LeoDIACONUS13. DIACONUS or the DEACON, a Byzantine
historian of the tenth century. What little is known of his personal history is to be gleaned
from incidental notices in his principal work, and has been collected by C. B. Hose in the Praefatio to his edition of Leo. Leo was born at Caloe, a town of Asia,
beautifully situated on the side or at the foot of Mount Tmolus, near the sources of the
Cäystrus, in Asia Minor. He was the son of Basilius, but his father's condition or
calling is not known. (Leo Diac. Historiae, 1.1.) The young Leo was at
Constantinople, pursuing his studies, A. D. 966, when he was an
admiring spectator of the firmness of the emperor, Nicephorus II. Phocas, in the midst of a
popular tumult (4.7.) As he describes himself as a youth (μειρόκιον) at the time of this incident, Hase places his birth in or about A. D. 950. He was in Asia about the time of the deposition of Basilius I.,
patriarch of Constantinople, and the election of his successor Antonius III., A. D. 973 or 974, and relates that at that time he frequently saw two
Cappadocians, twins, of thirty years old, whose bodies were united from the armpits to the
flanks (10.3). Having been ordained deacon, he accompanied the emperor Basilius II. in his
unfortunate campaign against the Bulgarians, A. D. 981; and when the
emperor raised the siege of Tralitza or Triaditza (the ancient Sardica), Leo narrowly escaped
death or captivity in the headlong flight of his countrymen (10.8). Of his history after this
nothing is known; but Hase observes that he must have written his history after A. D. 989, as he adverts to the rebellion and death of Phocas Bardas
(10.9), which occurred in that year. Both this event and the Bulgarian campaign are noticed by
him by anticipation, in a digression respecting the evils which he supposed were portended by
a comet which appeared just before the death of Joannes I. Tzimisces. He must have lived later
than Hase has remarked, and at least till A. D. 993, as he notices
(10.10) that the emperor Basilius II. restored "in six years" the cupola of the great church
(St. Sophia) at Constantinople which had been overthrown by the earthquake (comp. Cedren. Compend. vol. ii. p. 438, ed. Bonn) of A. D.
987.
Works
The works of Leo Diaconus comprehend 1. Ἱστορία Βιβλίοις ύ, Historia Libris decem2. Oratio ad Basilium Imperatorem3. (unless it be the work of another Leo Diaconus) Homilia in
Michaelem Archangelum The two last are extant only in MS.
Ἱστορία Βιβλίοις ύ,
Historia Libris decemThe history of Leo includes the period from the Cretan expedition of Nicephorus Phocas, in
the reign of the emperor Romanus II., A. D. 959, to the death of
Joannes I. Tzimisces, A. D. 975. It relates the victories of the
emperors Nicephorus and Tzimisces over the Mohammedans in Cilicia and Syria, and the
recovery of those countries, or the greater part of them, to the Byzantine empire ; and the
wars of the same emperors with the Bulgarians and Russians. The style of Leo is described by
Hase as vicious : he employs unusual and inappropriate words (many of them borrowed from Homer, Agathias, the historian, and the Septuagint), in the place of simple
and common ones; and abounds in tautological phrases. His knowledge of geography and ancient
history is slight; but with these defects his history is a valuable contemporary record of a
stirring time, honestly and fearlessly written. Scylitzes, and through him Cedrenus, are
much indebted to Leo; and Hase considers Zonaras also to have used his work.
Editions
The
Historia was first published, at the cost of count Nicolas Romanzof,
chancellor of Russia, by
Car. Bened. Hase, Paris, 1818. Combéfis had
intended to publish it in the Parisian edition of the
Corpus Historiae
Byzantinae with the
Historia of Michael Psellus, but was prevented by
death, A. D. 1679.
The Latin version which he had prepared was communicated by
Montfaucon to Pagi, who inserted some portions in his Critice in
Baronium (ad ann. 960, No. ix). The papers of Combéfis were, many
years after, committed to Michael Le Quien, that he might publish an edition of Psellus and
Leo, and part of the latter author's work was actually printed; but the breaking out of the
war of the succession (
A. D. 1702) prevented its completion, and
Hase could find no trace of the part printed. In the disorders of the French revolution the
papers of Combéfis were finally lost or destroyed. Hase in his edition added a Latin
version and notes to the text of Leo, and illustrated it by engravings from ancient gems.
His edition is, however, scarce and dear, the greater part of the copies having been lost
by shipwreck; but
his text, preface, version, and notes (not the engravings), have
been reprinted in the Bonn edition of the Corpus Historiae Byzantinae. 8vo.
1828. Further Information
Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. vii. p. 684, note 1; Cave, Hist. Litt. vol. ii. p. 106; Hase, Praefatio ad Leon. Diacon.
Historiam.