Some editorial remarks awaiting the new edition of Flavius Cresconius Gorippus’s Iohannis seu de bellis Libycis

Abstract This article examines selected manuscript and editorial issues related to the historical epic poem Iohannis seu de bellis Libycis by the sixth-century poet Flavius Cresconius Gorippus, a significant source for the early years of Byzantine rule in Africa. The discussion serves as a basis for broader source-critical reflection on defining the researcher’s field of study. To reconstruct the original text of the Iohannis , historians should consider the entire scholarly tradition rather than relying solely on the most authoritative critical edition or a single manuscript. The article also highlights the necessity of preparing a new edition of the Iohannis , given the recent advances in research on this work.