Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 3 (1897).djvu/510

 488 APPENDIX he describes the peace of a.d. 442 with Gaiseric [itiseasor Libyes) and alludes to the marriage of Huneric with Eudoxia (11. 24-30). 27 nimc hostem exutus pactis ])ropioribus arsit Komanam vincire fidem Latiosque parentes adiaunerare sibi sociamque intexere prolem. The death of the father of Aetius and the story of that general's youth are narrated (1. 110 sqq.), and the suppression of troubles in Gaul, probably caused by the bcuiaudae, is celebrated (148 sqq.).^ The deliverance of Narbo is specially emphasized (1. 20) : sed beUiger ultor captivum reseravit iter clausasque recepit expulso praedone vias, &c. Prosper Tiro, of Aquitaine, lived in the first half of the fifth century. He ■was probabl}- in holy orders, and was an admirer of St. Augustine. He compiled an Epitome clironicon, based almost entirely on Jerome's chronicle, and published it in A.D. 433 {first edition). (1) From the crucifixion forward. Prosper added the consuls of each year, derived from a consular list. (2) He continued the chronicle of Jerome to A. D. 433, the year of publication. (3) He introduced notices from some of St. Augustine's works. The second edition appeared a.d. 443, the third A.D. 445, the /oitri/i ( which some of the extant Mss. represent) a.d. 451, in each case brought down to the date of publication. The fifth and last ecUtion appeared A.D. 455, after the death of Valentinian, which it records. The compilation has been very carelessly done, both in the earlier part which is based on Jerome and in the later independent part, a.d. 378-455. But in lack of other sources Prosper is very imjiortant for the first half of the fifth century. The authoritative edition is that of Mommsen (in Chronica Minora, i. p. 343 sqq., 1892), on whose preface this notice is based. From the true Prosper Tiro (whom Gibbon alwaj's cites as Prosper) we must carefully distinguish another chronicle, which for some time went under Prosper's name. This is what used to be called the Chronicon Imperiale." It ended with the year 452, and was ascribed to I'rosper, because the last notices of Prosper's chronicle, a.d. 453-455, were added to it in the Mss. But it came to be seen that the two chronicles were not from the same author ; the Chronicon Imperiale gives Imperial not Consular years ; and the strange practice was adopted of dis- tinguishing it from the work of the true Prosper b3' giving it the true Prosper's full name — "Prosper Tiro". This practice was followed by Gibbon, It must therefore be carefully remembered that in Gibbon's references "Prosper" means Prosper Tiro, while ' ' Prosper Tiro " means a totally distinct chronicle with which neither Prosper Tiro nor any one of Prosper's name had anything to do. This anonymous chronicle has been edited by Mommsen in Chron. Min. i. p. 617 sqq., along with another anonymous chronicle ^ (which goes down to a.d. 511), under the title Chronica Gallica. The earlier part is based on Jerome's chronicle. The compiler also used the additions made bj- Rufinus to the Ecclesia.s- tical History of Eusebius ; some works of Ambrose, Augiistine and Cassian ; and the Life of Ambrose by Pauhnus. From a.d. 395 to the end he either used written sources now lost or verbal information. He is quite indejjendent of Prosper, and sympathizes with theopponentsof Augustine in the Pelagian controversy. His work contains two important notices on the Saxon conquest of Britain (.i-D. 408 and 441). This later part of the work represents a Gallic chronicle, perhaps written at Massilia (cp. Mommsen, p. G28), which was used by the compiler of the other 6Cp. Chron. Gall, ad 437 ..d. (Mommsen, Chron. Min. i. p. 660). 7 Also Pithoeanum, having been lirst published (at Paris in 15S8; by Petrus Pithoeus. The best Ms. is in the British Museum. » Preserved in a Ms. at Madrid, under the name of Sulpicius Severus. It has been dis- cussed by O. Holder-Egger, Ueberdie Weltchronik des sogenaiinten Severus Sulpitius, 6;c, 1875.