#Byzantine literature

[gemsofgreece]

Ancient Greece left a mark in myths and literature, but do you know any Byzantine stories that are worth being recognised? Also do you know any stories by modern Greek authors that deserve the same hype as the old ones?

Yes! The issue with Byzantine literature is that too little survives and even less survives in full, which is a result of both the relentless warring and invasions of the Byzantine Empire from west and east alike and the loud indifference regarding the preservation of anything Byzantine for the longest time, as opposed to the mania with Ancient Greek literature.

Regarding Byzantine fiction in specific, which is what I think you are asking, I think three romance novels survive and an epic poetic one. That last one is the trademark of Byzantine literature:

Basil Digenés Akritas (Βασίλειος Διγενής Ακρίτας), 9 - 10th Century

This versed epic novel is the best known amongst the acritic songs. Those poems were about the exploits of the akrites, meaning the soldiers / guards living and protecting the borders of the Byzantine empire. Digenes Akritas was a hero coming from two different bloodlines, as also evident by his epithet "Digenes", his father was a Saracen emir and his mother was of Byzantine Greek noblility in Cappadocia. Digenes has essentially supernatural power - there are herculian parallels - and he is not infallible in his morals - the story narrates his bravery, manliness, exploits and romance(s), and his piety - in a paradoxical combo truly few could master as much as the Byzantines.

Erotókritos (Ερωτόκριτος), 16 - 17th Century

The monumental versed romance of post-Byzantine and very early Modern Greece is this classic of Cretan literature, composed by Vitsentzos Kornaros. Incidentally getting written the same time as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, I will go fully on record saying it's better than Romeo and Juliet. The reason I make this comparison at all is because the general concept is similar, although it unfolds entirely differently in the process; the forbidden love between two young people and the fierce objection of the parents. And also, because I don't get the fuss around R&J. Anyway, apart from the concept, the story is different, it's a friends to lovers, not enemies to lovers, one is a royal, the other is not, and the main character is , again, a super skilled warrior on top of everything else. The story is also set in a fantastical multi-Greek world: it's officially set in Ancient Athens, but it has Byzantine, Cretan, Greek folk and Frankish elements. The lovestory of Erotokritos and Aretusa remains the ultimate Greek romance and the poem has turned into folk songs that are well known and loved by all of us. The Cretan literature of the time produced more notable works, such as Erophile, which is super morbid and dark as hell, but I don't know much about it yet so I can't recommend it.

As for Modern Greek literature, I am going to state another potentially surprising opinion. I do not consider myself an expert at it, however from the little I've read I like it wayyyy more than Ancient Greek literature, excluding the Homeric epics. Granted, it might have to do with how each can possibly resonate with us but it's also about the prose. This is subjective but I LOVE modern Greek prose and poetry. My mouth always threatens to drool when reading the Skiathitic dialect of Papadiamantis *shrug*.

You didn't ask about poetry but modern Greek poetry is 100% verified drool worthy. I don't know if you know Greek though, certainly translations aren't equal to the real thing. Still, I recommend the poetry of Odysseus Elytis, Giorgos Seferis, Constantine Cavafy, Giannis Ritsos, Nikos Kavvadias, Dionysios Solomos and so many more.

As for prose, I will start as a broken record once more, with the short novel "The Murderess" (Η Φόνισσα) by Alexandros Papadiamantis. You need no more description, that's all.

Here is a list of the 200 best modern Greek novels, as voted by readers. It's in Greek though. I didn't know it, but the Murderess is the most upvoted. I approve.

I will add nine more from this list to make a random Top 10 of classics:

Ματωμένα Χώματα (Bloody Earth) by Dido Sotiriou, 1962

Ένα παιδί μετράει τ' άστρα (A child counts the stars) by Menelaus Loudemis, 1956

Παραμύθι χωρίς όνομα (Fairytale without a name) by Penelope Delta, 1910

Η Μεγάλη Χίμαιρα (The Great Chimaera) by Manolis Karagatsis, 1953

Η Ζωή εν Τάφω (Life in the Grave) by Stratis Myrivilis, 1924

Ο Χριστός ξανασταυρώνεται (Christ, Recrucified) by Nikos Kazantzakis, 1948

Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά (Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) by Nikos Kazantzakis, 1946 (also known as "Zorbas the Greek" abroad...)

Το Τρίτο Στεφάνι (The Third Marriage) by Kostas Tachtsis, 1962

Η Πάπισσα Ιωάννα (Popess Johanna) by Emmanuel Roides, 1866

Το Νούμερο 31328 (Number 31328) by Ilias Venetis, 1931

[finelythreadedsky]

 On one level the book is about the life of a woman who is hardly more than a token in a great epic poem, on another it’s about how history and context shape how we are seen, and the brief moment there is to act between the inescapable past and the unknowable future. Perhaps to write Lavinia Le Guin had to live long enough to see her own early books read in a different context from the one where they were written, and to think about what that means.

-Jo Walton

[teenageascetic]

"That is why St Paul speaks of conjugal rights as a debt; to show that neither husband nor wife is his or her own master, but rather are each other's servants. As for you, husband, if a prostitute tries to seduce you, tell her, "My body is not my own, but my wife's." And let the wife say the same to any man attempting to undermine her fidelity: "My body is not my own, but my husband's." So if neither husband nor wife has power over their own bodies, they have even less control over money."

-St John Chrysostom On Marriage and Family Life.

[maniculum]

A secret assassination by the empress against her husband's wishes... A giant cryptid whale that terrorizes the coastline and kills sailors... We adapt Prokopios' Secret History of Byzantium for your next TTRPG.

Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Check out our merch!

Danse Macabre: find it on DriveThruRPG here or at Stillfleet Studios here!

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Citations & References:

The Secret History and another version

More about Porphyrios

[escapismsworld]

Gold crucifix

Byzantine

6th-7th century AD

📸 The British Museum

[icecreamwithjackdaniels]

"[…] Gothic churches are like inverted abysses, suspended, and you stand on their bottom like sediment brought by the current. And my eyes always wandered to the stained glass windows. But here, I realize I love more the shattered stained glass of Byzantine mosaics. In Gothic cathedrals, the stained glass windows are cold, despite their luminosity. Here, the mosaics sing. A choir of perfect harmony. I hear the stonemasons cutting the marble, making it into small chips, as much as a swallow would need to build its nest. And you even get the impression that they are built by swallows in the likeness and resemblance of nests, these bodies. […] The mosaics are nothing but eternalized shadows. The faces of the holier passers–by on the streets of Ravenna have remained in the pavement. What am I looking for in this tapestry? each one seems to ask.

What am I doing here? — you wonder, as if from a wall. […] It's as if you are on a height, continuously enveloped in the strong vapors of clouds rising from the valleys. Here, the vapors come from the marble. The colors are vivid, the mosaics colored like stained glass. Were people so alive back then? — you ask the Three Wise Men — running against a backdrop with palm trees growing from candlesticks…"

— Marin Sorescu, Insomnia, 1971

[blueflipflops]

Reblog for bigger sample size!

Tell me facts about your favorite ancient civilization! Would LOVE to be enlightened!

Don't be shy. Infodump on me. I'm in the mood to be infodumped for a whole week

[alatismeni-theitsa]

As a Greek i find hilarious and bitter that people still remember the ancient tales of our ancestors and are studied globally hoe well written they were but we modern Greeks don't produce that anymore like why?

Where did all the creativity go instead of making the same stories everyone globally make that sometimes don't even reflect our society?

I understand what you mean cause I've heard the same comment many times, but let me come to this from another angle.

Fuck what foreigners think. The ancient Greek works have great merit and no one in the world is wrong for studying them and appreciating them. However, the overstudy of these manuscripts has led to needless over-analyzing of texts and the overlook of other great Greek works. The Western world has focused so much on ancient Greek works and has talked only about them for such a long time that more than half the world has forgotten that Greeks existed beyond that era.

We have GREAT literary Greek works from medieval times. It wasn't "the Dark Ages" for us, baby! I'm talking about the Alexeiad, the Digenes Akritas Epic cycle, the satiric works "Timarion" and "Mazaris", the poem the "Spaneas", the (huuuge) "Fountain of Knowledge" by Ioannis Damaskinos, the historical work of Ioannis Malalas, the works of Mihail Psellos, the HUNDREDS of medical and scientific books, and other works that influenced the East and the West alike. That's just the tip of the iceberg!

Why don't we feel proud about those? Because we don't know them. Why don't we know them? Because it's not trendy to study these periods.

We also don't talk about the hundreds of amazing writers we had the last century - including those who got Nobels - because that's not trendy right now.

We have to stop seeing the value of Greek literature through the eyes of foreigners. We have to promote Greek works because we can't just wait for a Shannon in New Jersey, US, to discover it and like it, in order for us to appreciate it too.

Also, we cannot re-invent the wheel. Our ancestors wrote some great stuff for their era. In 2023 this stuff is still great but it's not THAT revolutionary. So there's no comparison in regards to novelty. But we can produce good works regardless.

Greece is not a colonial power or a former colonial power like the European "Big Powers" (these 8 countries), or an empire like the US. Our nation is still recovering for 400-600 years of slavery and occupation AND the dozens of traumatising conflicts and wars that came after that. We can't expect the same growth at the same numbers as these luckier countries. We can't afford as a nation to have extremely popular events and promote the arts like they do in LA, or in Berlin, or London. Let's be kind to ourselves.

In continuation of the previous point, Greece today doesn't have enough powerful publishing houses to back great writers. Our writers, except 4-5 names in the whole country, don't see a penny from their work even after selling hundreds of copies. Even if you earn something, it's not even enough for a month's groceries. So writers either have to choose to spend only 10% of their time writing, or 80% of their time writing and live penniless.

The creativity is there, but Greeks rarely have the time and resources to pursue their writing passion to the point of greatness.

[paganimagevault]

Emese's Dream by Mihaly Buday 20th-21st C. CE

"The necessity for a change of country by the Magyars was a direct consequence of the policy of the Byzantine court." (The Byzantine Church in Medieval Hungary by Gyula Moravcsik).

"They [the Hungarians] were allied with the Eastern emperor, Leo VI (the wise), who was trapped in the vise of combined Islamic and Bulgar assaults that came dangerously close to his capital on the Bosporus. A bold counterattack, however, saved the city of Constantine. The Byzantine fleet ferried Hungarians into Bulgar territory as Khan Simeon's forces arrived at the very gates of Constantinople. Consequently, the Bulgarian ruler found it necessary to end the siege and turn his attention to the Magyars who were marauding in his territory. This maneuver allowed Eastern imperial armies to save their capital. After defeating Islamic forces and making peace with the Bulgars, Leo left his erstwhile allies (the Hungarians) in the lurch" (Charles R. Bowlus. Franks, Moravians, and Magyars: The struggle for the Middle Danube).

Though the Hungarians defeated the Bulgarians and forced Simeon into hiding, they weren't expecting the Pecheneg attack that followed. The Pechenegs were the key element that turned the war of 894-896 in Bulgaria's favor. The Magyars were caught off guard and defeated at the Battle of Southern Buh and forced to migrate westward into the Carpathian Basin while the Pechenegs took Etelkoz.

The Romans [Byzantines] had a two-faced approach to the Hungarians. This seems to have been largely rooted in religion; the Romans were Christian and the Hungarians were not. Roman Emperor Leo VI [The Wise] clearly despised the Hungarians who helped him but outwardly encouraged them to conquer their eastern neighbors who had forced them out of Etelkoz and into the Carpathian Basin. From the writings of Leo VI's son, Constantine Porphyrogenitus:

"A cleric named Gabriel was once sent to the Magyars by the Emperor's orders, and he delivered his message to the following effect: 'The Emperor instructs you to go and expel the Pechenegs from their country and to settle there yourselves (it was your own home once). I want you, his Majesty directs me to say, to be near my dominions..." (Arnold Toynbee, Constantine Porphyrogenitus and his World).

The Romans likely desired the Magyars to defeat the Pechenegs because they knew how much of a problem they could be. Up to this point the Pechenegs had largely been friendly allies of the Romans. Now they had sided with the Bulgarians in the Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 894–896. From Constantine Porphyrogenitus and his World: "The Pechenegs are fully capable of making war on all these peoples [Rhos, Bulgars, Magyars], and, as they have often attacked them, they have now become a terror to them." The Romans, however, now found themselves added to that list of potential victims.

Leo VI takes quite a different tone in his personal writings (his Tactica) describing all Scythians (including the Hungarians) as a faithless people who "have never done anything of value". Ironically, after the Magyars saved the Romans and were left to deal with the dual Bulgar-Pecheneg invasion on their own, Leo calls the Magyars a people who "scorn their oaths and do not observe agreements they have made". Leo VI also notes that the Hungarians and Bulgarians are "stronger than the other Scythian nations as they engage in close combat under one commander". His writings come after the Hungarians defeated the Bulgarians, designating the Magyars as the most formidable of the Scythian nations. Leo VI then says the Bulgarians must not be punished for their prior invasion because they are a Christian population: "Since the Bulgarians, however, embraced the peace of Christ and share the same faith in him as the Romans, after what they went through as a result of breaking their oath, we do not think of taking up arms against them".

Leo's writings show that he still looked down on the Magyars who saved him and he embraced the Bulgars who had just invaded him. The Magyar's contemporary view of their dealings with the Romans here is unknown to me and probably lost to time, but they likely looked at it as a one-sided deal where the Romans benefited and they didn't. This hubris of Leo would have grave consequences later, continuing on even after the Bulgars broke the peace deal again and defeated the Romans at the Battle of Boulgarophygon in 896 CE. The main Roman army that had arrived home from the east couldn't save them, and the Magyars weren't eager to find themselves on the receiving end of "Roman gratitude" again.

The writings of Nicholas I Patriarch of Constantinople show the continuity of Eastern Roman problems with Bulgaria in the 900s. Written between 912-925 CE (probably shortly before 917): "...this governor of Cherson is continually reporting that Bulgarians are making every effort to get the Pechenegs and other nations in those parts to join them in the expedition and attack on the Romans. These reports are not intermittent...they went on to say that as many as sixteen messengers had come from the race of the Pechenegs, who had reported that messengers from Bulgaria had been sent to them, not just once or twice, but over and over again, to invite them to join them..." (Nicholas I Patriarch of Constantinople Letter 9, trnsl Jenkins & Westerink).

The specifics of what came next depends on what sources you choose to believe. The Miracula Sancti Georgii [written in the 11th century] states that some years later the Bulgars, Magyars, and Pechenegs forged an alliance and destroyed the Roman army together at the battle of Achelous in 917 CE where "...even now there could be seen piles of bones at Anchialus, where the fleeing army of the Romans was disgracefully slain." (from Leo the Deacon's History, 75 years later).

[harrycollins]

if I can't finish that book today... i will feel sick.

[theversevoyager]

In the dawn of the Byzantine Empire, two wise councilors pondered the fate of their kingdom. One chose power, the other peace, and each path led to vastly different futures. The first, obsessed with his throne, drove the empire to war, only to watch it crumble around him. The second, seeking harmony, forged alliances that ensured a prosperous legacy. In the end, both councilors learned the true cost of their decisions and the delicate balance that shapes our world's destiny.

[gemsofgreece]

Oh my goodness hello i am the person that asked you about the interview with the greek teacher and those tips were so helpful! I am incredibly interested in the Byzantine period, particularly the hagiographical literature, the letters of Philes and Psellos, and the Greek Orthodox tradition in general and the incredible history with iconography. So i will most definitely be mentioning those! Im so sorry i should have specified; i dont speak a word of Greek haahaha im applying to study the language (from scratch of course) and literature of Medieval and Modern Greek so that should cover the Byzantine period onwards i believe? Just wanted to say thank you so much for the tips i will be sure to express my appreciation for the culture. My biggest worry was that i'd really butcher a name of some sort haha! Your blog is quite wonderful, its actually what sparked my interest in the language and culture (i speak a few other European languages already so id be studying them alongisde Greek hopefully) I just hope they'll see that i have the linguistic ability because the alphabet is of course different to the latin alphabet and the language isnt very closely related to other European languages so fingers crossed i guess! This is quite a long message i apologise but I wanted to say thank you for everything! I hope to report back in about 6 months time with an acceptance letter... thanks again! much love x

Well if you say those same things to them plus some emphasis on the things I advised, you don’t have to worry one bit! You could also use your knowledge / studying of other languages as proof of your skill in linguistics.

You should also not worry that regardless of how many languages you know, Greek will be so monstrously hard that the professor will have doubts you can make it. As foreign alphabets go, the Greek one is the closest one to Latin and it has only 24 letters, half of which are the same with Latin. In fact, perhaps you have the time to learn it before the interview, it might help you feel more prepared and confident. And yep it is a challenging language but there are several challenging languages out there, there isn’t, like, anything inhumanly hard about it. Since you are already acquainted with other European languages, you will certainly find especially its vocabulary but even its grammar much easier than other non-Indo-European languages like Arabic, Chinese, Japanese etc And, in general, it is hard but not as hard as its reputation suggests. Some Slavic languages, Finnish and Hebrew are about as hard, give or take. And Greek is closer to the Romance languages than these are, so it might actually be easier for you.

Yes, my understanding is that your studies will include Byzantine and Post-Byzantine eras. I am not sure how modern it will get. But my guess based on what you told me is that they are probably teaching both Modern and Koine Greek. Honestly, these studies sound pretty cool. I think they will be fun!

I am also incredibly moved that you feel like the blog inspired you to want to explore this field of history and art! I hope this journey will be really rewarding for you.

Looking forward to your future report about your acceptance to the program 😁😁😁

[universalambients]

Istanbul (1846 AD) Ambient Music

[song-of-roland-alexiad]

The Alexiad by Anna Komnene

The Alexiad is a medieval historical and biographical work written by Anna Komnene (1083-1153), a Byzantine princess and historian. Anna Komnene was the daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos: while Alexious I wasn't the first ruler in the Komnenian dynasty, the Komnenos family rose to power during his reign. In the Alexiad, Anna Komnene provides a eulogistic biography of her father's reign during 1081-1118; the literary work was completed around 1148. It was written in Attic Greek (classical Greek).

13th century Byzantine mosaic of John Komnenos, brother of Anna Komnene in the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. Empress Eirene is depicted holding a parchment scroll; her blonde hair is noticeable.

Composed of a prologue and fifteen books, Anna Komnene also provides a vivid account of the political and military events of her time, including the tumultuous First Crusade that moved eastward, and the Byzantine Empire's interactions with various foreign powers. Anna Komnene's account of the First Crusade was primarily presented in Books 10 and 11. The narrative extends beyond that of a historical chronicle of its time. Anna Komnene engages with classical rhetoric and presents the Byzantine Empire under Alexios I as a great, powerful, and righteous ruler: under his rule, the Byzantine empire successfully defeated -- or at least neutralized -- many of their enemies, one of them being the Crusaders or "Frankish Barbarians." During the 12th century, the Byzantine Empire faced many adversaries' invasion. The Sack of Thessalonica (1185), though it occurred after the rule of Alexios I, was among one of the most destructive blows contributing to the ultimate fall of the Byzantine Empire. Two decades earlier, Thessaolnica was captured and sacked by the Abbasid Caliphate.

Themes:

The Alexiad addresses themes of religious conflict, barbarism, kingship, and the categorizing of different Crusader groups. In the chronicle, she mentions the Celts, Latins, Normans, and Frankish Barbarians. It can also be argued that some elements of Greek mythology, such as that drawing upon Homer's Iliad, were subtly laced into the Alexiad. In Lamentation, History, and Female Authorship in Anna Komnene's Alexiad, Leonora Neville writes "the characterization of Alexios as wily sea captain steering the empire through constant storms with guile and courage strongly recalls Odysseus (Neville, 192)." While this project aims to discuss the themes of martyrdom and barbarism in both the Alexiad and the Song of Roland, it is worth considering the themes in a multifaceted way through different mediums. Her position as an "insider" to the Court and an "outsider" female observer in a male-dominated political sphere also invokes the classic class discussion of binaries, or of "us" and "them."

Some thoughts on Anna Komnene's historigraphy:

Anna Komnene's position as a female writer in 12th century makes the Alexiad a unique piece of literature: her perspective was influenced by her own experiences as both an "insider" to the Court and an "outsider" observing the political landscape of Byzantium during her lifetime. Her work deviates from the historiography commonly found during her time: she describes herself as the author, and does not withhold from expressing her feelings. While many historians attribute this to Anna Komnene being a female writer, other have also speculated whether Anna Komnene was merely working on her husband's notes -- nevertheless, many modern historians now agree that Anna Komnene was the original author of the Alexiad.

Aside from her emotionality, historian Peter Frankopan commented on her emphasis on her father as a Christian emperor that Anna Komnene's historiography reflected a hagiographical tradition.

What I find a little curious about the Alexiad while examining it against the context of other works produced during its time is how -- despite addressing many religious themes and conflicts, and venerating Alexios I as a Christian ruler, the Alexaid makes no mention of the East-West Schism of 1054. While this is also another "binary" that we can explore, the divide of the Orthodox versus Roman Catholic Church was a crucial part not only of Byzantine history at the time, but heavily defined the politics and interactions of the Byzantine Empire with other Empires.

Class sources:

Neville reading

The Alexiad

...and Peter Frankopan, if you would allow me to go to HIST55 for a bit!

External sources:

[maniculum]

The Byzantine world continues to make for a perfect D&D setting! In this episode, Justinian outlaws astrology, while he and Theodora pretend to be an the embittered couple in order to play both sides of the sport-fans-turned-rioters, and "Pumpkin," the city prefect, is ousted from power by these sports fanatics. What could possibly go wrong?

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Citations & References:

The Secret History and another version

[themanfrommensa]

Storyworlds in Collections: Toward a Theory of the Ancient and Byzantine Tale (2nd Century CE – 7th Century CE)

https://themanfrommensa.com/category/shop/ For more information, please visit the TaleTheory website