'Joannes Xiphilinus', '' of
Dio Cassius, lived at
Constantinople during the latter half of the
11th century AD. He was a monk and the nephew of
Patriarch John VIII of Constantinople, a well-known preacher (
Migne, ''
Patrologia Graeca'', cxx.).
The ''epitome'' of Dio was prepared by order of
Michael Parapinaces (
1071-
1078), but is unfortunately incomplete. It comprises books 36-80, the period included being from the times of
Pompey and
Caesar down to
Alexander Severus. In book 70 the reign of
Antoninus Pius and the early years of
Marcus Aurelius appear to have been missing in his copy, while in books 78 and 79 a mutilated original must have been used. Xiphilinus divided the work into sections, each containing the life of an emperor. He omitted the name of the
consuls and sometimes altered or emended the original. The ''epitome'' is valuable as preserving the chief incidents of the period for which the authority of Dio is wanting.
See
H Reimar's edition of ''Dio Cassius'', ii.; J Melber's
Dio in
Teubner series; C Wachsmuth, ''Einleitung in das Studium der alten Geschichte'' (1895); W Christ, ''Geschichte der griechischen Litteratur'' (1808).
References
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