Two Works on Trebizond (Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library)

Synopsis

In 1204, Brothers Alexios And David Komnenos Became The Unwitting Founders Of The Empire Of Trebizond, A Successor State To The Byzantine Empire That Emerged After Crusaders Sacked Constantinople. Trebizond, Which Stretched Along The Coast Of The Black Sea, Outlasted Numerous Rivals And Invaders Until Its Fall To The Ottoman Turks In 1461. Though This Empire Has Fascinated Writers From Cervantes To Dorothy Dunnett, Few Trapezuntine Writings Survive. This Volume Presents Translations From The Greek Of Two Crucial Primary Sources Published Together For The First Time: On The Emperors Of Trebizond And Encomium On Trebizond. In The Fourteenth Century, Michael Panaretos, The Emperor’s Personal Secretary, Penned The Only Extant History Of The Ruling Dynasty, Including Key Details About Foreign Relations. The Encomium By Bessarion (1403–1472), Here In English For The First Time, Praises The Author’s Native City And Retells Trapezuntine History From Antiquity To His Own Moment. It Provides Enlightening Perspectives On Byzantine Identity And Illuminating Views Of This Major Trading Hub Along The Silk Road.-- The Empire Of Trebizond Was An Important Trading Hub For Travelers Along The Silk Road And Acquired A Great Reputation For Its Wealth. As A Unique Outpost Of The Eastern Roman World With Its Own Culture And Dialect Of Greek, This Mysterious Empire Has Long Fascinated European Writers From Miguel Cervantes In Don Quixote To Dorothy Dunnett In Her Popular Niccolò Series. Regrettably, The Remnants Of The Empire's Own Literary Production Are Few. The City Produced Some Figures Of Note In Byzantine Ecclesiastical History, Such As Saint Athanasios, The Founder Of The Great Lavra On Mount Athos, And John Xiphilinos, The Patriarch Of Constantinople (1063-1075), And, In The Fourteenth Century, It Was Known As A Center Of Astronomical And Mathematical Studies. The Most Famous Surviving Texts Produced By Its Native Sons Are, However, The Laconic Chronicle On The Emperors Of Trebizond Attributed To Michael Panaretos And Cardinal Bessarion's Encomium Of The City. They Are The Cornerstone Of Any Study Of The Empire Of Trebizond And Pontic Hellenism. This Volume Offers A Translation Of These Two Documents, Including The First Ever English Translation Of Bessarion's Encomium On Trebizond, In The Hope That They Will Encourage Further Study Of This Elusive Empire And Its Culture.-- On The Emperors Of Trebizond / By Michael Panaretos -- Encomium On Trebizond / By Bessarion. Michael Panaretos, Bessarion ; Edited And Translated By Scott Kennedy. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Text In Greek With English Translation On Facing Pages ; Introduction And Notes In English.