Cassiodorus
Also: Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator
Born probably between 485 and 490, probably in Scylletium (now Squillace, Italy). Died probably between 580 and 585, probably in Vivarium (near Squillace, Italy).
Roman statesman under the Gothic kings of Italy, who later founded the monastery of Vivarium and its library.
Wrote in Latin.
Places lived
- 507 to 538Ravenna, Italyofficialyears probable
- 538 to 554Constantinopolis (now Istanbul, Turkey)exileyears not sure, place probable
- 554 to 585Vivarium (near Squillace, Italy)monkyears not sure
Works
1 work, in the order they were written. 1 work can be read here.
- Variae (Letters)State letters that he wrote in the names of the Gothic kings of Italy and in his own name as prefect.187,003 words
How we know the dates and places
- Born probable
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiodorus; T. Hodgkin, The Letters of Cassiodorus (1886), introduction (the text in the corpus)
- Place of birth probable
- T. Hodgkin, The Letters of Cassiodorus (1886), introduction (the text in the corpus); Cassiodorus, Variae 12.15; site: Pleiades https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/452439
- Died probable
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiodorus; T. Hodgkin, The Letters of Cassiodorus (1886), introduction (the text in the corpus)
- Place of death probable
- T. Hodgkin, The Letters of Cassiodorus (1886), introduction (the text in the corpus); site: Pleiades https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/452492
- Ravenna, years probable
- T. Hodgkin, The Letters of Cassiodorus (1886), introduction (the text in the corpus): quaestor about 507, praetorian prefect 533 to about 538
- Ravenna, place sure
- T. Hodgkin, The Letters of Cassiodorus (1886), introduction (the text in the corpus); site: Pleiades https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/393480
- Constantinopolis, years not sure
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiodorus : he left Italy for Constantinople about 537-538 and stayed almost two decades; the page gives no year for his return. J. J. O'Donnell, Cassiodorus (1979), chronological table (https://faculty.georgetown.edu/jod/texts/cassbook/chronology.html): to Constantinople 540; there in 550 (Vigilius) and 551 (Jordanes); 554, Pragmatic Sanction, he returns to Squillace
- Constantinopolis, place probable
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiodorus; site: Pleiades https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/520998
- Vivarium, years not sure
- T. Hodgkin, The Letters of Cassiodorus (1886), introduction (the text in the corpus); https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiodorus says he founded Vivarium in his retirement and gives no year for his return to Italy; J. J. O'Donnell, Cassiodorus (1979), chronological table (https://faculty.georgetown.edu/jod/texts/cassbook/chronology.html): he returns to Squillace in 554; 577-584 is the earliest time for his death and 590 the latest
- Vivarium, place sure
- Cassiodorus, Institutions 1.29; site: Pleiades https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/452492