Thomas Magister
Encyclopedia
Thomas, surnamed Magister (that is magistros), also known as a monk by the name Theodulos Monachos, a native of Thessalonica, Byzantine
scholar and grammarian and confidential adviser of Andronicus II Palaeologus (1282–1328).
His chief work, , is a collection of selected Attic words and phrases, partly arranged in alphabetical order, compiled as a help to Greek composition from the works of Phrynichus
, Ammonius
, Herodian
, and Moeris
. He also wrote scholia on Aeschylus
, Sophocles
, Euripides
(with a life), and three of the comedies of Aristophanes
; the scholia on Pindar
, attributed to him in two MSS., are now assigned to Demetrius Triclinius
. His speeches and letters consist partly of declamations on the usual sophistical themes, partly dealing with contemporary historical events: an argument between the fathers of Cynegirus and Callimachus
(two Athenians who fell at the Battle of Marathon
) as to which had the better claim to have the funeral oration pronounced over him first; Thomas is the writer of a mirror of prince addressed to Andronikos II Palaiologus; a defence of the Byzantine general Chandrenos addressed to the emperor; a letter on the cruelties of the Catalans
and Turk
s in Thessaly
and Macedonia
; a congratulatory letter to Theodore Metochites
; and a panegyric
on the king of Cyprus
.
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
scholar and grammarian and confidential adviser of Andronicus II Palaeologus (1282–1328).
His chief work, , is a collection of selected Attic words and phrases, partly arranged in alphabetical order, compiled as a help to Greek composition from the works of Phrynichus
Phrynichus Arabius
Phrynichus Arabius or Phrynichus of Bithynia was a Greek grammarian who flourished in 2nd century Bithynia, writing works on proper Attic usage...
, Ammonius
Ammonius Grammaticus
Ammonius Grammaticus is the supposed author of a treatise titled Peri homoíōn kai diaphórōn léxeōn , of whom nothing is known....
, Herodian
Herodian
Herodian or Herodianus of Syria was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus in eight books covering the years 180 to 238. His work is not entirely reliable although his relatively unbiased account of Elagabalus is...
, and Moeris
Aelius Moeris
Aelius Moeris, Greek grammarian, surnamed Atticista , probably flourished in the 2nd century.He was the author of an extant list of Attic forms and expressions, accompanied by the Hellenistic parallels of his own time, the differences of gender, accent, and meaning being clearly and succinctly...
. He also wrote scholia on Aeschylus
Aeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
, Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
, Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
(with a life), and three of the comedies of Aristophanes
Aristophanes
Aristophanes , son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete...
; the scholia on Pindar
Pindar
Pindar , was an Ancient Greek lyric poet. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian described him as "by far the greatest of the nine lyric poets, in virtue of his inspired magnificence, the beauty of his thoughts and figures, the rich...
, attributed to him in two MSS., are now assigned to Demetrius Triclinius
Demetrius Triclinius
In palaeography, Demetrius Triclinius , a native of Thessalonica, was a Byzantine scholar who edited and analyzed the metrical structure of many texts from ancient Greece, particularly those of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. He is often compared favorably with two contemporary annotators of...
. His speeches and letters consist partly of declamations on the usual sophistical themes, partly dealing with contemporary historical events: an argument between the fathers of Cynegirus and Callimachus
Callimachus (polemarch)
Callimachus was polemarch in Athens in 490 BC, and was one of the commanders at the Battle of Marathon.As polemarch, Callimachus had a vote in military affairs along with the 10 strategoi, the generals, such as Miltiades...
(two Athenians who fell at the Battle of Marathon
Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. It was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate...
) as to which had the better claim to have the funeral oration pronounced over him first; Thomas is the writer of a mirror of prince addressed to Andronikos II Palaiologus; a defence of the Byzantine general Chandrenos addressed to the emperor; a letter on the cruelties of the Catalans
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
and Turk
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
s in Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
and Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
; a congratulatory letter to Theodore Metochites
Theodore Metochites
Theodore Metochites was a Byzantine statesman, author, gentleman philosopher, and patron of the arts. From c. 1305 to 1328 he held the position of personal adviser to emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos.- Life :...
; and a panegyric
Panegyric
A panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...
on the king of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
See also
- Palaeologan Renaissance
- Byzantine scholars in Renaissance
- List of Macedonians (Greek)