John of Biclaro

John of Biclaro, Biclar, or Biclarum (c. 540 – after 621), also Iohannes Biclarensis, was a Visigothic Catholic bishop of Girona. He is best known for his chronicle covering the years 568-590.

Life Isidore of Seville tells us in his De viris Illustribus that John was born in Lusitania, in the city of Scallabis (modern Santarém in Portugal) of Gothic parents. How and when he converted to Catholicism is not known. While still a youth, John was sent to Constantinople for his education, where he resided for 17 years. Roger Collins calculates the dates of his stay there as c.562-c.579,

Another possible 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. An enforced stay in Barcelona certainly put him out of possible treasonous contact with the Byzantines. John does imply that Arians received favorable treatment under Leovigild. At the Arian council convened by Leovigild in 580, his proposal to make conversion from Catholicism to Arianism a simple ritual was adopted, dropping the need for re-baptism and requiring "only the imposition of hands and the receiving of communion."

Following King Reccared I commanded his kingdom to embrace Catholicism, John was recalled from exile in 589. He founded a monastery at Biclar, possibly near Tarraconensis, for which he composed a Rule that has since been lost. At some point between 589 and 592 he was ordained bishop of Girona. As bishop he signed the acts of the synods of II Saragossa (592), of Toledo (597), of Barcelona (599), and likely those of Egara (Municipium Flavium Egara) (614). For example, where Victor concentrated on matters of the church, John provided a balanced account of both sacred and secular affairs.

John of Biclaro's Chronicle was first printed by H. Canisius (Ingolstadt, 1600). Mommsen has edited the Chronicle as part of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores antiquissimi, XI (1893), pp. 211-220. A more recent edition can be found in J. Campos, Juan de Biclaro, Obisclaro de Gerona (Madrid, 1960).

Three other chronicles cover parts of the Visigothic rule of Hispania: the bishop Hydatius, bishop Isidore of Seville, and the fragmentary Chronicle of Saragossa.