Nicephorus Gregoras

[2] At an early age he settled at Constantinople, where his uncle introduced him to Andronicus II Palaeologus, by whom he was appointed chartophylax (keeper of the archives).

In 1326 Gregoras proposed (in a treatise which remains in existence) certain reforms in the calendar, which the emperor refused to carry out for fear of disturbances; over two hundred years later they were introduced by Gregory XIII on almost the same lines.

Thereafter he succeeded in gaining the favour of Andronicus III, who appointed him to conduct negotiations for a union of the Greek and Latin churches with the ambassadors of Pope John XXII.

[3] Beginning in 1346, Gregoras took an important part in the Hesychast controversy at the encouragement of the Empress Anna, by publishing a tract in which he staunchly opposed Gregorius Palamas, the chief supporter of the doctrine.

Amongst them may be mentioned a history of the dispute with Palamas; biographies of his uncle and early instructor John, metropolitan of Heraclea, and of the martyr Codratus of Antioch; funeral orations for Theodore Metochites, and the two emperors Andronicus; commentaries on the wanderings of Odysseus and on Synesius's treatise on dreams;[6] tracts on orthography and on words of doubtful meaning; a philosophical dialogue called Phlorentius or Concerning Wisdom; astronomical treatises on the date of Easter, on the preparation of the astrolabe and on the predictive calculation of solar eclipses;[7] and an extensive correspondence.

[8][3] Editions: in Bonn Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, by L. Schopen and I. Bekker, with life and list of works by J. Boivin (1829–1855); J. P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, cxlviii., cxlix.