Michael Psellos on Literature and Art: A Byzantine Perspective on Aesthetics (Michael Psellos in Translation)

Michael Psellos Has Long Been Known As A Key Figure In The History Of Byzantine Literary And Intellectual Culture, But His Theoretical And Critical Reflections On Literature And Art Are Little Known Outside Of A Small Circle Of Specialists. Most Famous For His Chronographia, A History Of Eleventh-century Byzantine Emperors And Their Reigns, Psellos Also Excelled In Describing As Well As Prescribing Practices And Rules For Literary Discourse And Visual Culture. The Ambition Of Michael Psellos On Literature And Art Is To Illustrate An Important Chapter In The History Of Greek Literary And Art Criticism And Introduce Precisely This Aspect Of Psellian Writing To A Wider Public. The Editors Of This Volume Present Thirty Psellian Texts, All Of Which Have Been Translated—some In Part, Most In Their Entirety—into English. In The Majority Of Cases, The Works Are Translated For The First Time In Any Modern Language, And Several Are Discussed At Length Here For The First Time. They Are Grouped Into Two Separate Sections, Which Roughly Translate To Two Areas Of Theoretical Reflection Associated With The Modern Terms “literature” And “art.” As Such, These Texts Display Byzantine Views, Attitudes, And Ultimately Tastes Regarding What Is Thought To Be Beautiful As Well As Moral, And Appealing As Well As Mentally And Psychologically Effective, In Texts And Artistic Objects.-- Introduction To Part One / Stratis Papaioannou -- 1. Synopsis Of The Rhetorical Forms, Based On Hermogenes' On Forms / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation (in Collaboration With / Christopher M. Geadrities} -- 2. Synopsis Of Rhetoric In Verses, Based On The Hermogenian Corpus / Jeffrey Walker -- Translation -- 3. On Literary Composition, Based On Dionysios Of Halikarnassos' On Composition / Antony Littlewood -- Translation -- 4. On Rhetoric, Based On Longinos' Art Of Rhetoric / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation -- 5. On Tragedy / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation -- 6. On The Different Styles Of Certain Writings: A Rhetor's Canon / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation -- 7. The Styles Of Gregory The Theologian, Basil The Great, Chrysostom, And Gregory Of Nyssa / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation -- 8. An Encomium Of Gregory Of Nazianzos' Style / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation -- 9. Two Lectures On Gregory Of Nazianzos: Theol. I 19 (on Or. 40.24) And 98 (on Or. 43.1) / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation -- 10. On Saint John Chrysostom / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation (in Collaboration With / Christopher M. Geadrities) -- 11. To One Asking Who Wrote Verse Better, Euripides Or Pisides / Antony Littlewood -- Translation -- 12. A Comparison Of The Novels Of Heliodoros And Achilleus Tatios / Antony Littlewood -- Translation -- 13. Encomium For Kyr Symeon Metaphrastes / Elizabeth A. Fisher -- Translation -- 14. Encomium For The Monk Ioannes Kroustoulas Who Read Aloud At The Holy Soros / Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation -- Introduction To Part Two / Charles Barber -- 15. On Perception And Perceptibles / Charles Barber And David Jenkins -- Translation -- 16. On Beauty And On Intelligible Beauty / Charles Barber And David Jenkins -- Translation -- 17. To The Emperor Doukas, Regarding The Inscription / Anthony Kaldellis -- Translation (in Collaboration With / Demetrios Kritsotakis) -- 18. On Ancient Works Of Art (or. Min. 33 And 34) / Christine Angelidi -- Translation -- 19. Ekphrasis Of The Crucifixion / Charles Barber And Elizabeth A. Fisher -- Translation -- 20. Discourse On The Miracle That Occurred In The Blachernai Church / Elizabeth A. Fisher -- Translation -- 21. A Miraculous Icon Of The Mother Of God / Charles Barber, David Jenkins, And Stratis Papaioannou -- Translation -- 22. The Empress Zoe And Christ Antiphonetss / Charles Barber -- Translation -- 23. Select Letters On Art And Aesthetics / Charles Barber -- Critical Editions (by Stratis Papaioannou) And Translations With Notes / By Charles Barber, David Jenkins, And Stratis Papaioannou -- List Of Rhetorical Terms. Edited By Charles Barber And Stratis Papaioannou. The Present Volume Is The Third In The Project Michael Psellos In Translation....--page Ix. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 385-403) And Index. Michael Psellos has long been known as a key figure in the history of Byzantine literary and intellectual culture, but his theoretical and critical reflections on literature and art are little known outside of a small circle of specialists. Most famous for his Chronographia, a history of eleventh-century Byzantine emperors and their reigns, Psellos also excelled in describing as well as prescribing practices and rules for literary discourse and visual culture. The ambition of Michael Psellos on Literature and Art is to illustrate an important chapter in the history of Greek literary and art criticism and introduce precisely this aspect of Psellian writing to a wider public. The editors of this volume present thirty Psellian texts, all of which have been translated - some in part, most in their entirety - into English. In the majority of cases, the works are translated for the first time in any modern language, and several are discussed at length here for the first time. They are grouped into two separate sections, which roughly translate to two areas of theoretical reflection associated with the modern terms 'literature' and 'art.'0 Michael Psellos has long been known as a key figure in the history of Byzantine literary and intellectual culture, but his theoretical and critical reflections on literature and art are little known. The aim of this volume is to illustrate an important chapter in the history of Greek literary and art criticism and introduce precisely this aspect of Psellian writing to a wider public.