John Zonaras' Epitome of Histories: A Compendium of Jewish-Roman History and Its Reception [Hardcover]

This book analyses Zonaras' twelfth-century chronicle as both a literary composition and a historical account, concentrating on its composition, sources, and political, ideological, and literary background. Kampianaki aims to present it as a work which seamlessly merges the traditions of chronicle writing and classicizing historiography.The twelfth-century chronicle of John Zonaras, which begins with the biblical Creation and ends in 1118, is one of the longest historical accounts written in Greek that has come down to us. It was also one of the most popular historical works of the Greek-speaking world during the Middle Ages, with a remarkably large number of manuscripts preserving the entire text or parts of it.John Zonaras' Epitome of Histories: A Compendium of Jewish-Roman History and Its Receptionanalyses Zonaras' chronicle as both a literary composition and a historical account. It concentrates on its composition, sources, and political, ideological, and literary background. It also includes discussions that go beyond the text, such as on the intellectual networks surrounding Zonaras, and the anticipated audience and the reception of the chronicle. By examining such issues, Theofili Kampianaki aims to present Zonaras' chronicle as a product which emerged from a milieu characterized by the increased contacts with Western people and the Komnenian style of rulership in the imperial bureaucracy, and as a work which seamlessly merges the traditions of chronicle writing and classicizing historiography.Preface and acknowledgementsNote on transliteration, citations, and quotationsList of abbreviationsIntroduction1. John Zonaras: biography and oeuvre2. The composition of the Epitome3. Zonaras' working method and treatment of his sources4. The political and ideological context of the Epitome5. Zonaras' keen interest in Roman antiquity6. Intellectual networks and intended readers7. Readers' responses and the reception of the EpitomeOverall conclusionsBibliographylc†