fourteen byzantine rulers the chronographia of michael psellus

The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism. I will therefore analyse one such incident where Maria Skleraina, the mistress of Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos (reigned 1042-1055) heard, discussed and enjoyed a comparison between herself and Helen of Troy. Yet, we await a major modern study of women’s engagement with the Byzantine reception of antiquity. Several other elite women also commissioned texts that extensively reference the ancient past.

This text is known to British schoolchildren today, because it provides an important account of the First Crusade (1095-1099). It is a classicising history replete with with allusions to ancient texts and myths. Anna Komnene composed her Alexiad during this period (completed by 1148), the only Greek language history written by a woman between the first century A.D. These centuries witnessed a reinvigorated Byzantine interest in ancient Greek and Roman history and culture. This piece focuses on a case study from the middle period of Byzantine history, which lasted between the tenth and twelfth centuries, and offers suggestions for further research. The Empire’s borders extended across Asia Minor, Greece and the Balkans. 1988, 0411.1.īetween the fourth and fifteenth centuries, the medieval Roman Empire, known in modern scholarship as the Byzantine Empire, ruled large swathes of territory from the capital Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). Does one of the dancing figures represent Maria Skleraina? At: Budapest: National Museum. The central three figures from left to right are Empress Zoe, Emperor Constantine IX, Empress Theodora.

Fourteen byzantine rulers the chronographia of michael psellus