Appian Roman History Pagan X
Arrian Parthica Pagan X
Various Acts of the Synod of the Oak, 403 Christian X
Herodotus History Pagan X
Aeschines Against Timarchus Pagan X
Aeschines On the False Embassy Pagan X
Aeschines Against Ctesiphon Pagan X
Praxagoras of Athens History of Constantine the Great Pagan X
Praxagoras of Athens The Kings of Athens Pagan X
Praxagoras of Athens Alexander King of Macedon Pagan X
Procopius History Christian X
Theophanes of Byzantium History Christian X
Theophylact Simocatta Histories Christian X
Nicephorus Historical Epitome Christian X
Sergius the Confessor History Christian X
Cephalion Historical Epitome Pagan X
Hesychius Illustrius History Christian X
Hesychius Illustrius On Justin Christian X
Diodorus Siculus Historical Library Pagan X
Cassius Dio History Pagan X
Ctesias Persica Pagan X
Ctesias History of India Pagan X
Heliodorus Aethiopica Pagan X
Themistius Political Orations Pagan X
Lesbonax Speeches Pagan X
John Philoponus On the Trinity against John Scholasticus Christian X
Josephus Antiquities of the Jews Jewish X
Eunapius Chronicle Pagan X
Malchus Byzantine History Pagan X
Candidus History Christian X
Olympiodorus Histories Pagan X
Theodore of Mopsuestia On Persian Magic Christian X
Dexippus History Pagan X
Dexippus Historical Epitome Pagan X
Dexippus Scythia Pagan X
Dionysius of Halicarnassus Histories Pagan X
Dionysius of Halicarnassus Synopsis Pagan X
Heraclian Against the Manichaeans Christian X
John Chrysostom Letters Christian X
Achilles Tatius Adventures of Clitophon and Leucippe Pagan X
Gelasius of Cyzicus Proceedings of the Synod of Nicaea Christian X
Gelasius of Caesarea Continuation of the History of Eusebius Pamphili Christian X
Libanius Various works Pagan X
Arrian History of the Reign of Alexander Pagan X
Arrian Continuation Pagan X
Arrian Bithynica Pagan X
Iamblichus Dramaticon Pagan X
John Scythopolita Against Schismatics Christian X
John Scythopolita Against Eutyches and Dioscorus Christian X
George of Alexandria Life of St. Chrysostom Christian X
Phlegon of Tralles Collection of Chronicles and List of Olympian Victors Pagan X
Zosimus New History Pagan X
Herodian History Pagan X
The Emperor Hadrian Declamations Pagan X
Victorinus Panegyrics on the Emperor Zeno Christian X
Gelasius of Caesarea Against the Anomoeans Christian X
Philo Judaeus Allegories of the Sacred Laws Jewish X
Philo Judaeus On the Civil Life Jewish X
Philo Judaeus Against Flaccus Jewish X
Philo Judaeus Against Gaius Jewish X
Philo Judaeus On the Essenes and Therapeutae Jewish X
Theognostus of Alexandria Outlines Christian X
Basil of Cicilia Against John Scythopolita Christian X
Theodore of Alexandria Against Themistius Christian X
Clement of Alexandria Outlines Christian X
Clement of Alexandria The Tutor Christian X
Clement of Alexandria The Miscellanies Christian X
Clement of Rome Apostolic Constitutions and Recognitions Christian X
Lucius of Charinus Circuits of the Apostles Christian X
Anonymous Against the Quartodecimans Christian X
Metrodorus On the date of Easter Christian X
Anonymous A Third Volume on the Holy Easter Feast Christian X
Anonymous In Defense of Origen Christian X
Pamphilus & Eusebius Defense of Origen Christian X
Pierius Homilies Christian X
Irenaeus Adversus Haereses Christian X
Hippolytus Against Heresies Christian X
Epiphanius Panarion Christian X
Epiphanius Ancoratus Christian X
Epiphanius On Weights and Measures Christian X
Justin Martyr Apology Christian X
Clement of Rome Letters to the Corinthians Christian X
Polycarp Letter to the Philippians Christian X
Eusebius Life of Constantine Christian X
Lucian Dialogues Pagan X
Lucius of Patrae Metamorphoses Pagan X
Damascius Incredible Stories Pagan X
Amyntianus On Alexander Pagan X
Palladius et.al. Declamations Pagan X
Cyril of Alexandria Thesauri Christian X
Eunomius of Cyzicus Apology Christian X
Eunomius of Cyzicus Against Basil Christian X
Eunomius of Cyzicus Letters Christian X
Athanasius Commentary on Ecclesiastes Christian X
Athanasius Commentary on the Song of Songs Christian X

See also

References

  1. ^ Jenkins, Romilly J. H. (1963). "The Hellenistic Origins of Byzantine Literature". Dumbarton Oaks Papers. 17. JSTOR: 47. doi:10.2307/1291189. ISSN 0070-7546.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Jokisch, Islamic Imperial Law (2007), pp. 364–386)
  5. ^ 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.)
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ Dmitri Gutas, Greek thought, Arab Culture, 1998, 186.

External links

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