Leo Diaconus (redirected from Leo the Deacon)

Leo Diaconus 

Born before 950, in Kaloe, Asia Minor; died in about 1000. Byzantine author. A Byzantine courtier.

Leo Diaconus took part in Emperor Basil II’s campaign against the Bulgarians in 986. His History in Ten Books, devoted to the events of 959–976 and written about 990, is based in part on personal observations and on the stories of eyewitnesses. Diaconus contrasted the “glorious reign” of emperors Nicephorus II and John Tzimisces to the unsuccessful beginning of the reign of Basil II. This work, which contains a description of the campaigns of Prince Sviatoslav in the Balkans, is an important source for the history of ancient Rus’.

WORKS

Caloensis historiae libri X. Bonn, 1828.
In Russian translation:
Istoriia 10 knig. St. Petersburg, 1820.

REFERENCES

Kazhdan, A. P. “Iz istorii vizantiiskoi khronografii X v.” In Vizantiiskii vremennik, vol. 20. Moscow, 1961.
Siuziumov, M. “Mirovozzrenie L’va Diakona.” Uch. zap. Ural’skogo gos. un-ta. 1971, no. 112.