This is the first complete translation into English (or any other modern language) of the Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor (d. 818), which covers the period AD 284-813 and is one of the most important sources of Byzantine history, that of the Arabs under the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties and of other neighbouring peoples (notably the Bulgarians). The Chronicle is a compilation of earlier sources, many of them now lost: in order to use it critically the historian needs to know what texts Theophanes had in front of him and how he handled them. These have consequently been indicated in the text in so far as they can be identified. Full annotation has also been provided on points of historical and topographical interest. The career of Theophanes, the character of the Chronicle, its manuscript tradition, and the use of earlier sources are discussed in the Introduction.
Theophanes the Confessor (d.818) was a Byzantine abbot who fell victim to the Iconoclastic persecution.The Chronicle that goes under his name, written in Greek, is here translated in full for the first time, together with an introduction and commentary. It provides a unique source for the history of the Byzantine Empire to AD 813, as well as the history of the Persians, Arabs, Bulgarians, and other neighboring peoples.
