name: Anna Comnena
birth_date: 1083-11-25 00:00:00
death_date: 1152-12-25 00:00:00
genres: History
influences: Thucydides, Michael Psellus, Polybius, Xenophon
avg_rating: 4.05
ratings_count: 1263
about: The Byzantine historian Anna Komnene, Latinized as Comnena (December 1, 1083 – 1153) was the eldest child of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina, and is considered the first female historian. From earliest childhood Anna was in daily contact with the leading figures of the Empire. Through her social position and own interest, she obtained an education in literature and philosophy given to few women in the Middle Ages. Disappointed in her hopes to be named heir to her father instead of her brother John, and again by not having her husband Nikephoros Bryennios named as Emperor, Anna conspired with her mother against her brother to gain her husband the throne but ultimately failed after her husband's refusal to cooperate. After B The Byzantine historian Anna Komnene, Latinized as Comnena (December 1, 1083 – 1153) was the eldest child of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina, and is considered the first female historian. From earliest childhood Anna was in daily contact with the leading figures of the Empire. Through her social position and own interest, she obtained an education in literature and philosophy given to few women in the Middle Ages. Disappointed in her hopes to be named heir to her father instead of her brother John, and again by not having her husband Nikephoros Bryennios named as Emperor, Anna conspired with her mother against her brother to gain her husband the throne but ultimately failed after her husband's refusal to cooperate. After Bryennios' death in 1137 she and her mother were exiled to a remote monastery to live out the rest of their lives.There she wrote The Alexiad, a historical account of her father’s reign, which is unique in that it was written by a princess about her father and is a rare primary source of the Byzantine Empire in the eleventh century and the First Crusade from a non-Western point of view. The book also contributes to understanding of the female mentality, mindset, and perception of the world during Byzantine times.Adapted from the author biography in the Penguin edition of The Alexiad and Wikipedia ...more