There is general agreement that Procopius’ Wars is the best source for Justinian’s reign while there is general contempt for Malalas’ Chronographia. This paper will argue the reverse, that not only is Malalas a better guide to the reign but that it also reflects in part Justinian’s own views about his objectives to the extent that suggests that Justinian himself may have influenced the writing of the chronicle.
Roger Scott is a Principal Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne (Australia) and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. His main publications have been on the Byzantine chronicles of Malalas and Theophanes, and his current research is on the eleventh-century chronicle of Kedrenos.