Agathias - Agathias (English spelling)

Byzantine poet and historian. Born in Myrina in Asia Minor. His father was a rhetorician, and he studied law and then became a lawyer (hence his alias Scholasticus). His collection of love poems in verse, Daphniaka (9 volumes), no longer exists. His collection of aphorisms (7 volumes), a collection of his own and his contemporaries' aphorisms, remains, and over 100 of his works are included in the Anthologia Palatina . His work On the Reign of Justinian (commonly known as the Histories, 5 volumes), was left unfinished, but it covers the period 552-558 and mainly describes the Gothic and Persian campaigns. It can be said that he imitates Procopius in both material and style, but falls short. However, as a historical source, it is indispensable for understanding the actual situation in the mid-6th century. He died in Constantinople.

[Hiroshi Wada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ビザンティンの詩人、歴史家。小アジアのミリナ生まれ。修辞学者の父をもち、法学を修めたのち弁護士（ここから彼の別名スコラスティコス）となる。韻文による恋愛詩集『ダフニアカ』（9巻）は現存しない。自作と同時代人の警句を集めた『新警句全集』（7巻）は残り、そのなかの彼の作品が100余り『パラティン詞華集』Anthologia Palatinaに収められた。『ユスティニアヌス帝の治世について』（通称『歴史』5巻）は未完に終わったが、552～558年を扱い、主としてゴート戦役とペルシア戦役を描いている。素材も文体もプロコピオスをまねるが及ばないといえる。しかし、歴史史料として6世紀なかばの実情を知るうえで欠かすことができない。コンスタンティノポリスで没す。

［和田　廣］

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