John of Biclaro

Who was John of Biclaro?

John of Biclaro, Biclar, or Biclarum, also Iohannes Biclarensis, was a Visigoth chronicler, born in Lusitania, in the city of Scallabis, who must have been from a Catholic family, to judge from his name. He was also bishop of Girona.

He was educated at Constantinople, where he devoted between seven and seventeen years to the study of Latin and Greek. When he returned to his homeland, he was imprisoned for several years in Barcelona. Isidore of Seville ascribes this to his refusal to join the Arian Church of the Visigothic realm in Hispania.

Modern historians note that other contemporary Iberian sources, including John's own Chronicle do not attest a Visigothic campaign of persecution of Catholics until the revolt of Hermenegild divided Visigothic loyalties. The Visigothic persecutions of dissenters and Jews may be a more recent Catholic myth. Indeed, John wrote that, in 578, "Leovigild had peace to reside with his own people."

A more likely reason for John's detention was his lengthy stay at Constantinople, with the possibility that he might be a spy for the Byzantine governors in the far south of Iberia.