Anna Komnene

Peter Frankopan

E. R. A. Sewter

the-alexiad

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The Alexiad

Penguin Shop: 3 Clothbound Classics for £33

A revised edition of Anna Komnene's Alexiad, to replace our existing 1969 edition. This is the first European narrative history written by a woman - an account of the reign of a Byzantine emperor through the eyes and words of his daughter which offers an unparalleled view of the Byzantine world in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Written between 1143 and 1153 by the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, The Alexiad is one of the most popular and revealing primary sources in the vast canon of medieval literature. Princess Anna Komnene, eldest child of the imperial couple, reveals the inner workings of the court, profiles its many extraordinary personages, and offers a firsthand account of immensely significant events such as the First Crusade, as well as its impact on the relationship between eastern and western Christianity. A celebrated triumph of Byzantine letters, this is an unparalleled view of Constantinople and the medieval world. 
 
This Penguin Classics edition is based on E. R. A. Sewter's renowned translation, revised by Peter Frankopan. It also includes an introduction, notes and other critical apparatus by Frankopan.

Anna Komnene (1083-1156) was the eldest child of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. She is best known as the author of The Alexiad - written between 1143-53, it is the first major history written by a woman. 
 
Dr Peter Frankopan is a Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College, Oxford. He has just completed a major monograph for CUP about Byzantium in the 11th and 12th century based on the Alexiad.

The Alexiad

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