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Abstract
This dissertation deals with the testimony of John of Ephesus as a source for the history of Constantinople in the sixth century. John's passages which are concerned with the capital are dispersed within his extant works and within his works which were recycled by other Syriac-writing historians. These passages altogether reflect John's view of the layout of the city as well the social and religious atmosphere and they pose as a valuable source supplementary to the Greek and Latin sources of the period between 520s and 580s. Generally other Syriac sources are also included in support of John's testimony where available.
The approximately sixty years when John was on and off in Constantinople constituted the formative period of the Syrian Orthodox church. John's views about Constantinople cannot be separated from his view of and also his role within that process. Along with the presentation and discussion of John's material and what he brings out about Constantinople, this dissertation is also interested in the specific contexts within which he made his choices to compose this testimony which covers this long period. Therefore it also presents the challenges faced by John in his career while in Constantinople.
