John Malalas

John Malalas (/ˈmælələs/; Ancient Greek: Ἰωάννης Μαλάλας, romanized: Iōánnēs Malálas; c. 491 – 578) was a Byzantine chronicler from Antioch.

Of Syrian descent,[1] Malalas was a native speaker of Syriac who learned how to write in Greek later in his life.

In its present state it begins with the mythical history of Egypt and ends with the expedition to Roman Africa under the tribune Marcianus, Justinian's nephew,[6] in 563 (his editor Thurn believing it originally to end with Justinian's death[7]); it is focused largely on Antioch and (in the later books) Constantinople.

[9] Malalas cites many sources, including the lost or fragmentary works of Brunichius, Charax of Pergamum, Domninus, Eustathius of Epiphania, Eutropius, Eutychianus, Nestorianus, Philostratus, Priscus, Sisyphus of Kos and Timotheus.

The overall impression created by Malálas' style is one of simplicity, reflecting a desire for the straightforward communication of information in the written language of everyday business as it had evolved under the influence of spoken Greek.