Writing About Byzantium: The History of Niketas Choniates: 23 (Birmingham Byzantine and Ottoman Studies)

"Niketas Choniates was in Constantinople when it was burnt and looted by the soldiers of the Fourth Crusade and he wrote a history which has always been the mainstay for anyone wishing to learn about the Comnene dynasty and the Byzantine Empire of the twelfth century. Yet it is a very difficult and puzzling text and, given its significance for the period, is understudied. The author says at the start that he wrote his work hoping that even workers and women would be able to profit from it, yet he wrote those words, and the rest of the history, in a highly convoluted, literary and at times opaque style and language. This examination is an introduction to the history of Niketas, and to the author's views of why this period saw such catastrophe for the Byzantines. It looks at Niketas' thoughts about history-writing, the emperors, and the Comnene dynasty in particular, about the presence of God in man's affairs, and the historian's attitudes to the women of the imperial family. "--Provided by publisher Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 1 The puzzle of the History of Niketas Choniates 12 2 ‘A history for workers and women’: statements of intent in the preface 22 3 The world of Byzantine women 42 4 Hellenism and classicism in the History 70 5 The influence of the Old Testament 92 6 Niketas on the emperors 102 7 Conclusion 126 Appendix 1: Addresses to the reader 128 Appendix 2: Niketas’ flawless heroes 144 Index 156