1. ACOMINATUS (Ἀκομινάτος),
also called CHONIATES, because he was a native of Chonae, formerly
Colossae, in Phrygia, one of the most important Byzantine historians, was born about the
middle of the twelfth century, and was descended from a noble and distinguished family. The
emperor Isaac II. Angelus (1185-1195) appointed him governor of Philippopolis, at a period
when the revolt of the Bulgarians, and the approach of the emperor Frederic I. of Germany,
with an army of 150,000 men (1189), devolved most important duties upon the governors of the
large towns in Thrace. Nicetas also held the offices of logotheta, praefectus sacri cubiculi,
and others of importance, and he was honoured with the title of senator. He was
present at the capture of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204, of which he has given us a
most impressive and, undoubtedly, faithful description. His palace was burnt down during the
storm, and after many dangerous adventures he escaped, with his family, to Nicaea, through the
assistance of a generous Venetian merchant. There he continued to live at the court of the
emperor Theodore Lascaris, and employed his time in writing that great historical work which
has brought his name down to posterity. He died at Nicaea in, or perhaps after 1216. Modern
travellers have tried, but in vain, to discover his tomb.
Works
HistoriaThe
Historia is a corollary of ten distinct works, each of
which contains one or more books, of which there are twenty-one, giving the history of the
emperors from 1118 down to 1206: viz. Joannes Comnenus (1118-1143), in one book; Manuel
Comnenus (1143-1180), in seven books; Alexis Comnenus (1180-1183), in one book; Andronicus
Comnenus (1183-1185) in two books; Isaac Angelus (1185-1195), in three books; Alexis Angelus
(1195-1203), in three books; Isaac Angelus and his son Alexis (1203-1204), in one book;
Alexis Ducas Murzuplus (1204), in one book; Urbs Capta, or the events during and immediately
after the taking of Constantinople (1204), in one book; Baldwin of Flanders (1204-1206), in
one book.
The mode of quoting this historical work is thus: Nicetas, Isaac
Angelus, 1.3; Urbs Capta, 100.1; Andron.
Comnen. 2.5, &c.
Editions
Ed. princeps, by H. Wolf, with a Latin version, Basel, 1557, fol.;
reprinted, with an index and a chronology by Simon Goulartius, Geneva, 1593,
4to; by Fabrot, with a most valuable Glossarium Graeco-barbarum, and a
revised translation, notes, &c., Paris, 1647, fol. in the Paris collection of
the Byzantines; the same badly reprinted, Venice, 1729, fol. The last edition
is in the Bonn collection of the Byzantines, edited by J. Bekker, 1835.
Conquest of Constantinople ascribed to Nicetas
A Greek MS. in the Bodleian, divided into two books, and giving an account of the conquest
of Constantinople, with special regard to the statues destroyed by the Latins, is ascribed
to Nicetas, but it seems to have been altered by a later writer, who made additions. The
account of the statues, which is of great interest, is given by Fabricius quoted below, and
critical investigations concerning this MS. are given by Harris, in his
Philological Enquiries (part 3.100.5). The work itself has been published by
Wilken, under the title of
Nicetae Narratio de Statuis antiquis, quas
Franci, post captam anno 1204
Constantinopolin destruxerunt,
Lips 1830. The four splendid brass horses at Venice were taken by the Venetians during the
plunder of Constantinople in 1204, and fortunately escaped the barbarous avarice of the
Latin soldiery. We cannot wonder at seeing Nicetas deeply incensed against the conquerors;
but though very partial in his expressions, he is generally impartial as to facts. His style
is bombastic, yet some portions of his work are most expressive and even beautiful. The
History of Nicetas, as far as it treats the conquest of Constantinople,
ought not to be studied without comparing it with Villehardouin's
De la
Conqueste de Constantinoble, and Paolo Ramusio's elegant work,
De
Bello Constantinopolitano, &c., Venice, 1635, fol
Θησαυρὸς ὀρθοδοξίαςNicetas also wrote: Θησαυρὸς ὀρθοδοξίας, in
twenty-seven books.
Editions
The first five of these books were translated into Latin by P. Morel (Morellus),
Paris, 1561, 8vo., 1579, 1610; Geneva, 1629. They are also in the 12th vol.
of the Bibl. Patr. Colon. But the whole is as yet unpublished.
The complete work is extant in MS. in the Royal Library at Paris; and there is another,
but somewhat abridged copy in the Bodleian.
Other Works
Some minor productions of Nicetas, among which a fragment on the ceremonies observed when
a Mohammedan adopted the Christian religion, are extant in different libraries in Europe.
Michael Choniates, the elder brother of Nicetas, wrote Μονοδία, being the life of Nicetas in bombastic verses, translated into
Latin, and published by P. Morel, Paris, 1566, 8vo.; and also in the 25th vol.
of the Bibl. Patr. Lugdun.
Further Information
Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. vii. p. 737, &c.; Hankius, Script. Byzant.; Leo Allatius, De Nicetis; Hamberger,
Nachrichien von gelehrten Männern; Harris, l.c.