The Alexiad (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

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

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: April 27, 2004

Anna Comnena (1083-1153) wrote "The Alexiad" as an account of the reign of her father, the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I. It is also an important source of information on the Byzantine war with the Normans, and on the First Crusade in which Alexius participated. While the Byzantines were allied to the Crusaders, they were nonetheless critical of their behaviour and Anna's book offers a startlingly different perspective to that of Western historians. Her character sketches are shrewd and forthright - from the Norman invader Robert Guiscard ('nourished by manifold evil') and his son Bohemond ('like a streaking thunderbolt') to Pope Gregory VII ('unworthy of a high priest'). "The Alexiad" is a vivid and dramatic narrative, which reveals as much about the character of its intelligent and dynamic author as it does about the fascinating period through which she lived.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anna Comnena (1083 - 1153) was the eldest child of the Emperor Alexius I. She obtained an education in literature and philosophy due to her position. After a broken engagement to the heir to the throne, Anna was involved in an attempt to assasinate her brother, who had become King. She was exiled to a convent, where she wrote the Alexiad. E.R.A. Sewter was a well-known Byzantine scholar.

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; Revised edition (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140449582
• ISBN-13: 978-0140449587
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #862,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Translation, March 17, 2006

By 

Bryan Miller (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

An excellent translation of Comnena's work, remains true to the original Greek while providing good equivalents for the more difficult idiomatic expressions. Also includes a couple of very helpful maps and appendices. A wonderful read for anyone interested in Byzantine history.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Putting the "Byzantine" in Byzantine Politics, January 30, 2006

By 

Alfred Jensen "Human being, doin' what humans do" (Daejeon, South Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

In this history the Emperor Alexius comes across as a sort of medievil Lee Iacoca or Carlos Gohsn, who through very delicate wheeling and dealing manages to bring back a floundering empire from the brink. Since Anna was the emperor's daughter, we could expect a hagliography from her, but that would discredit her intensely perceptive analysis of the political situation as well as her own personal experiences with many of the major players or others who knew them. It would also ignore the fact that this book is in many ways a treatise by Anna on what it means to be a good ruler, as exemplified through the person of Alexius.

Excellent book for history buffs and people looking for examples of great leadership.

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice improvement on a good edition, December 5, 2011

By 

Kirialax (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alexiad (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

As usual, I am not reviewing Anna Komnene as an historian. I am reviewing this particular edition of her work.

This is a relatively recent edition of the 'Alexiad'. While the core of E.R.A. Sewter's 1969 translation remains in place, many changes have been made and they are all good. The first, and most visually obvious, is the jacket. The 2003 edition of the Alexiad featured a figure in mosaic, which the book identified as Alexios Komnenos, as depicted in a 12th c. mosaic in the Hagia Sophia. This isn't entirely wrong, in that the mosaic is of Alexios Komnenos, it's just the wrong one. The figure depicted was Alexios, son of John II Komnenos and heir-apparent until his early death. His mosaic is attached but is rotated 90 degrees from the famous mosaic panel of his parents, making the mis-identification understandable for a badly-informed tourist guide, but not a serious publication. Thankfully, Penguin has fixed this issue and replaced the cover image with a high-quality picture (the coin it is a picture of is about the size of a thumbnail) of one of Alexios I Komnenos' hyperpyra (meaning: fire-refined) coins. The new editor, Oxford's Peter Frankopan has also adopted a more regular transliteration style based upon that used in the The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (3-Volume Set), in place of Sewter's original Latin-based transliteration style. These changes extend into the text as well, which generally seems to be mostly unchanged, although Frankopan's updates allow for more precision. Titles and important Greek terms are left transliterated.

The book's appendices are also much overhauled. Rather than work too hard, the original 'Alexiad' borrowed a few appendices from Sewter's earlier translation of Michael Psellos' Fourteen Byzantine Rulers: The Chronographia of Michael Psellus (Penguin Classics). The essays on Greek fire and the Byzantine navy are gone, which is fine because they both include much old scholarship. Instead, a table of relevant Byzantine rulers, popes, and patriarchs is included, as well as stemmata of the Doukas and Komnenos families. The real valuable addition lies in Frankopan's excellent notes. For a Penguin Classic this is exceptional, as they are usually rather bare when it comes to notes. While Frankopan's explanatory notes hardly make this a serious commentary, they are useful for understanding Anna's classical references and the context when she fails to explain herself or is being deliberately manipulative. A glossary is also provided. Such an addition is absolutely essential, as many titles are now just transliterated in the text itself. While the entries are brief, they are sufficient. Frankopan also includes a bibliographic essay at the start of the text which provides a useful summary of the most recent and important scholarship.

This new edition of the 'Alexiad' includes some very useful support materials. It is one of the finest Penguin Classics in print, and easily replaces Sewter's original version.