ZONARAS, zen'a-ras, JOHANNES: Byzantine writer on ecclesiastical law and history; flourished in the last part of the eleventh and the first half of the twelfth century. He filled many offices under the Emperor Alexius Comnenus, among them "commander of the bodyguard " and " head of the chancery." In later life he entered a monastery in the present Niandro. The reason for his becoming a monk is not quite clear; it may have been because of loss of relatives, but more likely because he was involved in intrigues concerning the succession to the throne in 1118.

Of first importance is his great work on eastern ecclesiastical law. The collection of ecclesiastical law on which he commented was completed practically in his own times, but of this collection only parts of secondary importance have come down. According to Zonaras' commentary, it consisted of the Apostolic Canons, the canons of the councils of Nicaea 325, Constantinople 381, Ephesus 431, Chalcedon 451, the Trullan Synod of 692, the Photian synods of 861 and 879, the provincial synods of Carthage under Cyprian, Ancyra 314, Neocaesarea 315, Gangra 340, Antioch 341, Laodicea 343, Sardica 347, Carthage 419, and Constantinople 394. Zonaras also commented upon the Canons of Dionysius of Alexandria, Basifidea of Pentapolis, excerpts from the Peri metanaias of Peter of Alexandria, and writings of Gregory Thaumaturgus, Athanasius of Alexandria,, Basil of Cæsarea, and Gregory of Nyssa. Many manuscripts exist of Zonaras' work, and it was put into vernacular Greek. The first full edition, with the commentaries of Balsamon and Aristenos is by Beveridge, Synodikon (Oxford, 1672), but because of its form it is not very useful. It is surpassed by the edition of G. Rhallia and M. Potlis (6 vols., Athens, 1852-59); the commentaries of Zonaras are in vols. ii. iv. The purpose of Zonaras was not to write for the learned, and his work is consequently clear and simple, though splendid in its diction sad written in flowing Greek. The work reveals the historical point of view, and the author uses various methods to make clear his position. He expounds the matter in hand from history or archeology, compares similar or seemingly opposed canons, explains the opposition with clarity, and, proceeds from the simple to the more difficult. He has the critical sense, seeks to reconcile or expound opposing declarations, in cases of doubt employs the milder or humanitarian exegesis, and he is on the watch for the ethical. The work was highly prized in the Church, and, alongside of the works of Balsamon and Ariatenos, was regarded as a source of ecclesiastical law. For Nicodemus Hagiorites Zonaras is the chief authority.

Besides the commentaries Zonaras issued on the same general subject Peri ton me dein, duo disexttdelphone ten ttuten agagesthai pros gamon, and Logos pros tour ten physiken tea Bones ekroen miasma hegoumenous (earlier ed. in Fabricius-Harles, Bibliotheca Grwca, xi. 225 sqq.; better in Rhallis and Potlis, ut sup., iv. 592-611). Zonaras worked also as an ese.

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gets in the purely theological realm, and aimed to make usable for his period the Tetrasticha and Monosticha of Gregory Nazianzen. 1n this he suc ceeded, but his work was confused and blended with that of Nicetas Paphlago, and the many manu scripts and editions reveal this. A work formerly attributed to Nicetas on this theme is now to be given to Zonaras (cf. Legrand, Bibliographic Helle nique, i. 314, Paris, 1885). Zonaras also wrote a commentary on the Kanones anastasimoi of the Octoechos, now lost except for the introduction (in Specilegium Romanum, v. 384-389, Rome, 1841). The Canon eis ten hyperagian theotokon appears to be an independent work (printed in Cotelier, Monxo mentor Grcece ecclesice, iii. 465-472, Paris, 1686), a noteworthy poem in nine odes and twenty-nine verses giving a catalogue of heretics from Arias on. It has always given great offense to the Roman Cath olics. Zonaras is also the author of the well-known Epitome historion, one of the most important his torical works of the Byzantine period, valuable for secular and ecclesiastical history. It treats of world history from creation till 1118, and is of particular value because of the use it makes of very early and

now lost sources. The work was edited by H. Wolf (Basel, 1557), Ducange (Paris, 1686), and 1Jindorf (in CSHB, 6 vols., 1868-76).

(Philipp Meyer.)

Bibliography: W. Cave, ScriptAwum eecfeaiasEieorum his toria titeraria, ii. 201 sqq., Oxford, 1743; FabriciuaHarm, Bibfiotheca G rasca, vii. 466-468, viii. 433, xi. 222-228, Hamburg, 1801-08; E. Dronke, De Nieeta Daside et Zonara iuterpretibua earmius S. Gregorii Nazianzeui, C oblenz,1889; idem, S. Gregorii Naz4anzeni c armina selects, Göttingen, 1840; C. W. E. Heimbach, in Erach and Gruber, Encyklo ptutie, L, laaavi. 376 sqq., 461-462; Christ, in SMA, 1870, pp. 7b-108; A. C. Demetracopulos, Grac%a orthodoxa, p. 15, Leipsic, 1872; H. Haupt, Neue Beiträge zu den Fragmen ten des Dio Cassias, in Hermes, aiv (1879), 430-446; P. Sauerbrei, in CommentaEiones phiiologiecs Jenenaes, i (1881), 1-81; T. Btittner-Wobat, in Commentationea FEeckeiaen ianay pp. 123-170, Leipsic, 1890; idem, in Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 1896, pp. ti10-all; U. P. Boisaevain, in Hermea, aavi (1891), 440-462; idem, in Byzantinieehe Zeitschrift, 1895, pp. 260-271; M. Heinemann, fTuceationea Zonarem, Dresden, 1896; E. Patzig, in Byzantini aehe Zeitschrift, 1896, pp. 24-63, 1897, pp. $22-366, 1906, pp, 513-614; K. Prachter, in the same, 1897, pp. 609-626; Brumbacher, Geschichte, pp . 370-376 et passim (with excellent bibliography); N. Milasch, Das Kirchenrecht der morgeni&ndischen Kirche, 2d ed., Vienna, 1906.