LYDUS (" THE LYDIAN "), JOANNES

See also:

• LAURENTIUS, PAUL (1554-1624)

LAURENTIUS  , Byzantine writer on antiquarian subjects, was born at Philadelphia in Lydia about A.D . 490 . At an early age he set out to seek his fortune in Constantinople, and held high court and state offices under Anastasius and Justinian . In 552 he lost favour, and was dismissed . The date of his death is not known, but he was probably alive during the early years of Justin II . (reigned 565-578) . During his retirement he occupied himself in the compilation of works on the antiquities of Rome, three of which have been preserved: (I) De Ostentis (llepl Sioa peiWV), on the origin and progress of the art of divination; (2) Dc Magistratibus reipublicae Romanae (IIepi apxCw Tfls `Pwpatwv sroXeretas), especially valuable for the administrative details of the time of Justinian; (3) De Mensibus (Ilepi /anv&w), a history of the different festivals of the year . The chief value of these books consists in the fact that the author made use of the works (now lost) of old Roman writers on similar subjects . Lydus was also commissioned by Justinian to compose a panegyric on the emperor, and a history of his successful campaign against Persia; but these, as well as some poetical compositions, are lost . Editions of (I) by C . Wachsmuth (1897), with full account of the authorities in the prolegomena; of (2) and (3) by R . Wunsch (1898-1903) ; see also the essay by C .

B .

Hase (the first editor of the De Ostentis) prefixed to I . Bekker's edition of Lydus (1837) in the Bonn Corpus scriptorum hist . Byzantinae .