Portret Augusta u Malalasa

Abstract

John Malalas was one of the most famous Byzantine chroniclers. He was bom in Antioch in the 90s of the Vth and died in the 70s of the VIth century, in Constantinopole. He inserted into the work a series of literary portraits referring to emminent personages. The descriptions are deeply rooted in the Greek and Roman literary tradition. There is an easily discernible chain of renowned Greek and Roman authors who predcessed Malalas in the field. The art of description in antiquity was extensively influenced by the science of physiognomies. Consequently, vast majority of literary portraits we encounter in the ancient times bear visible signs of physiognomical impact. The authors dealing with the subject of physiognomies are Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, Vitruvius, Lucian, Dio Chrysostomus, Galen, Clements, Tertuliian and numerous others. They make up a link between antiquity and Byzantine times. Through them the knowledge of physiohnomics infiltrated the work by Malalas. The aim of the writer (on the basis of physiognomical analysis) was to chracterise the emperor Augustus. The image proves to be very favourable. The general aim of the chronographer was to corroborate the image of imperial power by means of physiognomical lore. Additionally, the description is very close to the image provided by other sources (both literary and iconographie).