The Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Text-Critical Edition and Digital Research Platform
Final Report Abstract
The Chronicle of John of Nikiu is a unique historiographical work and an essential source for historians studying Late Antiquity. It was composed by an Egyptian bishop named John in the seventh century in the city of Nikiu, located in the Nile Delta, around the period of Egypt's conquest by the Arabs. The text was most likely composed in Coptic and was later translated into Arabic. However, no physical traces remain of any of these versions. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Chronicle was translated into Ethiopic, which is the only surviving version of the work. The Chronicle provides an account of the decline of Roman rule and the conquest of Egypt by the Arabs, written by an eyewitness from the Egyptian side, seemingly with input from some otherwise unknown sources. It is therefore a unique historical document. As an indispensable source for the study of Egypt under Roman dominion and the Arab-Muslim conquest of Egypt, it also serves as a crucial witness to key events of the time. Furthermore, since the text draws on various sources, it represents an important indirect witness to other traditions, the most prominent of which is the Chronicle of John Malalas. The project has achieved several crucial milestones in the study of this complex and important historical document. First, a new critical edition, based on all available witnesses, has been prepared, along with an English translation. This translation is accompanied by a detailed philological commentary, an apparatus of parallel traditions, and a system of superscripts to help readers who are not familiar with Ethiopic recognize ambiguous Ethiopic terms. Additionally, a separate volume containing the English translation and historical commentaries by Phil Booth has been prepared for publication. The new edition and translation differ significantly from the publications by Hermann Zotenberg (1883) and Robert H. Charles (1916), which had served as standard reference works for decades. In addition to incorporating new witnesses, the new edition and translation avoid unnecessary emendations and aim to uncover the original voice of John of Nikiu. Beyond the new edition and translation, the project has made significant new findings regarding the history of the Chronicle’s transmission, including the hypothetical loss of one of its chapters, a detailed study of the circumstances surrounding its translation into Ethiopic, and its usage as a source for traditional Ethiopic commentaries. Furthermore, my commentaries offer insights into the process of cross-language and cross-cultural transmission of the text, as well as the Chronicle's relevance for the study of Late Antique literature in general. The edition also highlights new lexical items and grammatical features that are important for the study of the Ethiopian language.
Publications
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The Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Text-Critical Edition and Digital Research Platform. Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies Bulletin, 7 (2021), 241–245
Elagina, D.
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The Colophon of the Chronicle of John of Nikiu and Ethiopic ḥassāb. Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies Bulletin, 9/1–2 (2023), 59–66
Elagina, D.
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‘Overlevering door toeval: het verhaal van de Kroniek van Johannes van Nikiu’, Platform Oosters Christendom
Elagina, D.
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Editing and Translating a Historical Source: The Case of the Chronicle of John of Nikiu. Supplement to Aethiopica. International Journal of Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies, 49-74. Harrassowitz Verlag.
ELAGINA, DARIA
