Zosimus

Zosimus
Zosimus
Biographical article providing an overview of Zosimus' contributions to Roman history

Catholic Encyclopedia. . 2006.

Zosimus
    Zosimus
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Zosimus
    Byzantine historian of the fifth and sixth century; dates of birth and death unknown. Nothing further is known of the circumstances of the life of this writer, to whom we owe a history of the era of the Roman empire up to 410, than that he was a lawyer connected with the treasury at Constantinople and was an upholder of Paganism. The era in which he lived is also uncertain. Formerly he was assigned to the first half of the fifth century, but now it is generally assumed that he was a contemporary of the Emperor Anastasius I (491-518). There are two chief reasons for this opinion. The later chronographer, Eustathius of Epiphania, who made use of the work of Zosimus, carries his history up to 503; consequently it is inferred that Zosimus must have lived at this period. More weight is attached to another argument drawn from the history of Zosimus itself; this work refers (II, xxxviii) to the suppression of the oppressive tax laid by Chrysargyron in the Byzantine Empire, and this tax was abolished in 501. Therefore the historian was still at work on his history shortly after 501. Perhaps he is identical with the Sophist Zosimus of Gaza, or Ascalon, mentioned by Suidas in his lexicon; opposed to this view, however, is the fact that Suidas mentions no historical work written by this Sophist. Zosimus is the author of a history of the Roman emperors ("Historia romana" or "Historia novae") in six books. It begins with Augustus, and sketches briefly the period up to 270 (I, i-xxxvi); from this date the work is more copious and detailed. It closes with the negotiations which preceded the conquest of Rome in 4`10. It is evident that the author intended to continue the history, and was prevented from carrying out his purpose by some circumstance, perhaps his death. The work is one of the chief authorities for Roman history of the fourth century, and individual statements concerning the preceding period are also of importance. The work does not lack sensible criticism, and shows the philosophical acuteness of the author. He was a heathen and devoted to the worship of the old Roman gods. He describes, in particular, the gradual decay of the Roman Empire, and attributes this to the fact the Romans had ceased to worship the ancient gods (II, vii). He also adhered to heathen superstitions, i.e. as the influence of the stars on man's life and pagan sooth-sayings. The last editions of the history were edited by Immanuel Becker, in "Corpus scriptorum historiae Byzantinae" (Bonn, 1837), and by Ludwig Mendelssohn (Leipzig, 1867).
    CHRIST, Gesch. der griechisten Literatur (4th ed.) in Handbuch der klass. Alterumswiss. (Munich, 1905); HOFLER, Kritische Bemerkungen uber den Zosimus in Sitzungsbericht der Wiener Akademie, Phil.-histor. Klasse (1879), 521-65; JEEP, Die Lebenzeit des Zosimus in Rheinisches Museum fur Philologie (1882), 425 sqq.; MENDELSSOHN, Ueber die Zeit wann Zosimus lebte, loc.cit. (1887), 525 sqq. ; RUHL, loc. cit. (1891), 146 sqq.; RANKE, Weltgeschichte, IV, pt. II (Leipzig, 1884), 264 sqq.
    J.P. KIRSCH
    Transcribed by Michael T. Barrett

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


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  • Zosimus — ( fl. 490s 510s) was a Byzantine historian, who lived in Constantinople during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I (491 518). According to Photius, he was a comes , and held the office of advocate of the imperial treasury. Historia… …   Wikipedia

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  • Zosimus — Zosimus,   Papst (417 418), ✝ Rom 26. 12. 418. Als Grieche mit seiner lateinischen Umgebung wenig vertraut, musste Zosimus, der als einer der frühen Vertreter des Primatsanspruchs versuchte, die päpstliche Jurisdiktionsgewalt in der Gesamtkirche… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Zosĭmus — Zosĭmus. I. Papst: 1) St. Z., Grieche von Geburt, 417–418 römischer Papst. Er suchte zuerst durch sein Auftreten gegen die afrikanischen u. gallischen Bischöfe, gegen jene in den Pelagianischen Streitigkeiten, gegen Letztere in dem Streit über… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Zosĭmus — Zosĭmus, 1) Sankt Z., Papst von 417–418, Grieche von Geburt, geriet mit den afrikanischen Bischöfen wegen der Pelagianischen Lehre in heftigen Streit; er starb im November oder Dezember 418. 2) (Zosimos) griechischer Historiker, schrieb zwischen… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Zosimus — Zosĭmus, Heiliger, Papst 417 418, Grieche, suchte zwischen dem Pelagianismus und Augustin zu vermitteln; Gedächtnistag 26. Dez …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Zosimus [2] — Zosĭmus, griech. Geschichtschreiber im 5. Jahrh. n. Chr.; seine »Neue Geschichte« des röm. Kaiserreichs in 6 Büchern bis 410 hg. von Mendelssohn (1887) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Zosimus — Zosimus, ein byzantinischer Historiker oder vielmehr gleich Olympiodor, Priscus u.a. ein Vorgänger derselben, lebte um 490 n. Chr. als Staatsbeamter in Konstantinopel; in seiner vom Kaiser Augustus bis 410 n. Chr. reichenden »Neuen Geschichte«… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Zosimus, St. — Zosimus, St., Papst 417–418; gleich seinem Vorgänger Innocenz I. ließ er sich einige Zeit von Pelagius u. Cälestius täuschen, aber das Concil von Karthago von 418, bei welchem Augustinus eine sehr thätige Rolle spielte, klärte den Papst über den… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Zosimus — Zosimos (latinisiert Zosimus) ist der Name folgender Personen: Zosimos, spätantiker Historiker um 500, der wahrscheinlich in Konstantinopel lebte Zosimos (Märtyrer), christlicher Märtyrer unter Trajan Dionysius von Augsburg, legendärer erster… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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