Anna Comnena

This article analyses the most dominant ways of describing the Pechenegs and their mentality reflected in the Byzantine tradition of the “Scythian War” of Alexius I Comnenus (1081–1118). The first part examines the excursus on the Pechenegs (“Scythians”) in oratio of Theophylact of Ochrid compared with a similar description of "Mysians" of his teacher Michael Psellus. Despite these contemporary accounts there is nor significant information on the Pechenegs. Only the literary topos of the "invasion of the nomads" is used to describe their character and way of life. This image corresponds to the adversarial behavior in byzantine culture and the Kaiseridee. To typify pagan nomads as enemies of the Christian Roman Empire was conventional in propaganda and rhetoric. The second and third parts of this article focus on Anna Comnena, who describes the military tactics in 1080 with a view on a previous “Scythian War” John II Comnenus (1118–1143).

The paper analyses the prevailing modes of description of Pechenegs and mentalities reflected in the Byzantine tradition about the “Scythian” war of Alexius I Comnenus (1081–1118). The first part examines the excursus on Pechenegs (“Scythians”) in ceremonial oration by Theophylact of Ochrid in comparison with similar account of his teacher Michael Psellus. Despite these writers were contemporaries to the first Pecheneg incursions into Byzantium, they used not relevant information about Pechenegs, but literary image “invading nomads” to describe their temper and mode of life. A reconsideration of these sources clearly shows that modern scholars who accept such views as relevant descriptions of real ethnical Pechenegs or any other nomads simply ignore the rhetorical elements in the Byzantine literature. These views corresponded to enmity function in cultivation of Byzantine identity and Kaiseridee, and were rather rhetorical and propagandistic conventionalities symbolizing a pagan nomadic people, hostile to the Christian Empire of Romans. The second and third parts concern with Anna Comnena’s view on Pechenegs, which in retrospect describes their military tactics in 1080’s through the prism of the last “Scythian” war of John II Comnenus (1118–1143).

In recent past the already abundant bibliography on the Ismā‘īlī Nizārī sect, known in the Western world since the 12th century with the inappropriate and hostile definition of ‘Assassins sect’, was enriched by fundamental contributions of Farhad Daftary, co-director and head of the Department of Academic Research and Publications at the Institute of Ismaili Studies. However, in his work are not even mentioned some Byzantine sources on the sect, which are of considerable interest, and that scholarship has taken into account only seldom. The present paper can be regarded as a sort of small Appendix to Daftary’s work. It consists of two distinct parts: the first is dedicated to the image of the Ismāʿīlīs in the Byzantine sources (Anna Comnena, John Phokas and Niketas Choniates); the second one is an analysis of the dossier concerning a Fatimid dā‘ī sent to Constantinople.

The article explores the relation between nomoi and canons in Byzantium, as well as the attitude of the byzantine emperor about both the canons and the church, as well as about the nomoi. The limits of the legislative power of the emperor are highlighted on the occasion of the dispute that occupied Byzantium for about fifteen years (1081-1095) as a result of the confiscation of the holy vessels by Alexios I Komnenos, in order to finance mercenary troops after the occupation of Durres by the Normans in Oktober of 1081. The equation of nomoi and canons by the Novel 131 of Justinian in 545, as well as the ambiguous attitude of 12th century jurists about the relation of nomoi and canons, as a result of the close relation of Church and State in Byzantium, are reflected in the use of the terms “nomos” and “canon” as equivalent in the Alexias by Anna Komnene, who records the dispute. On the other hand, a fiction of law is constructed by Anna Komnene, in order to cover up the violation by Alexios I Komnenos even of the strict conditions set by the Novel 120 of Justinian for the confiscation of holy vessels. Rhetoric is highlighted as the powerful tool of imperial power in its struggle to consolidate itself.

Una ricerca storica di Haris Koudounas sulla Santa Casa e gli Angelo Comneno di Epiro e di Tessaglia. L'articolo scritto da P. Giuseppe Santarelli direttore responsabile ed editoriale del mensile "Il messaggio della SANTA CASA - LORETO (Delegazione Pontificia - Congregazione Universale della Santa Casa di Loreto) Pubblicato  sul n. 8 settembre / Ottobre 2014

Como primogénita de Alejo Comneno, debería haberlo sucedido tras su muerte, pero su derecho al trono le fue arrebatado con el nacimiento de su hermano Juan. Tras conspirar contra él, la princesa fue confinada en un monasterio, donde escribiría La Alexíada, una obra sobre las proezas de su padre y el único testimonio de la Primera Cruzada desde el punto de vista bizantino.