Constantine Manasses
Encyclopedia
Constantine Manasses 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 chronicle or historical synopsis of events from the creation of the world to the end of the reign of Nikephoros Botaneiates (1081), sponsored by Irene Komnene, the emperor's sister-in-law. It consists of about 7000 lines in the so-called political verse
. It obtained great popularity and appeared in a free prose translation; it was also translated into Bulgarian and Roman Slavic
in the 14th century and enjoyed a great popularity.
Chronicle edition: Bekker, Bonn 1837; the Bulgarian translation, by Bogdan and Bianu ( "Cronica lui Constantin Manasses), Bucarest, 1922.
In 1969 Bulgaria issued two sets of stamps depicting important scenes of the chronicle, to celebrate it.
Manasses also wrote the poetical romance Loves of Aristander and Callithea, also in political verse, is only known from the fragments preserved in the rose-garden of Macanus Chrysocephalus (14th century). Manasses also wrote a short biography of Oppian
, and some descriptive pieces (all except one unpublished) on artistic and other subjects.
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
chronicler who flourished in the 12th century during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
(1143-1180). He was the author of a chronicle or historical synopsis of events from the creation of the world to the end of the reign of Nikephoros Botaneiates (1081), sponsored by Irene Komnene, the emperor's sister-in-law. It consists of about 7000 lines in the so-called political verse
Political verse
Political verse , also known as Decapentasyllabic verse is a metric form in Modern Greek poetry. It is an iambic verse of fifteen syllables and has been the main meter of traditional popular and folk poetry since the Byzantine period...
. It obtained great popularity and appeared in a free prose translation; it was also translated into Bulgarian and Roman Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
in the 14th century and enjoyed a great popularity.
Chronicle edition: Bekker, Bonn 1837; the Bulgarian translation, by Bogdan and Bianu ( "Cronica lui Constantin Manasses), Bucarest, 1922.
In 1969 Bulgaria issued two sets of stamps depicting important scenes of the chronicle, to celebrate it.
Manasses also wrote the poetical romance Loves of Aristander and Callithea, also in political verse, is only known from the fragments preserved in the rose-garden of Macanus Chrysocephalus (14th century). Manasses also wrote a short biography of Oppian
Oppian
Oppian or Oppianus was the name of the authors of two didactic poems in Greek hexameters, formerly identified, but now generally regarded as two different persons: Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia; and Oppian of Apamea in Syria.-Oppian of Corycus:Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia, who flourished in the...
, and some descriptive pieces (all except one unpublished) on artistic and other subjects.