Anna Komnene ( gr, Ἄννα Κομνηνή, Ánna Komnēnḗ; 1 December 1083 – 1153), commonly
Latinized as Anna Comnena, was a
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
princess and author of the ''
Alexiad
The ''Alexiad'' ( el, Ἀλεξιάς, Alexias) is a medieval historical and biographical text written around the year 1148, by the Byzantine princess Anna Komnene, daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. It was written in a form of artificial ...
'', an account of the reign of her father, the Byzantine emperor,
Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...
. The ''Alexiad'' is the most important
primary source
In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called an original source) is an artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of information that was created at the time under ...
of Byzantine history of the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Although she is best known as the author of the ''
Alexiad
The ''Alexiad'' ( el, Ἀλεξιάς, Alexias) is a medieval historical and biographical text written around the year 1148, by the Byzantine princess Anna Komnene, daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. It was written in a form of artificial ...
'', Anna played an important part in the politics of the time and attempted to depose her brother,
John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos or Comnenus ( gr, Ἱωάννης ὁ Κομνηνός, Iōannēs ho Komnēnos; 13 September 1087 – 8 April 1143) was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as "John the Beautiful" or "John the Good" (), he ...
, as emperor and seize the throne herself.
[Hanawalt 1982, p. 303.]
At birth, Anna was betrothed to
Constantine Doukas
Constantine X Doukas or Ducas ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Δούκας, ''Kōnstantinos X Doukas'', 1006 – 23 May 1067), was Byzantine emperor from 1059 to 1067. He was the founder and first ruling member of the Doukid dynasty. Duri ...
,
[Hanawalt 1982, p. 303.] and she grew up in his mother's household.
[Neville 2016, p. 2.] She was well-educated in "Greek literature and history, philosophy, theology, mathematics, and medicine."
Anna and Constantine were next in the line to throne until Anna's younger brother, John II Komnenos, became the heir in 1092. Constantine died around 1094, and Anna married
Nikephoros Bryennios in 1097.
[Neville 2016, p. 3.] The two had several children before Nikephoros' death around 1136.
Following her father's death in 1118, Anna and her mother attempted to usurp
John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos or Comnenus ( gr, Ἱωάννης ὁ Κομνηνός, Iōannēs ho Komnēnos; 13 September 1087 – 8 April 1143) was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as "John the Beautiful" or "John the Good" (), he ...
. Her husband refused to cooperate with them, and the usurpation failed.
As a result, John exiled Anna to the
Kecharitomene Monastery The Theotokos Kecharitomene Monastery ( gr, Θεοτόκος Κεχαριτωμένη, , Theotokos Kecharitomene , Mother of God, full of grace) was a female convent built in the early 12th century in the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, by Empres ...
, where she spent the rest of her life. In confinement there, she wrote the ''Alexiad''.
[Larmour 2004, p. 204.] She died in 1153.
Family and early life
Anna was born on 1 December 1083 to
Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...
and
Irene Doukaina
Irene Doukaina or Ducaena ( el, , ''Eirēnē Doukaina''; – 19 February 1138) was a Byzantine Greek empress by marriage to the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. She was the mother of Emperor John II Komnenos and the historian Anna Komn ...
. Her father, Alexios I Komnenos, became emperor in 1081, after usurping the previous Byzantine Emperor,
Nikephoros Botaneiates
Nikephoros III Botaneiates, Latinized as Nicephorus III Botaniates ( el, Νικηφόρος Βοτανειάτης, 1002–1081), was Byzantine emperor from 7 January 1078 to 1 April 1081. He was born in 1002, and became a general du ...
.
Her mother,
Irene Doukaina
Irene Doukaina or Ducaena ( el, , ''Eirēnē Doukaina''; – 19 February 1138) was a Byzantine Greek empress by marriage to the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. She was the mother of Emperor John II Komnenos and the historian Anna Komn ...
, was part of the imperial
Doukas
The House of Doukas, Latinized as Ducas ( el, Δούκας; feminine: Doukaina/Ducaena, Δούκαινα; plural: Doukai/Ducae, Δοῦκαι), from the Latin title ''dux'' ("leader", "general", Hellenized as 'ðouks'', is the name of a Byzant ...
family. In the ''Alexiad'', Anna emphasises her affection for her parents in stating her relationship to Alexios and Irene. She was the eldest of seven children; her younger siblings were (in order) Maria,
John II John II may refer to:
People
* John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (1455–1499)
* John II Casimir Vasa of Poland (1609–1672)
* John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch (died 1302)
* John II Doukas of Thessaly (1303–1318)
* John II Komnenos (1087–1 ...
,
Andronikos,
Isaac
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was the ...
, Eudokia, and
Theodora
Theodora is a given name of Greek origin, meaning "God's gift".
Theodora may also refer to:
Historical figures known as Theodora
Byzantine empresses
* Theodora (wife of Justinian I) ( 500 – 548), saint by the Orthodox Church
* Theodora o ...
.
Anna was born in the Porphyra Chamber of the imperial palace in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, making her a ''
porphyrogenita
Traditionally, born in the purple (sometimes "born to the purple") was a category of members of royal families born during the reign of their parent. This notion was later loosely expanded to include all children born of prominent or high-ranking ...
,'' which underscored her imperial status. She noted this status in the ''Alexiad,'' stating that she was "
born and bred in the purple."
[Komnene 2009, p. 3.]
According to Anna's description in the ''
Alexiad
The ''Alexiad'' ( el, Ἀλεξιάς, Alexias) is a medieval historical and biographical text written around the year 1148, by the Byzantine princess Anna Komnene, daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. It was written in a form of artificial ...
'', her mother asked Anna to wait to be born until her father returned from war.
[Comnena 2001, p. 152.] Obediently, Anna waited until her father came home.
At birth, Anna was betrothed to
Constantine Doukas
Constantine X Doukas or Ducas ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Δούκας, ''Kōnstantinos X Doukas'', 1006 – 23 May 1067), was Byzantine emperor from 1059 to 1067. He was the founder and first ruling member of the Doukid dynasty. Duri ...
,
the son of Emperor
Michael VII and
Maria of Alania
Maria of Alania (born Martha; ka, მართა; 1053–1118) was Byzantine empress by marriages to emperors Michael VII Doukas and Nikephoros III Botaneiates.
Her status as empress was considered a significant success for a newly unified Ki ...
. The two were the heirs to the empire until sometime between c.1088 and 1092, after the birth of Anna's brother, John II Komnenos.
[Garland and Rapp 2006, p. 110.] Various scholars point out that the betrothal was probably a political match intended to establish the legitimacy of Anna's father, who had usurped the previous emperor.
Starting around 1090, Constantine's mother – Maria of Alania – raised Anna in her home. It was common in Byzantium for mothers-in-law to raise daughters-in-law. In 1094, Maria of Alania was implicated in an attempt to overthrow Alexios I Komnenos.
Some scholars argue that Anna's betrothal to Constantine Doukas may not have ended there, as he was not implicated in the plot against Alexios,
but it certainly ended when he died around 1094.
Some scholars have also now started to look at Anna's relationships to Maria of Alania;
Anna Dalassene
Anna Dalassene ( el, ; ca. 1025/30 – 1 November 1100/02) was an important Byzantine noblewoman who played a significant role in the rise to power of the Komnenoi in the eleventh century. As '' Augusta'', a title bestowed upon her by her son, A ...
, Anna's paternal grandmother; and Irene Doukaina as sources of inspiration and admiration for Anna. For example, Thalia Gouma-Peterson argues that Irene Doukaina's "maternal ability to deal with the speculative and the intellectual enables the daughter to become the highly accomplished scholar she proudly claims to be in the opening pages of the ''Alexiad''."
Education
Anna wrote at the beginning of the ''Alexiad'' about her education, highlighting her experience with
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
,
Greek language
Greek ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southern Al ...
, rhetoric, and sciences.
Tutors trained her in subjects that included
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
,
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
,
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
, military affairs,
geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...
, and
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
. Anna was noted for her education by the medieval scholar,
Niketas Choniates
Niketas or Nicetas Choniates ( el, Νικήτας Χωνιάτης; c. 1155 – 1217), whose actual surname was Akominatos (Ἀκομινάτος), was a Byzantine Greek government official and historian – like his brother Michael Akominatos, wh ...
, who wrote that Anna "was ardently devoted to philosophy, the queen of all sciences, and was educated in every field." Anna's conception of her education is shown in her testament, which credited her parents for allowing her to obtain an education. This testament is in contrast to a funeral oration about Anna given by her contemporary, Georgios Tornikes. In his oration he said that she had to read ancient poetry, such as the ''
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...
'', in secret because her parents disapproved of its dealing with polytheism and other "dangerous exploits," which were considered "dangerous" for men and "excessively insidious" for women. Tornikes went on to say that Anna "braced the weakness of her soul" and studied the poetry "taking care not to be detected by her parents."
Anna proved to be capable not only on an intellectual level but also in practical matters. Her father placed her in charge of a large hospital and orphanage that he built for her to administer in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
. The hospital was said to hold beds for 10,000 patients and orphans. Anna taught medicine at the hospital, as well as at other hospitals and orphanages. She was considered an expert on
gout
Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intensit ...
. Anna treated her father during his final illness.
Marriage
In roughly 1097, Anna's parents married her to
''Caesar'' Nikephoros Bryennios,
a member of the
Bryennios family that had held the throne before the accession of Anna's father, Alexios I. Nikephoros was a soldier and a historian.
Most scholars agree that the marriage was a political one – it created legitimacy for Anna's paternal family through Bryennios' connections to past emperor's family. The two were an intellectual couple, and Nikephoros Bryennios tolerated and possibly encouraged Anna's scholarly interests by allowing her to participate in various scholarly circles.
[Neville 2016, p. 5.] The couple had six known children: Eirene, Maria, Alexios, John, Andronikos, and Constantine.
[Neville 2016, p. 4.] Only Eirene, John, and Alexios survived to adulthood.
Claim to the throne
In 1087, Anna's brother,
John II John II may refer to:
People
* John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (1455–1499)
* John II Casimir Vasa of Poland (1609–1672)
* John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch (died 1302)
* John II Doukas of Thessaly (1303–1318)
* John II Komnenos (1087–1 ...
, was born. Several years after his birth, in 1092, John was designated emperor. According to Choniates, Emperor Alexios "favoured" John and declared him emperor while the Empress Irene "threw her full influence on
nna'sside" and "continually attempted" to persuade the emperor to designate Nikephoros Bryennios, Anna's husband, in John's place. Around 1112, Alexios fell sick with
rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...
and could not move. He therefore turned the civil government over to his wife, Irene; she in turn directed the administration to Bryennios. Choniates states that, as Emperor Alexios lay dying in his imperial bedchamber, John arrived and "secretly" took the emperor's ring from his father during an embrace "as though in mourning." Anna also worked in her husband's favour during her father's illness. In 1118, Alexios I Komnenos died. A cleric acclaimed John emperor in
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
.
According to Dion C. Smythe, Anna "felt cheated" because she "should have inherited." Indeed, according to Anna Komnene in the ''Alexiad'', at her birth she was presented with "a crown and imperial diadem." Anna's "main aim" in the depiction of events in the ''Alexiad'', according to Vlada Stankovíc, was to "stress her own right" to the throne and "precedence over her brother, John."
In view of this belief, Susan C. Jarratt et al. record that Anna was "almost certainly" involved in the murder plot against John at Alexios's funeral.
[Jarratt 2008, p. 308.] Indeed, Anna, according to Barbara Hill, attempted to create military forces to depose John. According to Choniates, Anna was "stimulated by ambition and revenge" to scheme for the murder of her brother.
Smythe states the plots "came to nothing." Jarratt et al., record that, a short time afterward, Anna and Bryennios "organized another conspiracy."
However, according to Hill, Bryennios refused to overthrow John, making Anna unable to continue with her plans. With this refusal, Anna, according to Choniates, exclaimed "that nature had mistaken their sexes, for he ought to have been the woman." According to Jarratt et al., Anna shows "a repetition of sexualized anger."
Indeed, Smythe asserts that Anna's goals were "thwarted by the men in her life." Irene, however, according to Hill, had declined to participate in plans to revolt against an "established" emperor. Hill, however, points out that Choniates, whom the above sources draw upon, wrote after 1204, and accordingly was "rather far removed" from "actual" events and that his "agenda" was to "look for the causes" of the toppling of Constantinople in 1204.
In contrast, Leonora Neville argues that Anna was probably not involved in the attempted usurpation.
[Neville 2016, p. 111.] Anna plays a minor role in most of the available medieval sources – only Choniates portrays her as a rebel.
Choniates' history is from around 1204, almost a hundred years after Alexios I's death. Instead, most of the sources question whether John II Komnenos' behaviour at his father's deathbed was appropriate.
The plots were discovered and Anna forfeited her estates. After her husband's death, she entered the
convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
of Kecharitomene, which had been founded by her mother. She remained there until her death.
Historian and intellectual
In the seclusion of the monastery, Anna dedicated her time to studying
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and history. She held esteemed intellectual gatherings, including those dedicated to
Aristotelian studies. Anna's intellectual genius and breadth of knowledge is evident in her few works. Among other things, she was conversant with philosophy, literature, grammar, theology, astronomy, and medicine. It can be assumed because of minor errors that she may have quoted
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
and the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
from memory when writing her most celebrated work, the ''Alexiad''. Her contemporaries, like the metropolitan Bishop of Ephesus, Georgios Tornikes, regarded Anna as a person who had reached "the highest summit of wisdom, both secular and divine."
The ''Alexiad''
Anna wrote the ''Alexiad'' in the mid-1140s or 1150s.
Anna cited her husband's unfinished work as the reason why she began the ''Alexiad''.
[Komnene 2009. Prologue, section 3, p. 5.] Before his death in 1137, her husband,
Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger
Nikephoros Bryennios (or Nicephorus Bryennius; Greek: Νικηφόρος Βρυέννιος, ''Nikēphoros Bryennios; ''1062–1137) was a Byzantine general, statesman and historian. He was born at Orestias ( Adrianople) in the theme of Macedoni ...
, was working on a history, which was supposed to record the events before and during the reign of Alexios I.
His death left the history unfinished after recording the events of the reign of Emperor Nikephoros Botaneiates.
Ruth Macrides
Ruth Iouliani (Juliana) Macrides (1949 – 27 April 2019) was a UK-based historian of the Byzantine Empire. At the time of her death, she was Reader in Byzantine Studies at the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Greek Studies at the University of B ...
argues that while Bryennios' writing may have been a source of inspiration for the ''Alexiad'', it is incorrect to suggest that the ''Alexiad'' was Bryennios' work edited by Anna (as Howard-Johnston has argued on tenuous grounds).
In what is considered to be a sort-of statement on how she gathered her sources for the ''Alexiad'', Anna wrote, "My material ... has been gathered from insignificant writings, absolutely devoid of literary pretensions, and from old soldiers who were serving in the army at the time that my father seized the Roman sceptre ... I based the truth of my history on them by examining their narratives and comparing them with what I had written, and what they told me with what I had often heard, from my father in particular and from my uncles … From all these materials the whole fabric of my history – my true history – has been woven". Beyond just eyewitness accounts from veterans or her male family members, scholars have also noted that Anna used the imperial archives, which allowed her access to official documents.
In the ''Alexiad'', Anna provided insight on political relations and wars between Alexios I and the West. She vividly described weaponry, tactics, and battles. It has been noted that she was writing about events that occurred when she was a child, so these are not
eye-witness accounts. Her neutrality is compromised by the fact that she was writing to praise her father and denigrate his successors. Despite her unabashed partiality, her account of the
First Crusade
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...
is of great value to history because it is the only
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
eyewitness account available. She had the opportunity to gather information from key figures in the Byzantine elite; her husband, Nikephorus Bryennios, had fought in the clash with crusade leader
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...
outside
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
on
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday (also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the ...
1097; and her uncle,
George Palaeologos George Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Γεώργιος Παλαιολόγος) was a Byzantine general, one of the most prominent military commanders and supporters of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118).
He was the son of the first know ...
, was present at Pelekanon in June 1097 when Alexios I discussed future strategy with the crusaders. Thus, the ''Alexiad'' allows the events of the
First Crusade
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...
to be seen from the Byzantine elite's perspective. It conveys the alarm felt at the scale of the western European forces proceeding through the Empire, and the dangers they might have posed to the safety of
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
. Anna also identified for the first time, the Vlachs from Balkans with Dacians, in ''Alexiad'' (Chapter XIV), describing their places around Haemus mountains: "...on either side of its slopes dwell many very wealthy tribes, the Dacians and the Thracians on the northern side, and on the southern, more Thracians and the Macedonians". Special suspicion was reserved for crusading leader
Bohemond of Taranto
Bohemond I of Antioch (5 or 7 March 1111), also known as Bohemond of Taranto, was the prince of Taranto from 1089 to 1111 and the prince of Antioch from 1098 to 1111. He was a leader of the First Crusade, leading a contingent of Normans on the qu ...
, a southern Italian Norman who, under the leadership of his father
Robert Guiscard
Robert Guiscard (; Modern ; – 17 July 1085) was a Norman adventurer remembered for the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily. Robert was born into the Hauteville family in Normandy, went on to become count and then duke of Apulia and Calabri ...
, had invaded Byzantine territory in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
in 1081.
Anna referred to the crusaders as "Celts", reflecting old Roman terminology for western barbarians.
The ''Alexiad'' was written in Attic Greek, and the
literary style
In literature, writing style is the manner of expressing thought in language characteristic of an individual, period, school, or nation. As Bryan Ray notes, however, style is a broader concern, one that can describe "readers' relationships with, t ...
is fashioned after
Thucydides
Thucydides (; grc, , }; BC) was an Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientifi ...
,
Polybius
Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail.
Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...
, and
Xenophon
Xenophon of Athens (; grc, wikt:Ξενοφῶν, Ξενοφῶν ; – probably 355 or 354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian, born in Athens. At the age of 30, Xenophon was elected commander of one of the biggest Anci ...
. Consequently, it exhibits a struggle for an
Atticism characteristic of the period, whereby the resulting language is highly artificial. Peter Frankopan argues that the lapses in some of the chronology of events can in part be attributed to errors in, or lack of, source material for those events. Anna herself also addressed these lapses, explaining them as a result of memory loss and old age. But regardless of errors in chronology, her history meets the standards of her time.
Moreover, the ''Alexiad'' sheds light on Anna's emotional turmoil, including her grief over the deaths of her father, mother, and husband, among other things. At the end of the ''Alexiad'', Anna wrote "But living I died a thousand deaths … Yet I am more grief-stricken than
iobe after my misfortunes, great and terrible as they are, I am still alive – to experience yet more … Let this be the end of my history, then, lest as I write of these sad events I become even more resentful."
In popular culture
* Anna Komnene plays a
secondary role in
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
's 1832 novel ''
Count Robert of Paris
''Count Robert of Paris'' (1832) was the second-last of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott. It is part of ''Tales of My Landlord'', 4th series, along with ''Castle Dangerous''. The novel is set in Constantinople at the end of the 11th century, ...
''.
* Fictional accounts of her life are given in the 1928 novel ''Anna Comnena'' by
Naomi Mitchison
Naomi Mary Margaret Mitchison, Baroness Mitchison (; 1 November 1897 – 11 January 1999) was a Scottish novelist and poet. Often called a doyenne of Scottish literature, she wrote over 90 books of historical and science fiction, travel writin ...
and the 1999 novel for young people ''
Anna of Byzantium'' by
Tracy Barrett
Tracy Barrett is an American author of children’s books and young adult novels. She has published twenty-three books for young readers and one for adults.
Life
Tracy Barrett was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but grew up just outside New York CIty ...
.
* She appears prominently in the first volume of the trilogy ''The Crusaders'' by the Polish novelist
Zofia Kossak-Szczucka
Zofia Kossak-Szczucka ( (also Kossak-Szatkowska); 10 August 1889 – 9 April 1968) was a Polish writer and World War II resistance fighter. She co-founded two wartime Polish organizations: Front for the Rebirth of Poland and Żegota, set up t ...
, written in 1935.
* In
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed ...
's
Videssos cycle of novels (1987-2005) the character Alypia Gavra is a fictionalized version of Anna Komnene.
* The 1991 novel ''Az, Anna Komnina'' ( bg, Аз, Анна Комнина, translation=I, Anna Comnena) was written by
Vera Mutafchieva Vera Mutafchieva ( bg, Вера Мутафчиева; March 28, 1929 – June 9, 2009) was a Bulgarian writer and historian.
Biography
Vera Mutafchieva was born in Sofia, March 28, 1929. Her parents were the historian prof. Petar Mutafchiev an ...
, a Bulgarian writer and historian.
* In
Julia Kristeva
Julia Kristeva (; born Yuliya Stoyanova Krasteva, bg, Юлия Стоянова Кръстева; on 24 June 1941) is a Bulgarian-French philosopher, literary critic, semiotician, psychoanalyst, feminist, and, most recently, novelist, who has ...
's 2004 murder mystery ''Murder in Byzantium'', Anna Komnene is the focus of the villain's scholarly and amorous fantasy of the past. The novel includes considerable detail on Anna Komnene's life, work, and historical context.
* Anna appears in ''
Medieval II: Total War'' (2006) as a Byzantine princess, under the name Anna Comnenus.
* A novel written in 2008 by the Albanian writer
Ben Blushi
Ben Blushi (born 1 January 1969) is an Albanian politician, writer and journalist.
Biography
Ben Blushi, born in Tirana, studied at the University of Tirana, graduating in Albanian language and literature. He was editor-in-chief of the newspaper ...
called ''Living on an Island'' mentions her.
* She is a minor character in Nan Hawthorne's novel of the
Crusade of 1101
The Crusade of 1101 was a minor crusade of three separate movements, organized in 1100 and 1101 in the successful aftermath of the First Crusade. It is also called the Crusade of the Faint-Hearted due to the number of participants who joined this ...
, ''Beloved Pilgrim'' (2011).
* In the board game ''Nations'' (2013), Anna Komnene is an adviser in the Medieval Age.
* Anna Komnene is the main protagonist in ''Anna Comnena'' ( ja, アンナ・コムネナ, translit=Anna Komunena) (2021), a historical manga by .
References
Primary sources
*
*Anna Comnena (2001). Dawes, Elizabeth A., ed.
The Alexiad" ''The Internet Medieval Sourcebook''. Fordham University. Retrieved 19 November 2020. (
The Alexiad
The ''Alexiad'' ( el, Ἀλεξιάς, Alexias) is a medieval historical and biographical text written around the year 1148, by the Byzantine princess Anna Komnene, daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. It was written in a form of artificial ...
, Wikisource)
*
*
*
*Anna Komnene, ''The Alexiad'', translated by E.R.A. Sewter, ed. Peter Frankopan, (New York: Penguin, 2009)
*Georgios Tornikes, 'An unpublished funeral oration on Anna Comnena', English translation by Robert Browning, in ''Aristotle Transformed: The Ancient Commentators and Their Influence'', ed. R. Sorabji (New York: Cornell University Press, 1990)
Secondary sources
*
*Dalven, Rae (1972). ''Anna Comnena''. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc.
*
*
*Hanawalt,
Emily Albu
Emily Albu (born November 21, 1945) is a Professor of Classics at the University of California, Davis. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in the field of classics and sits on several committees and boards. Her research focuses on t ...
(1982). "Anna Komnene". In Strayer, Joseph R. ed. ''The Dictionary of the Middle Ages.'' 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 303–304.
*
*Lynda Garland & Stephen Rapp, "Maria 'of Alania': Woman & Empress Between Two Worlds," ''Byzantine Women: Varieties of Experience'', ed. Lynda Garland, (New Hampshire: Ashgate, 2006).
*
*
*Larmour, David (2004). Margolis, Nadia; Wilson, Katherina M., eds. "Comnene, Anna". ''Women in the Middle Ages: an encyclopedia.'' 1. Westport: Greenwood Press. p. 203–205. .
*
*Neville, Leonora (2016). ''Anna Komnene: the life and work of a medieval historian''. New York: Oxford University Press. .
*
*
*
*
*
*
Thomas Joseph Shahan
Thomas Joseph Shahan (September 11, 1857 – March 9, 1932) was an American Catholic theologian and educator, born at Manchester, New Hampshire, educated at Collège de Montréal (1872) at the Pontifical North American College, and at the P ...
(1907). "
Anna Comnena
Anna Komnene ( gr, Ἄννα Κομνηνή, Ánna Komnēnḗ; 1 December 1083 – 1153), commonly Latinized as Anna Comnena, was a Byzantine princess and author of the ''Alexiad'', an account of the reign of her father, the Byzantine emperor, ...
". In ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
*
*Wittek-De Jongh, Suzanne (1953). "Le César Nicéphore Bryennios, l'historien, et ses ascendants". ''Byzantion.'' 23: 463–468.
Further reading
* Georgina Buckler, ''Anna Comnena: A Study'', Oxford University Press, 1929.
* John France,
Anna Comnena, the Alexiad and the First Crusade, ''Reading Medieval Studies'' v. 9 (1983)
*Ed. Kurtz, 'Unedierte Texte aus der Zeit des Kaisers Johannes Komnenos, in ''Byzantinische Zeitschrift'' 16 (1907): 69–119 (Greek text of Anna Comnene's testament).
* Jonathan Harris, ''Byzantium and the Crusades'', Bloomsbury, 2nd ed., 2014.
* Levin, Carole, et al. ''Extraordinary Women of the Medieval and Renaissance World''. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000.
*Ellen Quandahl and Susan C. Jarratt, "'To recall him…will be a subject of lamentation': Anna Comnene as rhetorical historiographer" in ''Rhetorica: A Journal of the History of Rhetoric'' (2008): 301–335.
*Vlada Stankovíc, "Nikephoros Bryennios, Anna Komnene and Konstantios Doukas. A Story of Different Perspectives," in Byzantinische Zeitschrift (2007): 174.
* Paul Stephenson, "Anna Comnena's Alexiad as a source for the Second Crusade?", ''
Journal of Medieval History The ''Journal of Medieval History'' is a major international academic journal devoted to all aspects of the history of Europe in the Middle Ages.
Each issue contains 4 or 5 original articles on European history, including the British Isles, North A ...
'' v. 29 (2003)
External links
Female Heroes ''From The Time of the Crusades: Anna Comnena'' 1999. Women in World History.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Komnene, Anna
1083 births
1153 deaths
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
12th-century Byzantine historians
Byzantine women writers
Eastern Orthodox Christians from the Byzantine Empire
Daughters of Byzantine emperors
Byzantine women physicians
12th-century Byzantine physicians
12th-century Byzantine women
12th-century women writers
Porphyrogennetoi
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
Byzantine Christians
12th-century Byzantine writers
12th-century Byzantine scientists
12th-century Greek scientists
12th-century Greek mathematicians