Knowra Byzantine historiography Byzantine historiography Byzantine historiography is the writing and study of history in the Byzantine world, from the empire’s foundation to its fall. It includes chronicles, biographies, and historical narratives shaped by classical models and Christian thought.
Chronicle : A chronological account of events, often organized by year or reign. Chronicles were a major form of Byzantine historical writing, often extending from biblical time to the author’s present.
Chronographia : A historical work by Michael Psellos covering Byzantine politics from 976 to 1078. Psellos’s vivid account links court politics with the author’s self-presentation.
Procopius : A sixth-century Byzantine historian whose works include accounts of Justinian’s wars and reign. His contrasting public and secret histories expose the risks of reading court-centered narratives literally.
Byzantine Greek : The historical forms of Greek used in the Byzantine Empire, spanning literary and vernacular registers. Historians’ language choices linked their work to classical models and contemporary usage.
Byzantine studies : The interdisciplinary study of the history, culture, language, and society of the Byzantine Empire. Modern Byzantine studies draws heavily on historical writing while comparing it with other evidence.
Classical historiography : The tradition of historical writing shaped by ancient Greek and Roman authors and literary conventions. Byzantine historians inherited classical models of narrative, rhetoric, and political explanation.
The Alexiad : Anna Komnene’s account of her father Alexios I Komnenos and his reign. It combines dynastic history, classical learning, and a daughter’s defense of her father.
Michael Psellos : An eleventh-century Byzantine scholar, court official, and author of the Chronographia. His political career gave him access to the imperial court he described.
Textual criticism : The analysis of manuscript variants to establish or interpret the history of a text. Most Byzantine histories survive through manuscript copying, which introduced variants and losses.
Byzantine Empire : The medieval Roman state centered on Constantinople, lasting from late antiquity until 1453. Its changing institutions and political fortunes form the subject of Byzantine historical narratives.
Show all 30