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{{Short description|Egyptian Coptic bishop}}
'''John of Nikiû''' ([[floruit|fl.]] 680-690) was an [[Egyptians|Egyptian]] [[Copt]]ic [[bishop]] of [[Nikiû]] (Pashati) in the [[Nile Delta]] and general administrator of the [[monasteries]] of [[Upper Egypt]] in 696. He is the author of a ''Chronicle'' extending from [[Adam and Eve|Adam]] to the end of the [[Muslim conquest of Egypt]]. John of Nikiû's ''Chronicle'' contains important historical details otherwise unknown.
==Life==
There are two main sources for John's life. The first is the ''[[Severus of Al'Ashmunein (Hermopolis): History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria|History of the Patriarchs]]'' by [[Severus Ibn al-Muqaffa|Severus]], Bishop of Al-Ashmunyn ([[Heliopolis (Ancient Egypt)|Heliopolis]]). This draws on two originally independent biographies that mention John: those of [[Pope Isaac of Alexandria]] (690-692 CE) and [[Pope Simeon I of Alexandria]] (692-700 CE). The second source is the Life of [[Pope Isaac of Alexandria|Isaac of Alexandria]] composed by John's successor as bishop of Nikiu, [[Mena of Nikiu]], between 697 and 700 CE.<ref>Felege-Selam Solomon Yirga, '[http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1594681955418996 The Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Historical Writing in Post-Roman Egypt]' (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Ohio State University, 2020).</ref>{{rp|6}}
According to the ''History of the Patriarchs'', John lived under the [[Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Patriarchs]] [[Pope John III of Alexandria|John III]], [[Pope Isaac of Alexandria|Isaac]], and [[Pope Simeon of Alexandria|Simeon]].
==Chronicle==
The original editor of this text, Zotenberg, argued that John of Nikiû's ''Chronicle'' was originally written mostly in [[Greek language|Greek]],
John's view of the earliest periods of history is informed by sources such as [[Sextus Julius Africanus]] and [[John Malalas]]. The ''Chronicle'' is most noteworthy for its passages dealing with the early 7th century. John covers in detail the revolt of the [[Thracian tribes|Thracian]] armies in [[Maurice’s Balkan campaigns#Renewed campaigns, 597–602|602]] and the subsequent overthrow of the Emperor [[Maurice (emperor)|Maurice]] by the usurper [[Phocas]]. His account adds considerably to our knowledge of the reign of Phocas and particularly to the successful revolt against him begun at [[Carthage]] by [[Heraclius]]. Unfortunately, the section dealing with the climactic [[Persian Wars|Persian wars]] waged by Heraclius is not extant.
Perhaps the most important section of John's ''Chronicle'' is that which deals with the invasion and conquest of Egypt by the Muslim armies of [[Amr ibn al-Aas]]. Though probably not an eyewitness, John was most likely of the generation immediately following the conquest, and the Chronicle provides the only near-contemporary account. John describes the major events of Amr's campaign, such as the taking of the
The main English translation of John's Chronicle is that of R.H. Charles. In it, John vividly records the fear that gripped Egypt during the
Writing from a [[miaphysite]] point of view — at odds with the [[
==Notes==
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==Editions and translations==
* {{Cite book|last=Charles|first=Robert H.|author-link=Robert Charles (scholar)|title=The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu: Translated from Zotenberg's Ethiopic Text|year=1913|location=London, UK|publisher=Williams & Norgate}}
* {{Cite book|last=Charles|first=Robert H.|author-link=Robert Charles (scholar)|title=The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu: Translated from Zotenberg's Ethiopic Text|year=2007|orig-year=1916|location=Merchantville, NJ|publisher=Evolution Publishing|isbn=978-1-889758-87-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KgZ-DOr77OQC}}; [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/nikiu1_intro.htm Introduction] and [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/nikiu2_chronicle.htm English translation] from Tertullian.org; [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/fathers/nikiu1_intro.html Introduction] and [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/fathers/nikiu2_chronicle.html English translation] from earlychristianwritings.com.
* "La Chronique de Jean de Nikioû", ed. and translated into French by H. Zotenberg in ''Notices et Extraits des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque Nationale'', t. XXIV, I, pp. 125–605 (Paris, 1883) and also separately (Paris, 1883). ([http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N108650 Online version] in [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ Gallica website] at the "[[Bibliothèque nationale de France]]")
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* Yirga, Felege-Selam Solomon, '[http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1594681955418996 The Chronicle of John of Nikiu: Historical Writing in Post-Roman Egypt]' (unpublished PhD dissertation, Ohio State University, 2020).
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08475a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: John of Nikiû]
* [https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/nikiu2_chronicle.htm English translation of the ''Chronicle''] (1916), hosted on tertullian.org
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