A review by theinquisitxor
The Alexiad, by Anna Comnena
4.0
I chose the topic of Anna Komene for my Medieval History course paper. I've always kinda known about who Anna was, but researching this topic has brought me to a whole other level understanding, and I also got to finally read her history, The Alexiad, which has been on my tbr for a while now. Anna was a Byzantine Princess in the late 11th century and early 12th century. She is most known for her book that she wrote about the reign of her father, as well as her attempted usurpation of her brother. She would not have been able to do any of this without the education she received. This is a remarkable education of a woman of this time, and Anna was someone who clearly loved learning and valued her education above almost all else- which is something I can admire about her.
Her Alexiad is the story of her father, Emperor Alexois I. It follows the conventions of ancient Greek writing and Anna tried very hard to emulate the Iliad. I do not know a whole lot about Byzantium, so parts of this history went completely over my head and these parts I merely skimmed. Other parts were incredibly interesting and such a wonderful insight to how Anna thought and her personality shines through on many occasions. She loved Aristotle, formed her own literary circle with her husband that had some of the most prominent intellectuals in Constantinople and read works deemed too immoral for women to read. A lot of people may tell you that she studied in secret at night and read Homer by candle light, but there is no factual proof of this. She was a princess and heir to her father for several years, so it is a great possibility that she was allowed such an extensive education.
My paper goes into detail about the education she received and what she studied. It also discusses how Anna most likely did not care too much about societal gender barriers growing up as a Princess because everything was automatically assumed to her. It would't be until later when she was writing her history in semi-exile that she would have to address the problem of a gender barrier as a woman writer. She surpasses this barrier masterfully, and this is mainly due to her extensive training in rhetoric. Her education is the reason why she is still being studied today and she will probably always remain one of my favorite historical people.
Her Alexiad is the story of her father, Emperor Alexois I. It follows the conventions of ancient Greek writing and Anna tried very hard to emulate the Iliad. I do not know a whole lot about Byzantium, so parts of this history went completely over my head and these parts I merely skimmed. Other parts were incredibly interesting and such a wonderful insight to how Anna thought and her personality shines through on many occasions. She loved Aristotle, formed her own literary circle with her husband that had some of the most prominent intellectuals in Constantinople and read works deemed too immoral for women to read. A lot of people may tell you that she studied in secret at night and read Homer by candle light, but there is no factual proof of this. She was a princess and heir to her father for several years, so it is a great possibility that she was allowed such an extensive education.
My paper goes into detail about the education she received and what she studied. It also discusses how Anna most likely did not care too much about societal gender barriers growing up as a Princess because everything was automatically assumed to her. It would't be until later when she was writing her history in semi-exile that she would have to address the problem of a gender barrier as a woman writer. She surpasses this barrier masterfully, and this is mainly due to her extensive training in rhetoric. Her education is the reason why she is still being studied today and she will probably always remain one of my favorite historical people.