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

One of the longest historical accounts written in Greek, John Zonaras' Epitome of Histories is a comprehensive analysis of Jewish-Roman history and its reception. It explores the chronicle's composition, sources, political background, and intellectual networks, and how it blends traditions of chronicle writing and classicizing historiography.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The twelfth-century chronicle of John Zonaras, which spans the biblical Creation to 1118, stands as one of the longest historical accounts written in Greek that has survived to this day. It enjoyed immense popularity among the Greek-speaking world during the Middle Ages, with an astonishing number of manuscripts preserving the entire text or significant portions of it. John Zonaras' Epitome of Histories: A Compendium of Jewish-Roman History and Its Reception delves into Zonaras' chronicle as both a literary masterpiece and a historical record. It focuses on its composition, sources, and political, ideological, and literary context. Additionally, it explores discussions that extend beyond the text, encompassing the intellectual networks surrounding Zonaras, as well as the intended audience and the reception of the chronicle. Through these examinations, Theofili Kampianaki endeavors to present Zonaras' chronicle as a product that emerged from a milieu characterized by increased interactions with Western individuals and the Komnenian style of rulership within the imperial bureaucracy. Moreover, it is seen as a work that seamlessly blends the traditions of chronicle writing and classical historiography, creating a remarkable and enduring historical account.

Weight: 494g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192865106