Nonnosos

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Nonnosus (lat. Nonnosus ; 6th century ) was a late antique east Roman diplomat and historian .

Nonnosus' father Abramius (or Abrames) had already been active as an envoy in Arabia in 523; he himself was then sent in 530 by Emperor Justinian (527 to 565) as an envoy to southern Arabia and to the Negus of Aksum in what is now Ethiopia in order to negotiate an alliance with him. The Christian empire Aksum had become attractive to the Romans as an ally, as they fought bitter battles with the Persian Sassanids and hoped that the Negus could intervene in Arabia.

Nonnosos himself wrote an ancient Greek report about his mission, but it was completely lost. Johannes Malalas seems to have known and used the text. In the 9th century it was also before the Patriarch Photios I , who prepared a preserved summary ( library , Codex 3). This can be seen that Nonnosos described, among other things, the court of Aksum, elephants , pygmies and the ancient Arab and East African religion.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Nonnosos
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nonnosus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Late antique Eastern Roman diplomat and historian
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century or 6th century
DATE OF DEATH 6th century or 7th century