Nic
9. Patriarcha, the son of Theodorus, the notary or chief secretary of state to the emperor Constantine V. Copronynmus, was born in 758, held the office of notarius to the emperor Constantine VI. (780-797), and was present at the second council of Nicaea, in 787, where he defended the images, for which his father had been twice sent into exile. Disgusted with the court intrigues he retired into a convent, and in 806 was raised to the patriarchate, after the death of the patriarch Tarasius. In 814 he strenuously opposed the emperor Leo Arnienus when this prince issued his famous edict against the images. Leo, being unable to bend the stern mind of this patriarch, deposed him in 815, whereupon Nicephorus retired into the convent of St. Theodore, on one of the islands of thie Propontis. There he died on the 2nd of June, 828. He is sometimes called Homologreta or Confessor, on account of his firm opposition to the iconoclasts and his ensuing deposition. Works
Nicephorus is highly esteemed as the author of several important works, which are distinguished for their intrinsic value as much as for the style in which they are written. He wrote better than any of his contemporaries; he possessed the rare art of never saying a word too much, nor does he repeat himself, and he persuades equally through nature and art. His principal works are: 1. Κωνσταντινονπόλεως Ἱστορια σύντομος (Breviarium Historicum)
Κωνσταντινονπόλεως Ἱστορια σύντομος Breviarium Historicum, commonly called Breviarium, one of the best works of the Byzantine period. It begins with the murder of the emperor Mauricius in 602, and is carried down to the marriage of the emperor Leo IV. and Irene, in 770. Editions
Editio princeps by D. Petavius, with a Latin version and notes, Paris, 1616, 8vo., together with a fragment of Nicephorus Gregoras, the History of Georgius Pachymeres, &c. Other editions, Paris, 1648, fol., with Theophylactus; Venice, 1729. Translations
There are two French translations, one by Monterole, Paris, 1618, 8vo., and the other by Morel, ib. 1634, 12mo. 2. Chronologia Compendiaria s. Tripartita,
Chronologia Compendiaria s. Tripartita, from Adam down to the time of the author. As early as about 872 this work was translated into Latin by Anastasius Bibliothecarius. Editon
The Anastasius Latin version is contained in the Fabrot edition of the Ecclesiastical History of Anastasius, Paris, 1649, fol. It is also in most of the Biblioth. Patrum, and was published separately by Anton. Contius, Paris, 1573, 4to. J. Camerarius made another translation, which was published together with his Commentarii, &c. de Synod. Nicaean., Basel, 1561, fol. often reprinted. Further, the Greek text by Jos. Scaliger, in his Thesaurus Temporumn, Leiden, 1606, fol. Greek and Latin by J. Goarius, ad calcem Chron. Eusebii. Paris, 1652, fol. Venice, 1729, fol. 3. *)Antirrhtikw=n *Lo/goi
*)Antirrhtikw=n *Lo/goi III., of which the first, Adversus Mammonam (id est, Constantine Copronymus) et Iconomachos Editions
This was published by Canisius, in the fourth vol. of his Antiq. Lection., and in most of the Biblioth. Pair.; ample fragments of the Antirrhetica are in Combéfis, Bibl. Auctuar. Paris, 1648. fol. 4. *Stixometri/a
*Stixometri/a, s. Indiculus Libr. Sacror. Editions
The text with a translation by Anastasius Bibliothecarius, in Petri Pithoei Opera Posthuma, Paris, 1609, 4to.; also by Pearson, in his Critic. Sacr. Pearson, in Vindicia Ignatii, thinks that the Stichometria was written by somebody who lived before our Nicephorus. 5. Confessio Fidei ad Leonem III. Papam ;
Confessio Fidei ad Leonem III. Papam ; Editions
A Latin version in Baronius, Annales, ad an. 811; Greek and Latin, in Acta Synod. Ephes. Heidelberg, 1591, fol., together with Zonaras, Paris, 1620, and elsewhere. 6. Canones Breviculi XVII.,
Canones Breviculi XVII., Editions
Greek and Latin, in the third book of Leunclavius, Jus Graec. Rom., also in the second book of Bonfinius, Jus Orientale, 1583, 8vo. 7. Canones (alii) XXXVII.,
Canones (alii) XXXVII., Greek and Latin, in the third vol. of Cotelerius, Monument. Ecclesiae Graec. 8. Epistola continens XVII Interrogationes de Re Canonica cum Responsionibus,
Epistola continens XVII Interrogationes de Re Canonica cum Responsionibus, ibid. Editions
Bandurius intended to publish all the works of Nicephorus, and after completing all preparatory labours and making his work fit for the press, he published a "Conspectus," Paris, 1705, 8vo. Death prevented him from bringing out this edition of Nicephorus, which, according to the best knowledge of the writer of this article, is still in MS. in Paris: its publication is a great desideratum. The Elenchus Operum Nicephori given by Fabricius (vol. vii. p. 612, &c.) is taken from the " Conspectus," and we refer those students to it who wish to form an adequate idea of the number and importance of the works of Nicephorus. Further Information
Cave, Hist. Lit. ad an. 806; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. vii. p. 462, &100.603, &100.612, &c.; Hankius, Script. Byzant.