The Alexiad of Anna Comnena (The Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Anna Comnena (Author), E. R. A. Sewter (Translator, Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Greek (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; 1st edition (1969)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140442154
• ISBN-13: 978-0140442151
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,087,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anna was the pre-eminent female historian of the Middle Ages, June 29, 2000

By 

"c-d-a" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alexiad of Anna Comnena (The Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Her father, Alexios Komnenos, was called upon not only to pull together the rapidly disintegrating Byzantine Empire, but also to deal with what has been called (with a certain degree of justice) "The last barbarian invasion" - the western crusading movement - inadvertently touched off by Alexios's own request for military aid from the west.

Anna Komnena is certainly prey to the prejudices of her rank and station in the Byzantine Empire, and her account is clearly intended as an elegy and panygeric to her adored father - the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Nevertheless, the Alexiad is also a closely detailed and informed account of a pivotal period in the history of medieval europe and the middle east.

Together with Michael Psellos and Niketas Choniates, Anna represents the cream of middle-Byzantine historiography. Do not let the clearly deranged review posted earlier on this site put you off.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very important Primary Source!, November 11, 1998

By 

Sinan F. Askin ([e-mail]) (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alexiad of Anna Comnena (The Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Alexiad is a very important historical primary source for the understanding of the Byzantine culture and history of the era. Eventhough, there are some subjective material, due to the fact the writer is infact the doughter of the emperor Alexius I. I highly recommend the book for those who are interested in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire and the imperial capital of Constantinople.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece of high order, February 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Alexiad of Anna Comnena (The Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Byzantine literature has been unfairly maligned in the West as uncreative and basically unreadable. Anna Comnena's gripping masterpiece reveals just how wrong this judgment is. If you are as impressed as I was, you might go on to read Michael Psellos (also in Penguin), Procopius, Saint Basil and the other Cappadocian fathers, the epic Digenes Akrites (Byzantium's answer to Beowulf and Roland), Barlaan and Josaphat (a novel presenting the life of the Buddha in Christianized form), the lyric poetry of Paul the Silentiary, and the host of other fine works produced over the 1100 years of this amazing civilization.