John Cairns’s Reviews > The Chronicle of Theophanes: Anni mundi 6095-6305 (A.D. 602-813) > Status Update
John Cairns
is on page 86 of 226
Theophanes is the originator of the bio of Muhammad, the false prophet Jews thought might be the messiah except he ate camel so turned him against Xians. An orphan he hired himself out to a wealthy widow relative, 'secretly went to her', married and took over her property. She was upset at being married to an epileptic who said one faints speaking to Gabriel as prophets do. She 'believed' and to make it 'true'....
— Dec 18, 2015 08:16AM
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John Cairns
is on page 112 of 226
There are quite a few chuckles to be had: the king of the Franks 'reigned by virtue of his family but administered nothing and did nothing but senselessly eat and drink. They had hair growing down their backs like swine.' Of Constantine, emperor in 740, he says 'he was a totally destructive bloodsucking wild beast. He sided against our god and saviour, his altogether immaculate mother, deceived by wizardry.'
— Dec 29, 2015 04:05AM
John Cairns
is on page 68 of 226
He takes one through Herakleios' takeover of the empire from the usurper and his recovery of it from the Sassanians, so badly beaten their kings lack authority and their empire falls easily to the Arabs. Herakleios depended on faith, money from the church but came up against Islam which had a stronger faith., Also he was older. The reduced empire did survive, however, and saved Europe from becoming Muslim.
— Dec 14, 2015 03:35AM
John Cairns
is starting
That is I've read the introduction and list of rulers and popes. It clarifies the difference between historians and chroniclers, basically the histories were written in ancient Attic no one read and the chronicles in the Greek of the time people could read. He covers a period when the empire was in continual war against the Arabs, saving Europe from becoming Muslim, as no one else does. His AD dates are all wrong
— Dec 07, 2015 03:56AM
