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==Chronicle==
The original editor of this text, Zotenberg, argued that John of Nikiû's ''Chronicle'' was originally written mostly in [[Greek language|Greek]], theorizing that some of the name forms indicate that John wrote the sections concerning Egypt in [[Coptic language|Coptic]]. Scholarly opinion has shifted, however, to the belief that this chronicle was originally written in Coptic.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Booth|first1=Phillip|title=Shades of Blues and Greens in the Chronicle of John of Nikiu|journal=Byzantinische Zeitschrift|date=2011|volume=104|page=557}}</ref> The work survives only in a [[Ge'ez]] translation.<ref>The 1883 translation by Zotenberg into French states, less precisely, <nowiki>''</nowiki>translated from the Ethiopic<nowiki>''</nowiki>,</ref> made in 1602 of an [[Arabic language|Arabic]] translation of the original. Sections of the text are obviously corrupted with accidental omissions. Most notably, a passage covering thirty years (from 610 to 640) is missing. The narrative, especially the earlier sections up until
the reign of Constantine, has many obvious historical errors. This may be due to the copy errors, or a negligence on the importance of Pagan history. There are also many instances of myth and less a reliance on pure history. For instance, Julius Caesar's mother being cut open to birth him, resulting in a Caesarian section. This is an fable made up by later historians and bears no evidence to historical fact. The author, a catholic bishop, is more interested in telling moralizing tales and history from a religious perspective, than relating pure history.
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.
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