Alexiad The Alexiad ( original Greek title : Ἀλεξιάς ) is a medieval historical and biographical text written around the year 1148 by the Byzantine historian and princess Anna Komnene , daughter of Emperor Alexius I . In the " Alexiad " , Komnene describes the political and military history of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of her father , the Byzantine emperor , which makes it a reference on the Byzantium of the High Middle Ages . The " Alexiad " documents the Byzantine Empire ' s interaction with the First Crusade ( despite being written nearly fifty years after the crusade ) , and the text highlights the conflicting perceptions of the East and West in the early 12th century . The text was written in a form of artificial Attic Greek , and shows the Byzantine perception of the Crusades . Content . The " Alexiad " is divided into fifteen books and a prologue , the scope of which is limited to the duration of Alexius ' reign , which it is thus able to depict in full detail . Komnene documents one of the most active periods in the High Middle Ages , especially in regards to political relations between the Byzantine Empire and western European powers . The " Alexiad " remains one of the few primary sources recording Byzantine reactions to both the Great Schism of 1054 and the First Crusade , as well as documenting first - hand the decline of Byzantine cultural influence in both eastern and western Europe . According to Peter Frankopan , the content of the " Alexiad " falls into five main categories : 1 . Attacks against the Byzantine empire by the Normans under their leader Robert Guiscard ( Books 1 – 6 ) Book 1 Book 1 talks about Alexius becoming general and Domestikos ton Scholon . It also talks about the Normans preparation for their invasion . Book 2 Book 2 talks about the Komnenian revolt . Book 3 Book 3 talks about Alexius as Emperor ( 1081 , ) the internal problems with Doukas family , and the Normans crossing the Adriatic Sea . Book 4 Book 4 talks about war against the Normans ( 1081 – 1082 ) . Book 5 Book 5 also talks about war against the Normans ( 1082 – 1083 ) , and their first clash with the " heretics " . Book 6 Book 6 talks about the end of war against the Normans ( 1085 ) , and the death of Robert Guiscard . 2 . Byzantine relations with the Turks ( Books 6 – 7 , 9 – 10 , and 14 – 15 ) Book 6 Book 7 Book 7 talks about war against the Scythians ( 1087 – 1090 ) . Book 9 Book 9 talks about operations against Tzachas and the Dalmatians ( 1092 – 1094 ) , and the conspiracy of Nicephorus Diogenes ( 1094 ) . Book 10 Book 10 talks about war against the Cumans , and the beginning of the First Crusade ( 1094 – 1097 ) . Book 14 Book 14 talks about Turks , Franks , Cumans and Manicheans ( 1108 – 1115 ) . Book 15 Book 15 talks about the last expeditions — The Bogomils — Death of Alexius ( 1116 – 1118 ) . 3 . Pecheneg incursions on the northern Byzantine frontier ( Books 7 – 8 ) Book 7 Book 8 Book 8 talks about the end of the Scythian war ( 1091 ) , and plots against the Emperor . 4 . The First Crusade , and Byzantine reactions to it ( Books 10 – 11 ) Book 10 Book 11 Book 11 also talks about the First Crusade ( 1097 – 1104 ) . 5 . Attacks on Byzantine frontiers by Robert Guiscard ' s son , Bohemond I of Antioch ( Books 11 – 13 ) Book 11 Book 12 Book 12 talks about domestic conflicts , and the Norman preparation for their second invasion ( 1105 – 1107 ) . Book 13 Book 13 talks about Aaron ' s conspiracy , and the second Norman invasion ( 1107 – 1108 ) . Although Komnene explicitly states her intention to record true events , important issues of bias do exist . Throughout the " Alexiad " , emphasis on Alexius as a " specifically Christian emperor , " morally , as well as politically laudable , is pervasive . Frankopan frequently compares Alexius ' treatment in the text to the techniques of the hagiographical tradition , while contrasting it with the generally negative portrait or outright absence of his successors John II and Manuel I . Komnene considers the Latins , ( Normans and " Franks " ) , considering them barbarians . This distaste extends to the Turks , along with the Armenians . The " Alexiad " also criticizes John II Komnenos for his accession to the throne ( in place of Komnene herself ) following Alexius ' death , although this reading has been challenged as historically misogynistic . From a modern reader ' s point of view , the inconsistencies in the descriptions of military events and the Empire ' s misfortunes – partially due to these literary and especially Homeric influences – may seem exaggerated and stereotypical . Despite these issues , George Ostrogorsky nevertheless emphasizes the " Alexiad " ' s importance as a primary document . General Themes . The main theme of the " Alexiad " is the First Crusade , and religious conflict . Komnene chronicles the different groups of people involved in the crusades , and refers to them as " Celts " , " Latins " , and " Normans " . Anna also talks about her father , Alexios Komnenos in great detail , and his conquests throughout his rule from 1081 - 1118 . She does this by presenting a " Byzantine view " of the Crusades . Some historians have noticed Greek mythology influences in her work , as stated by Lenora Neville : " the characterization of Alexios as wily sea captain steering the empire through constant storms with guile and courage strongly recalls Odysseus . " Writing Style . The " Alexiad " was originally written in Greek in around 1148 , and first edited by Possinus in 1651 . In 1928 the text was translated to English in what is regarded as the closest version to the original text . Anna Komnene explicitly describes herself in the text and openly acknowledges her feelings and opinions for some events , which goes against the typical formatting of historiography . She differed widely from Greek prose historians , and because of this the book was initially well received , but was subjected to criticism later on . The " Alexiad " interests many historians because of the fact that Komnene wrote it in a different format to the norm of the time . Anna Komnene is the only female Greek historiographer of her era , and historians are keen to believe that her style of writing owes much to her being a woman . Despite of the inclusion of herself in the historiography and of the other qualities that make her style vastly different from the typical historiography of the era , Anna Komnene ' s " Alexiad " has been approached as a “ straightforward ” history . Influences . Anna Komnene ’ s writings are a major source for information on her father , Alexius I of the Byzantine Empire . She was around the age of 55 when she began work on the Alexiad . While she was alive , she held the crusaders that came to her fathers aid in contempt for their actions against Byzantine after they looted the city . She regarded the crusaders , who she refers to as Celts , Latins and Normans , to be barbarian and uneducated . Despite this , Anna claims that she portrayed them in a neutral light . Some historians believe her work to be biased because of her feelings towards the Crusaders , and how highly she regarded her father . Gender and Authorship . Questions of Authorship . There has been much debate as to whether the " Alexiad " was in fact written by Anna Komnene herself , with one scholar saying that the text gives very few comments that would suggest the author ' s gender or any other aspect of their background , aside from a few explicit mentions . This has led some scholars to argue that the " Alexiad " was not written by a woman at all , but by some other male author . This belief , put forward by Howard - Johnston , focuses mainly on the military sections of the " Alexiad " , and suggests that Anna was merely working from her husband ' s field notes , thus Howard - Johnston renames it " Nicephoros ' s Alexiad . " However , it is largely agreed that Anna Komnene was the author . Explicit mentions in the text of her engagement , her role as a wife , and the commentary on her female modesty that influences her writing make Komnene ' s authorship of the " Alexiad " " unmistakable " , according to some . She certainly could have written about military affairs , since she was able to accompany her father , the king , on military campaigns . Many scholars believe that the great detail about her father ' s home life and military style , combined with her own personal experiences and mentions of femininity , providing a strong case for her authorship of the " Alexiad " . Representations of Gender . In the " Alexiad " , Anna portrays gender and gender stereotypes in a unique way . Like her male counterparts , she characterizes women along the typical stereotypes , such as being " liable to tears and as cowardly in the face of danger . " Yet , despite this , women in the " Alexiad " never cry , with the exception of Alexios ' funeral , during which grief is the appropriate cultural response . Likewise , none of the female characters act in a cowardly way . She points to her own gender in a similar way when mentioning her own tears while writing certain events . Immediately , however , she informs the reader that she will stop crying in order to properly return to her duty of history , an episode which she repeats twice in the narrative . By so doing , she shows a desire to control aspects that are , for her culture , feminine . Overall , however , Anna concerns herself primarily with intellect , which she attributes to both men and women , and allows for women to actively break out of societal gender roles in the " Alexiad " . Her personal attitudes , along with the lack of comparable sources from female authors in that era , make the " Alexiad " considered by some a poor source to use when gauging how average women in Byzantium felt about the First Crusade . Gender and Style . Komnene ' s somewhat unique historical style has been attributed to her gender . Her style is noteworthy in that it includes both a history of her father ' s actions during the First Crusade , but also reactions to some of these events . Her opinions and commentary on particular events in an otherwise historical text have been assigned to her gender both positively and negatively . This interpretation of her histories is known as a " gendered history " , meaning it is both the history of Alexos and of Komnene herself through her particular style , which is not seen in male authors . While the Roman historian Edward Gibbon saw this " gendered " narrative to betray " in every page the vanity of a female author " , with some scholars agreed with him , other scholars claim that this style might be indicative of Komnene ' s mentor , Michael Psellos . Some take this even further to suggest that Anna used Psellos ' " Chronographia " as a model for her personal narration in her history and took his style even further , suggesting it was not her gender but her influences that led to her writing style . Anna is considered unique for her time in the intensity by which she integrates her own narrative and emotion , and yet she does not mention all personal details , such as the fact that she had four children . For some , this unusual combination of style and lack of personal , gendered information is reconciled by her lack of 21st century feminist ideals , without which she was not interested in questioning her societal place in her own narrative , even though her depictions of women do not fit in with male authors of the time . Instead , her style can be understood from her belief system that intelligence and nobility cancel out gender in terms of importance , and so Komnene does not view her history as overstepping any necessary gender roles . Complete manuscripts and summaries . Below is the list of manuscripts containing some or all of the " Alexiad " . Codex Coislinianus 311 , in Fonds Coislin ( Paris ) Codex Florentinus 70 , 2 Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1438 Codex Barberinianus 235 & 236 Codex Ottobonianus Graecus 131 & 137 Codex Apographum Gronovii Codex Vaticanus Graecus 981 ( prologue and summary ) Codex Monacensis Graecus 355 ( prologue and summary ) Codex Parisinus Graecus 400 ( prologue and summary )