Laonicus Chalcondyles
Encyclopedia
Laonikos Chalkokondyles, latinized as Laonicus Chalcondyles ' onMouseout='HidePop("18812")' href="/topics/Anagram">anagram
of Nikolaos
which bears the same meaning; c. 1423 – 1490) was a Byzantine Greek
scholar from Athens
.
, he followed his family to the Peloponnese
where, according to Kyriakos the Agonites, he lived in the court of Constantine Palaiologos
and was taught by George Gemistos Plethon.
After the destruction of Constantinople, he wrote his most important historical work, Proofs of Histories (Ἀποδείξεις Ἱστοριῶν) (10 books). This historical work of Laonikos Chalkokondyles comprises one of the most important sources for the students of the final 150 years of Byzantine history. It covers the period from 1298–1463, describing the fall of the Greek empire and the rise of the Ottoman
Turks, which forms the centre of the narrative, down to the conquest of the Venetians
and Mathias, king of Hungary, by Mehmed II
. The capture
of Constantinople
he rightly regarded as an historical event of far-reaching importance and compared it to the fall of Troy
. Like that of other Byzantine writers, his chronology is defective. The work also sketches other manners and civilization of England
, France
and Germany
, whose assistance the Greeks sought to obtain against the Turks. For his account of earlier events he was able to obtain information from his father.
His model is Thucydides
(according to Bekker
, Herodotus
), his language is tolerably pure and correct, and his style is simple and clear. The text, however, is in a very corrupt state. The archaic language he used made his texts hard to read in many parts, while the antiquarian names, with which he named people of his time, created confusion (Γέται
, Δάκες
, Λίγυρες
, Μυσοί
, Παίονες etc). The extended use of the named 'Hellenes' (Ἕλληνες), which Laonikos used to describe the Byzantines contributed to the connection made between the ancient Greek civilization and the modern one.
. His work is the basis of the revisionist autochtonist Serbian historical school.
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of Nikolaos
Nikolaos
Nikolaos is a common Greek first name which some believe means " victory of the people", Nikolaos means "victorious over the people" . Composed from Niko and Laos . In addition, Laos originates from the greek root "-las", as found in word "λα-τομείο" meaning stone...
which bears the same meaning; c. 1423 – 1490) was a Byzantine Greek
Byzantine Greeks
Byzantine Greeks or Byzantines is a conventional term used by modern historians to refer to the medieval Greek or Hellenised citizens of the Byzantine Empire, centered mainly in Constantinople, the southern Balkans, the Greek islands, Asia Minor , Cyprus and the large urban centres of the Near East...
scholar from Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Life
He was a Byzantine historian, son of George and cousin of Demetrios Chalcocondylas. After a quarrel between his father and the Florentine dukes of AthensDuchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
, he followed his family to the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
where, according to Kyriakos the Agonites, he lived in the court of Constantine Palaiologos
Constantine XI
Constantine XI Palaiologos, latinized as Palaeologus , Kōnstantinos XI Dragasēs Palaiologos; February 8, 1404 – May 29, 1453) was the last reigning Byzantine Emperor from 1449 to his death as member of the Palaiologos dynasty...
and was taught by George Gemistos Plethon.
After the destruction of Constantinople, he wrote his most important historical work, Proofs of Histories (Ἀποδείξεις Ἱστοριῶν) (10 books). This historical work of Laonikos Chalkokondyles comprises one of the most important sources for the students of the final 150 years of Byzantine history. It covers the period from 1298–1463, describing the fall of the Greek empire and the rise of the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Turks, which forms the centre of the narrative, down to the conquest of the Venetians
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and Mathias, king of Hungary, by Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
. The capture
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
he rightly regarded as an historical event of far-reaching importance and compared it to the fall of Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
. Like that of other Byzantine writers, his chronology is defective. The work also sketches other manners and civilization of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, whose assistance the Greeks sought to obtain against the Turks. For his account of earlier events he was able to obtain information from his father.
His model is Thucydides
Thucydides
Thucydides was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC...
(according to Bekker
August Immanuel Bekker
August Immanuel Bekker was a German philologist and critic.-Biography:Born in Berlin, Bekker completed his classical education at the University of Halle under Friedrich August Wolf, who considered him as his most promising pupil. In 1810 he was appointed professor of philosophy in the University...
, Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
), his language is tolerably pure and correct, and his style is simple and clear. The text, however, is in a very corrupt state. The archaic language he used made his texts hard to read in many parts, while the antiquarian names, with which he named people of his time, created confusion (Γέται
Getae
The Getae was the name given by the Greeks to several Thracian tribes that occupied the regions south of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria, and north of the Lower Danube, in Romania...
, Δάκες
Dacians
The Dacians were an Indo-European people, very close or part of the Thracians. Dacians were the ancient inhabitants of Dacia...
, Λίγυρες
Ligures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
, Μυσοί
Mysians
Mysians were the inhabitants of Mysia, a region in northwestern Asia Minor.-Origins according to ancient authors:Their first mention is by Homer, in his list of Trojans allies in the Iliad, and according to whom the Mysians fought in the Trojan War on the side of Troy, under the command of Chromis...
, Παίονες etc). The extended use of the named 'Hellenes' (Ἕλληνες), which Laonikos used to describe the Byzantines contributed to the connection made between the ancient Greek civilization and the modern one.
Serbs
Chalkokondyles wrote that the Serbs are "the greatest and oldest people on Earth", noting that they are the autochtonous population of the Balkans and identified them with groups such as IllyriansIllyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
. His work is the basis of the revisionist autochtonist Serbian historical school.
Further reading
- E. Darko, 'Zum Leben Laonikos Chalkondyles', Byzantinische Zeitschrift 24 (1923-4) 29-39.
- Jonathan Harris, ‘Laonikos Chalkokondyles and the rise of the Ottoman Empire’, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 27 (2003), 153-70.
- Karl KrumbacherKarl KrumbacherKarl Krumbacher was a German scholar who was an expert on Byzantine culture.He was born at Kürnach im Allgäu in Bavaria, and was educated at the Universities of Munich and Leipzig, and held the professorship of the middle ages and modern Greek language and literature in the former from 1897 to his...
, Geschichte der byzantinischen Litteratur (Berlin, 1897). - William Miller, 'The last Athenian historian', Journal of Hellenic Studies 42 (1922), 36-49.
- Nikolaos Nikoloudis, 'Laonikos Chalkokondyles on the Council of Florence', Ekklesiastikos Pharos 3 (1992) 132-4.
- Speros VryonisSperos VryonisSperos Vryonis Jr. is an American historian of Greek descent and a specialist in Greek and Byzantine history. He is the author of a number of works on Byzantine/Greek-Turkish relations, including The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor and the Process of Islamization from the Eleventh...
, ‘Laonikos Chalkokondyles and the Ottoman budget’, International Journal of Middle East Studies 7 (1976), 423-32, and reprinted in Vryonis, Studies on Byzantium, Seljuks and Ottomans, No. XII.