Zosimus

Zosimus, a Greek historian, who held office at Constantinople under the Emperor Theodosius II. (408-450). His Historia Nova, a compilation mainly from earlier writers, is in six books; the first sketches the history of the Roman emperors from Augustus to 305 A.D., the other five deal more minutely with the period ending at 410. His style is concise, clear, and interesting. He seeks to unfold the causes of the decline of the empire, and, being himself a pagan, he adduces as the chief the neglect of paganism. The best editions are by Bekker (1837) and Mendelssohn (1887).—For Pope Zosimus (417-418), see PELAGIUS.