Heroes and Romans in Twelfth-Century Byzantium - The Material for History of Nikephoros Bryennios

This book reveals how cultural memories of classical Roman honor informed Nikephoros Bryennios' history of the eleventh century and his political choices.

List of contents

Introduction; Part I. Contexts: 1. Twelfth-century politics and the House of Komnenos; 2. Writing history in twelfth-century Constantinople; 3. Nikephoros' reading; 4. Sources for the Material for History; Part II. Reading in the Material for History: 5. Problems of the Empire: civil war and mercenaries; 6. The rise of Alexios; 7. Romans and their enemies; 8. Military virtue; 9. Roman family politics; 10. Religion and providence; 11. Roman heroes; 12. A Roman mother; 13. A bold young man; Part III. The Material for History in Twelfth-Century Politics and Culture: 14. The Material for History and imperial politics of the twelfth century; 15. Nikephoros and Anna; 16. Roman ideals and twelfth-century Constantinopolitan culture; Conclusions; Appendix 1; Appendix 2. Vocabulary of virtue.

About the author

Leonora Neville holds the John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Professorship in Byzantine History at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and is the author of Authority in Byzantine Provincial Society: 950–1100 (2004).

Summary

This first book-length study of Nikephoros Bryennios' history of the Byzantine Empire examines his use of classical Roman constructions of masculinity and honor. It will be important for the study of medieval gender, nobility, memory, historiography, rhetoric of warfare and political and military history of the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Product details

• Authors: Leonora Neville, Leonora (John W. And Jeanne M. Rowe Profe Neville, Neville Leonora
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.12.2016
• EAN: 9781316628935
• ISBN: 978-1-316-62893-5
• No. of pages: 258
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Griechenland, History, European History, HISTORY / Europe / General, CE period up to c 1500, c 1000 CE to c 1500, Middle Eastern history, Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500, Byzantine Empire