Constantine Manasses

The first miniature from the Bulgarian translation shows the author (right) next to tsar Ivan Alexander and Jesus Christ.

Constantine Manasses (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος ΜανασσῆςCategory:Articles containing Greek-language text; c. 1130 – c. 1187) was a Byzantine chronicler who flourished in the 12th century during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180). He was the author of a Synopsis Chronike (Σύνοψις Χρονική, "summary chronicle"), which narrates history from the creation of the world to the end of the reign of Nikephoros III Botaneiates (1081), sponsored by Irene Komnene, the emperor's sister-in-law. It was probably written around 1150, shortly before Irene's death.[1]

It consists of about 7,000 lines in political verse. It obtained great popularity and appeared in a free prose translation. It was translated into Bulgarian in the 14th century.[2][3] This translation, which includes several miniatures, was commissioned by tsar Ivan Alexander between 1340 and 1345.[4] An Arabic translation written in 1313 is now hosted at the British Library.[5]

Manasses also wrote the poetical romance Loves of Aristander and Callithea, also in political verse. It is only known from the fragments preserved in the rose-garden of Macarius Chrysocephalus (14th century). Manasses also wrote a short biography of Oppian, and some descriptive pieces, all except one unpublished, on artistic and other subjects.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Treadgold, Warren (2013). The Middle Byzantine Historians. Springer. pp. 388–399. ISBN 9781137280862.
  2. 1 2 Wikisource One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Manasses, Constantine". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 541.Category:Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource referenceCategory:Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
  3. ↑ Chronicle edition: Bekker, Bonn 1837; the Bulgarian translation, Cronica lui Constantin Manasses, by Ioan Bogdan and I. Bianu, Bucharest, 1922.
  4. ↑ Kooper, Erik (2006). The Medieval Chronicle IV. Rodopi. pp. 91–100. ISBN 978-90-420-2088-7.
  5. ↑ Constantine Manases, Chronicle Archived 2022-10-08 at the Wayback MachineCategory:Webarchive template wayback links. British Library.

External

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