Marcellinus and Illyricum

Abstract According to Cassiodorus (Inst. r.17. 2), Marcellinus was an Illyrian (Ilfyricianus) and this information must be considered accurate. After all, Cassiodorus was familiar with the full corpus of Marcel linus’ work; more importantly, he was in close contact with the Latin-speaking community of Constantinople amongst whom the chronicle found its first readers. Nor is it impossible that in Con stantinople in the late 54os/ early 550s Cassiodorus had actually met Marcellinus, or people who had known him (if the chronicler was now deceased). Yet, even without Cassiodorus’ statement we would be compelled to think Marcellinus an Illyrian simply because he has so much to say about Illyricum in the chronicle; and what he does say is generally of a precise and relatively full nature, suggesting knowledge of local personalities, geography and affairs. Henceforward, the task is to set out the Illyrian back ground and context of the chronicle; first, by defining exactly what area Marcellinus and Cassiodorus understood to be encom-passed by ‘Illyricum’, and then by amplifying and explaining the information in the chronicle in order to discover what Marcel linus’ native region meant to him. His Illyrian background and identity governed the selection of material for his chronicle, shaped the story he told, and reflected his own personal perspective on events in that region.