{{Short description|6th-century Byzantine grammarian and geographer}} '''Stephanus''' or '''Stephen of Byzantium''' ({{langx|la|Stephanus Byzantinus}}; {{langx|grc|Στέφανος Βυζάντιος}}, ''Stéphanos Byzántios''; {{fl.|6th}} century{{nbsp}}AD) was an Eastern Roman grammarian and the author of an important geographical dictionary entitled ''Ethnica'' ({{lang|grc|Ἐθνικά}}). Only meagre fragments of the dictionary survive, but the epitome is extant, compiled by one '''Hermolaus''', not otherwise identified.
==Life== [[File:Byzantium550.png|thumb|right|The Eastern Roman Empire during Stephanus' lifetime, with Justinian's conquests in green]] Nothing is known about the life of Stephanus, except that he was a Greek grammarian<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Browning|first=Robert|date=2016-03-07|title=Stephanus of Byzantium|url=https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-6074|access-date=2021-10-02|website=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics|language=en|doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.6074|isbn=978-0-19-938113-5}}</ref> who was active in Constantinople, and lived after the time of Arcadius and Honorius, and before that of Justinian II. Later writers provide no information about him, but they do note that the work was later reduced to an epitome by a certain Hermolaus, who dedicated his epitome to Justinian; whether the first or second emperor of that name is meant is disputed, but it seems probable that Stephanus flourished in Byzantium in the earlier part of the sixth century AD, under Justinian I.<ref>{{EB1911|inline=1 |wstitle=Stephanus Byzantinus |volume=25 |page=880}}</ref>
==The ''Ethnica''== Stephanos' work, originally written in Greek, takes the form of an alphabetical dictionary or encyclopedia of geographical toponymns, ethnonymns etc. It is a vast work, with sometimes hundreds of list entries under each letter of the greek alphabet: Α–Ω. {| class="wikitable sortable" |+Encyclopedic entries in Stephanos's ''Ethnica'' |'''Letter''' |'''Number of Entries''' |- |Α α |581<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSETHNICAvol.AALPHAGAMMA2006ByMargaretheBillerbeck/page/318/mode/2up?q=brita |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS ETHNICA [vol. A] [ ALPHA GAMMA] [ 2006] By Margarethe Billerbeck |date=2006 |page=319}}</ref> |- |Β β |201<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSETHNICAvol.AALPHAGAMMA2006ByMargaretheBillerbeck/page/388/mode/2up?q=brita |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS ETHNICA [vol. A] [ ALPHA GAMMA] [ 2006] By Margarethe Billerbeck |date=2006 |pages=319–389}}</ref> |- |Γ γ |122<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSETHNICAvol.AALPHAGAMMA2006ByMargaretheBillerbeck/page/440/mode/2up?q=brita |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS ETHNICA [vol. A] [ ALPHA GAMMA] [ 2006] By Margarethe Billerbeck |date=2006 |pages=390–441}}</ref> |- |Δ δ |151<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSVONBYZANZMargaretheBillerbeckChristianZublerSTEPHANIBYZANTIIENICAIIpdf/page/119/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS VON BYZANZ [ Margarethe Billerbeck, Christian Zubler] Δ Εως ΙΩΤΑ STEPHANI BYZANTII EΤΗ NICA [ II] ΔῙpdf |date=2011 |page=119}}</ref> |- |Ε ε |186<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSVONBYZANZMargaretheBillerbeckChristianZublerSTEPHANIBYZANTIIENICAIIpdf/page/195/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS VON BYZANZ [ Margarethe Billerbeck, Christian Zubler] Δ Εως ΙΩΤΑ STEPHANI BYZANTII EΤΗ NICA [ II] ΔῙpdf |date=2011 |page=195}}</ref> |- |Ζ ζ |34<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSVONBYZANZMargaretheBillerbeckChristianZublerSTEPHANIBYZANTIIENICAIIpdf/page/207/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS VON BYZANZ [ Margarethe Billerbeck, Christian Zubler] Δ Εως ΙΩΤΑ STEPHANI BYZANTII EΤΗ NICA [ II] ΔῙpdf |date=2011 |page=207}}</ref> |- |Η η |30<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSVONBYZANZMargaretheBillerbeckChristianZublerSTEPHANIBYZANTIIENICAIIpdf/page/225/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS VON BYZANZ [ Margarethe Billerbeck, Christian Zubler] Δ Εως ΙΩΤΑ STEPHANI BYZANTII EΤΗ NICA [ II] ΔῙpdf |date=2011 |page=30}}</ref> |- |Θ θ |82<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSVONBYZANZMargaretheBillerbeckChristianZublerSTEPHANIBYZANTIIENICAIIpdf/page/257/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS VON BYZANZ [ Margarethe Billerbeck, Christian Zubler] Δ Εως ΙΩΤΑ STEPHANI BYZANTII EΤΗ NICA [ II] ΔῙpdf |date=2011 |page=257}}</ref> |- |Ι ι |131<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSVONBYZANZMargaretheBillerbeckChristianZublerSTEPHANIBYZANTIIENICAIIpdf/page/305/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS VON BYZANZ [ Margarethe Billerbeck, Christian Zubler] Δ Εως ΙΩΤΑ STEPHANI BYZANTII EΤΗ NICA [ II] ΔῙpdf |date=2011 |page=305}}</ref> |- |Κ κ |316<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSMargaretheBillerbeckStephaniByzantiiEthnicaKO.BYMARGARETHEBILLERBECK/page/179/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Margarethe Billerbeck] Stephani Byzantii Ethnica, K O. BY MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |date=2014 |page=179}}</ref> |- |Λ λ |120<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSMargaretheBillerbeckStephaniByzantiiEthnicaKO.BYMARGARETHEBILLERBECK/page/243/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Margarethe Billerbeck] Stephani Byzantii Ethnica, K O. BY MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |date=2014 |pages=180–243}}</ref> |- |Μ μ |271<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSMargaretheBillerbeckStephaniByzantiiEthnicaKO.BYMARGARETHEBILLERBECK/page/357/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Margarethe Billerbeck] Stephani Byzantii Ethnica, K O. BY MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |date=2014 |pages=244–357}}</ref> |- |Ν ν |89<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSMargaretheBillerbeckStephaniByzantiiEthnicaKO.BYMARGARETHEBILLERBECK/page/401/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Margarethe Billerbeck] Stephani Byzantii Ethnica, K O. BY MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |date=2014 |pages=358–401}}</ref> |- |Ξ ξ |16<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSMargaretheBillerbeckStephaniByzantiiEthnicaKO.BYMARGARETHEBILLERBECK/page/409/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Margarethe Billerbeck] Stephani Byzantii Ethnica, K O. BY MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |date=2014 |pages=402–409}}</ref> |- |Ο ο |89<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSMargaretheBillerbeckStephaniByzantiiEthnicaKO.BYMARGARETHEBILLERBECK/page/409/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Margarethe Billerbeck] Stephani Byzantii Ethnica, K O. BY MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |date=2014 |pages=410–448}}</ref> |- |Π π |295<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSVonByzanzMargaretheBillerbeckPYPSILON.PU/page/110/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Von Byzanz, Margarethe Billerbeck, P YPSILON. P U |date=2016 |page=111}}</ref> |- |Ρ ρ |65<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSVonByzanzMargaretheBillerbeckPYPSILON.PU/page/128/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Von Byzanz, Margarethe Billerbeck, P YPSILON. P U |date=2016 |pages=112–129}}</ref> |- |Σ σ/ς |345<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSVonByzanzMargaretheBillerbeckPYPSILON.PU/page/128/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Von Byzanz, Margarethe Billerbeck, P YPSILON. P U |date=2016 |pages=130–245}}</ref> |- |Τ τ |238<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSVonByzanzMargaretheBillerbeckPYPSILON.PU/page/358/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Von Byzanz, Margarethe Billerbeck, P YPSILON. P U |date=2016 |pages=246–359}}</ref> |- |Υ υ |57<ref>{{Cite book |last=MARGARETHE BILLERBECK |url=https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSVonByzanzMargaretheBillerbeckPYPSILON.PU/page/386/mode/2up |title=STEPHANUS BYZANTIUS Von Byzanz, Margarethe Billerbeck, P YPSILON. P U |date=2016 |pages=360–387}}</ref> |- |Φ φ |123<ref>{{Citation |title=Volumen V Phi - Omega. Indices |date=2017-04-10 |work=Volumen V Phi - Omega. Indices |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110219661/html |access-date=2024-08-31 |publisher=De Gruyter |language=de |doi=10.1515/9783110219661 |isbn=978-3-11-021966-1|page=63|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |- |Χ χ |67<ref>{{Citation |title=Volumen V Phi - Omega. Indices |date=2017-04-10 |work=Volumen V Phi - Omega. Indices |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110219661/html |access-date=2024-08-31 |publisher=De Gruyter |language=de |doi=10.1515/9783110219661 |isbn=978-3-11-021966-1|pages=64–121|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |- |Ψ ψ |22<ref>{{Citation |title=Volumen V Phi - Omega. Indices |date=2017-04-10 |work=Volumen V Phi - Omega. Indices |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110219661/html |access-date=2024-08-31 |publisher=De Gruyter |language=de |doi=10.1515/9783110219661 |isbn=978-3-11-021966-1|pages=121–133|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |- |Ω ω |24<ref>{{Citation |title=Volumen V Phi - Omega. Indices |date=2017-04-10 |work=Volumen V Phi - Omega. Indices |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110219661/html |access-date=2024-08-31 |publisher=De Gruyter |language=de |doi=10.1515/9783110219661 |isbn=978-3-11-021966-1|pages=134–153|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |- |Total |3655 |} Even as an epitome, the ''Ethnica'' is of enormous value for geographical, mythological, and religious information about ancient Greece. Nearly every article in the epitome contains a reference to some ancient writer, as an authority for the name of the place. From the surviving fragments, we see that the original contained considerable quotations from ancient authors, besides many interesting particulars, topographical, historical, mythological, and others. Stephanus cites Artemidorus, Polybius, Aelius Herodianus, Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Strabo and other writers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Whitehead |first1=David |title=From Political Architecture to Stephanus Byzantius: Sources for the Ancient Greek Polis |date=1994 |publisher=Franz Steiner Verlag |isbn=978-3-515-06572-6 |page=102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RtSV5M3BUwIC&dq=De+prosodia+catholica+stephanus&pg=PA106 |quote=In four places, the lexicographer Stephanus of Byzantium refers to towns and ... Artemidorus as source, and in three of the four examples cites Polybius.}}</ref> He is the only writer to cite a lost work attributed to Sophaenetus.<ref name="HDW">H. D. Westlake, "Diodorus and the Expedition of Cyrus", ''Phoenix'' '''41'''.3 (1987), pp. 241–254, at 251–252. {{jstor|1088192}}</ref>
The chief fragments remaining of the original work are preserved by Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos in ''De Administrando Imperio'', ch. 23 (the article ''{{lang|grc|Ίβηρίαι δύο}}'') and ''De thematibus'', ii. 10 (an account of Sicily); the latter includes a passage from the comic poet Alexis on the ''Seven Largest Islands''. Another respectable fragment, from the article ''Δύμη'' to the end of ''Δ'', exists in a manuscript of the Fonds Coislin, the library formed by Pierre Séguier.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=880}}
The first modern printed edition of the work was published by the Aldine Press in Venice in 1502. The complete standard edition is still that of August Meineke (1849, reprinted at Graz, 1958), and by convention, references to the text use Meineke's page numbers. A new completely revised edition in German, edited by B. Wyss, C. Zubler, M. Billerbeck, J.F. Gaertner, was published between 2006 and 2017, with a total of 5 volumes.<ref name="degruyter">{{Cite web |title=Stephani Byzantii Ethnica |url=https://www.degruyter.com/serial/sbe-b/html |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=De Gruyter |language=en}}</ref>
== Editions == * Aldus Manutius (pr.), 1502, {{lang|grc|Στέφανος. Περὶ πόλεων}} (''Peri poleōn'') = ''Stephanus. De urbibus'' ("On cities") (Venice). [https://books.google.com/books?id=1x5DAAAAcAAJ Google Books] * Guilielmus Xylander, 1568, {{lang|grc|Στέφανος. Περὶ πόλεων}} = ''Stephanus. De urbibus'' (Basel). * Thomas de Pinedo, 1678, {{lang|grc|Στέφανος. Περὶ πόλεων}} = ''Stephanus. De urbibus'' (Amsterdam). Contains parallel Latin translation. [https://books.google.com/books?id=STg9Q4D2NvcC Google Books] * Claudius Salmasius (Claude Saumaise) and Abraham van Berkel, 1688, {{lang|grc|Στεφάνου Βυζαντίου Ἐθνικὰ κατ' ἐπιτομήν Περὶ πόλεων}} = ''Stephani Byzantini Gentilia per epitomen, antehac De urbibus inscripta'' (Leiden). Contains parallel Latin translation. [https://books.google.com/books?id=o-hCAAAAcAAJ Google Books] * Lucas Holstenius, 1692, ''Notae & castigationes in Stephanum Byzantium De urbibus'' (Leiden). [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZYZBAAAAcAAJ Google Books] * Thomas de Pinedo, 1725, ''Stephanus de urbibus'' (Amsterdam). [https://books.google.com/books?id=gfXlAAAAMAAJ Google Books] * Karl Wilhelm Dindorf, 1825, ''Stephanus Byzantinus. Opera'', 4 vols, (Leipzig). Incorporating notes by L. Holsteinius, A. Berkelius, and T. de Pinedo. [https://www.google.com/webhp?ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#newwindow=1&tbm=bks&q=editions:razshTXq31AC Google Books] * Anton Westermann, 1839, ''Stephani Byzantii ethnikon quae supersunt'' (Leipzig). [https://books.google.com/books?id=mZ5bAAAAQAAJ Google Books] * Augustus Meineke, 1849, ''Stephani Byzantii ethnicorum quae supersunt'' (Berlin). [https://books.google.com/books?id=MMZiAAAAMAAJ Google Books] * Margarethe Billerbeck ''et al.'' (edd), ''Stephani Byzantii Ethnica''. 5 volumes: 2006–2017. Berlin/New York: Walter de Gruyter, (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 43/1)<ref name="degruyter" /><ref>[http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/2008/2008-07-64.html Reviewed by C. Neri in]</ref><ref>[http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2014/2014-08-38.html Reviewed by Martin L. West]</ref> ** [https://archive.org/details/STEPHANUSBYZANTIUSETHNICAvol.AALPHAGAMMA2006ByMargaretheBillerbeck/page/n3/mode/2up?q=brita Volume 1: α–β] ** Volume 2: δ–ι ** Volume 3: κ–ο ** Volume 4: π–υ ** Volume 5: φ–ω
==References== ===Citations=== {{Reflist|30em}}
[== CORRIGENDA, ERRATA ==
Jeff Hill's footnote: spellings in -NYMN (for instance, TOPONYMN, ETHNONYMN) throughout this Wikipedia article, are very probably misspellings (that is, of TOPONYM, ETHNONYM, and so on) -- jeffjeff dot hillhill at gmail dot com.]
===Bibliography===
* Smith, W., ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. 3, s.v. "Stephanus" (2) of Byzantium. * Diller, Aubrey 1938, "The tradition of Stephanus Byzantius", ''Transactions of the American Philological Association'' 69: 333–48. * E.H. Bunbury, 1883, ''History of Ancient Geography'' (London), vol. i. 102, 135, 169; ii. 669–71. * Holstenius, L., 1684 (posth.), ''Lucae Holstenii Notae et castigationes postumae in Stephani Byzantii Ethnika, quae vulgo Peri poleōn inscribuntur'' (Leiden). * Niese, B., 1873, ''De Stephani Byzantii auctoribus'' (Kiel) * Johannes Geffcken, 1886, ''De Stephano Byzantio'' (Göttingen) * Whitehead, D. (ed.), 1994, ''From political architecture to Stephanus Byzantius : sources for the ancient Greek polis'' (Stuttgart). * {{Citation |last=Billerbeck |first=Margarethe |title=Stephanos von Byzanz: Grammatiker und Lexikograph |title-link= |date=2021 |url=https://archive.org/details/billerbeck-neumann-hartmann-2021-stephanos-von-byzanz-stephanus-of-byzantium-gra/page/16/mode/2up |archive-url= |place=Berlin Boston |publisher=De Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-072685-5}}
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Category:6th-century Byzantine writers Category:Ancient Greek anthologists Category:Ancient Greek lexicographers Category:Byzantine geographers Category:6th-century Byzantine scientists Category:6th-century geographers