George Pachymeres

Georgios Pachymeres

Georgius Pachymeres (Greek: Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης) (1242 – c. 1310), a Byzantine Greek historian, philosopher and miscellaneous writer, was born at Nicaea, in Bithynia, where his father had taken refuge after the capture of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204. Upon the recovery of The City from the Latin Empire by Michael VIII Palaeologus, Pachymeres settled in Constantinople, studied law, entered the church, and subsequently became chief advocate of the church and chief justice of the imperial court.

His literary activity was considerable, his most important work being a Byzantine history in thirteen books, in continuation of that of George Acropolites from 1261 (or rather 1255) to 1308, containing the history of the reigns of Michael and Andronicus II Palaeologus. Pachymeres was also the author of rhetorical exercises on philosophical themes; of a Quadrivium (arithmetic, music, geometry, astronomy), valuable for the history of music and astronomy in the Middle Ages; a general sketch of Aristotelian philosophy; a paraphrase of the speeches and letters of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite; poems, including an autobiography; and a description of the square of the Augustaeum, and the column erected by Justinian in the church of Hagia Sophia to commemorate his victories over the Persians.

The History was first published in print by I. Bekker (1835) in the Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae; also by J. P. Migne, in Patrologia Graeca (vol. cxliii, cxliv); for editions of the minor works see Karl Krumbacher, Geschichte der byzantinischen Litteratur (1897). A more recent edition with French translation of the 'History' by Faiiler and Laurent was published in 1984. An English translation of Books I and II (up to the recovery of Constantinople in 1261), with commentary, exists in the form of a Ph.D. thesis (author Nathan Cassidy) held in the Reid Library of the University of Western Australia.

Notes

References

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Λαμπάκης, Στυλιανός, Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης. Πρωτέκδικος και Δικαιοφύλαξ. Εισαγωγικό Δοκίμιο (Αθήνα: ΙΒΕ/ΕΙΕ, 2004) (Κέντρο Βυζαντινών Ερευνών: Μονογραφίες, 5).
Golitsis, Pantélis, "Georges Pachymère comme didascale. Essai pour une reconstruction de sa carrière et de son enseignement philosophique," Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik, 58 (2008),
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Pachymeres, Georgius". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

External links

Byzantine historians

5th century	Malchus Panodorus of Alexandria Priscus

6th century	Agathias Evagrius Scholasticus Hesychius of Miletus John of Ephesus John of Epiphania Jordanes John Malalas Liberatus of Carthage Marcellinus Comes Menander Protector Peter the Patrician Procopius Theodorus Lector Theophanes of Byzantium Zacharias Rhetor Zosimus

7th century	Trajan the Patrician Theophylact Simocatta John of Antioch

8th century	Hippolytus of Thebes

9th century	Theophanes the Confessor George Syncellus Nikephoros I of Constantinople George Hamartolos

10th century	Constantine VII Joseph Genesius John Kaminiates Leo the Deacon Symeon the Metaphrast Theophanes Continuatus

11th century	Michael Attaleiates George Kedrenos Michael Psellos John Skylitzes John Xiphilinus Yahya of Antioch

12th century	Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger Niketas Choniates Eustathius of Thessalonica Michael Glycas Anna Komnene John Kinnamos Constantine Manasses John Zonaras

13th century	George Akropolites

14th century	Nicephorus Gregoras Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos George Pachymeres Michael Panaretos

15th century	John Anagnostes John Cananus Laonikos Chalkokondyles Michael Critobulus Doukas George Sphrantzes

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 39429158 LCCN: n85112085 ISNI: 0000 0001 0889 6751 GND: 100383203 SUDOC: 030958032 BNF: cb122270346 (data)

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