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The Alexiad (Penguin Classics) Paperback – September 29, 2009

by Anna Komnene (Author), Peter Frankopan (Editor, Introduction), E. R. A. Sewter (Translator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 207 ratings
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A revised edition of a medieval masterpiece—the first narrative history written by a woman

Written between 1143 and 1153 by the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, The Alexiad is one of the most popular and revealing primary sources in the vast canon of medieval literature. Princess Anna Komnene, eldest child of the imperial couple, reveals the inner workings of the court, profiles its many extraordinary personages, and offers a firsthand account of immensely significant events such as the First Crusade, as well as its impact on the relationship between eastern and western Christianity. A celebrated triumph of Byzantine letters, this is an unparalleled view of the glorious Constantinople and the medieval world.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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  1. Print length
    584 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  4. Publication date
    September 29, 2009
  5. Grade level
    12 and up
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    7.83 x 5.12 x 1.46 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0140455272
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0140455274
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anna Komnene (1083–1153) was the oldest child of the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. She was engaged as a young girl to Constantine Doukas, son of the deposed Emperor Michael VII Douglas, but for reasons which are unclear, the marriage did not take place, and she instead married Nikephorous Bryennios, a member of a prominent aristocratic family from the western part of the empire. Both Anna and her husband became increasingly visible at Alexios' court in the latter part of his reign, and on his death, actively considered taking the throne at the expense of her younger brother, John II Komnenos. Anna suffered internal exile as a result in a lavishly endowed convent.

E. R. A. Sewter (translator; 1907–1976) was a well-known Byzantine scholar and the editor of Greece and Rome. 

Peter Frankopan (editor/introducer) is the New York Times bestselling author of The Silk Roads, The New Silk Roads, and The First Crusade. He lives in Oxford, England, where he is a professor of global history at Oxford University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics; Revised edition (September 29, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 584 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140455272
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140455274
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.83 x 5.12 x 1.46 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 207 ratings

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Anna Comnena

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
207 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Susan E. Gassler
5.0 out of 5 stars Byzantium By a Byzantine
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2016
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The Alexiad is the Iliad of Byzantium. It reads like a novel, but is a history by Anna Komene the daughter of Emperor Alexius I of Constantinople (the famous emperor during The First Crusade). It contains everything from Byzantine social life to religious practices, warfare tactics, and every political intrigue and subtle nuance of living in Queen of Cities. Scholars question accounts like Komene due to their bias, but I argue all history is biased. If you read The Hundred Year's War from a Brit St. Joan of Arc is a witch, if you read it from the French historians she was a saint or at the very least a paragon of chivalry and nationalism. The Alexiad contains details about how Byzantines in upper eschelons lived, and it does contain all graphic details, "removal of eyes as punishment" and more. I highly recommend this historia, because it is not only readable and wittingly entertaining, but informative. While some may say modern scholarship is better, can you really disregard accounts and details from people who lived in time period and among the events modern scholars speculate about? You be the judge.
30 people found this helpful
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Carol Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable book, recommended for a specialized interest
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2013
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Without situating this documentation in its historical as well as its human context it will not be taken seriously. But its flaws are understandable, given its reference, a daughter compiling the military and political history of her father's reign as Byzantine emperor during a sensitive moment in Roman and Christian history. Important to have as much background as possible in order to appreciate the work accomplished here by a woman who claims a proper education as an historian, yet is really dependent on a variety of sources which do not necessarily coincide. The editor has done an excellent job in revising the text and modernizing the wording.
3 people found this helpful
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George Alexander
5.0 out of 5 stars Majestic History!
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2011
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Great book written originally in Ancient Greek by Princess Anna Comnene.
Anna Comnene gives an account of the reign of her father, Alexios I, whom she compares with the great Illyrian Emperor, Constantine the Great. The Roman Empire (which is nowadays considered as the Byzantine Empire) is being attacked on the west, in Illyricon (Illyria) by the Normans (a third of the book), and on the east by the Turks. Anna gives us insights on the political mind of her father. Alexios is trying to solve his problems through diplomacy rather than war. But he uses all his cards, diplomatic alliances with the Germans and Italians, and Turks, and open war if necessary. It is clear that Anna writes from a Christian point of view showing great respect for her father as emperor and mother as queen, and her Grandma has a special place in her heart as well. Her portrayal of different historical characters is very interesting. It's as if she is building a monument or a statue with words right in front of our eyes. Some descriptions of the battles are so vivid, that you can describe this writing as cinematic. Her love of literature is marvellous and contagious. Overall a great read. The reason why we love royals is because deep down we want to be them. I would recommend this book to my best friends and to everybody.
12 people found this helpful
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JH
4.0 out of 5 stars The Life of Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2012
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Anna Comnena, the eldest daughter to the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, in her later years, wrote this biography of her father. She was continuing an effort started by her deceased husband Nicephorus Bryennius who was a general in the imperial army (among other things). Emperor Alexius was an extraordinary emperor. He ruled during a turbulent time where every neighbor wanted to conquer them. The condition of the empire had been severely weakened for many years and the frequent internal conflicts continued to leave the empire vulnerable. Anna succeeds in her goal of showing what an impressive leader her father was. She relates the continuous warfare and intrigues that Alexius had to endure. A lesser man would certainly have become overwhelmed, but Alexius was able to weather the storm and hold the empire together. What I found truly remarkable is that Alexius seemed to lose more battles than he won, but he was still able to win each war.

But Anna is a biased source. Her scorn of the enemies of Byzantium should be considered. Here are a couple examples of her selective testimony. The introduction of Robert Guiscard and Pope Gregory VII is a little too concise and filled with much prejudice. The story that she gives of Robert Guiscard's rise to power may or may not be true, but she certainly left out the more important acts of Robert. She also neglects to mention that Robert Guiscard had driven Byzantium out of Italy only 7 years earlier. This is what lead to Emperor Michael VII Ducas suing for peace with Robert with the marriage proposal. Late in the book, she professes the greatness of her mother Irene, saying that Alexius never let her leave his side. While she tells the tenderness in which Irene treats him, Anna fails to mention that Irene had been conspiring to have Anna's husband replace Anna's brother John as heir. This desire Anna shared and did not want to write about after the failed assassination attempt on John and later confinement by him.

The Alexiad is also frequently confusing as Anna's lack of knowledge causes her to misrepresent information, incorrectly identify people, and leave out relevant information. Reading the Alexiad without knowledge of the period is not recommended. Fortunately, this book comes with good footnotes which help the reader by pointing out where Anna is wrong and filling in the gaps in her story. I have increased my rating one star because of his efforts. And despite her failing, the Alexiad does provide a historical record from the Byzantine side and present the story of an incredible versatile emperor.

If you are interested in the time period in which Anna writes, I recommend  Byzantium: The Decline and Fall  by John Julius Norwich or  A History of the Crusades Vol. I: The First Crusade and the Foundations of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (Volume 1)  and  A History of the Crusades: Volume II The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East, 1100-1187  by Stephen Runciman and  First Crusade  by Thomas Asbridge for coverage of the Crusades.
21 people found this helpful
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drew abrams
5.0 out of 5 stars Every History Fan Should Read This
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2022
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This book does not dissapoint... essential for any history buff, and it feels like youre totally immersed in Anna's world. If you want to know what Byzantine life was really like, and want a first-hand perspective on this part of history, this is the book for you.
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Dr. Kurt Heck
5.0 out of 5 stars Anna Komnene
Reviewed in Germany on April 7, 2022
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Hervorragend
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Il Manager Pellegrino & Hospitalero
3.0 out of 5 stars Da studiare a scuola. Interessantissimo
Reviewed in Italy on September 18, 2019
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È un testo molto interessante. Un libro da studiare più che un racconto
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M. Ronald Sitlhou
5.0 out of 5 stars 👍
Reviewed in India on March 30, 2019
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Good
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Joshua McDermott
2.0 out of 5 stars The book smelled odd, not new
Reviewed in Australia on April 13, 2024
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This is a comment on the physical product, not the text. The book arrived smelling odd, slightly of citric acid which is very off putting. Expected something clean for a $28 paperback...
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Kirialax
5.0 out of 5 stars A nice improvement on a good edition
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2011
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As usual, I am not reviewing Anna Komnene as an historian. I am reviewing this particular edition of her work.

This is a relatively recent edition of the 'Alexiad'. While the core of E.R.A. Sewter's 1969 translation remains in place, many changes have been made and they are all good. The first, and most visually obvious, is the jacket. The 2003 edition of the Alexiad featured a figure in mosaic, which the book identified as Alexios Komnenos, as depicted in a 12th c. mosaic in the Hagia Sophia. This isn't entirely wrong, in that the mosaic is of Alexios Komnenos, it's just the wrong one. The figure depicted was Alexios, son of John II Komnenos and heir-apparent until his early death. His mosaic is attached but is rotated 90 degrees from the famous mosaic panel of his parents, making the mis-identification understandable for a badly-informed tourist guide, but not a serious publication. Thankfully, Penguin has fixed this issue and replaced the cover image with a high-quality picture (the coin it is a picture of is about the size of a thumbnail) of one of Alexios I Komnenos' hyperpyra (meaning: fire-refined) coins. The new editor, Oxford's Peter Frankopan has also adopted a more regular transliteration style based upon that used in the  The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (3-Volume Set) , in place of Sewter's original Latin-based transliteration style. These changes extend into the text as well, which generally seems to be mostly unchanged, although Frankopan's updates allow for more precision. Titles and important Greek terms are left transliterated.

The book's appendices are also much overhauled. Rather than work too hard, the original 'Alexiad' borrowed a few appendices from Sewter's earlier translation of Michael Psellos'  Fourteen Byzantine Rulers: The Chronographia of Michael Psellus (Penguin Classics) . The essays on Greek fire and the Byzantine navy are gone, which is fine because they both include much old scholarship. Instead, a table of relevant Byzantine rulers, popes, and patriarchs is included, as well as stemmata of the Doukas and Komnenos families. The real valuable addition lies in Frankopan's excellent notes. For a Penguin Classic this is exceptional, as they are usually rather bare when it comes to notes. While Frankopan's explanatory notes hardly make this a serious commentary, they are useful for understanding Anna's classical references and the context when she fails to explain herself or is being deliberately manipulative. A glossary is also provided. Such an addition is absolutely essential, as many titles are now just transliterated in the text itself. While the entries are brief, they are sufficient. Frankopan also includes a bibliographic essay at the start of the text which provides a useful summary of the most recent and important scholarship. The new maps are also more clear than Sewter's original ones, although they retain the usefulness of the originals in making many of the locations described in the text easy to locate.

This new edition of the 'Alexiad' includes some very useful support materials. It is one of the finest Penguin Classics in print, and easily replaces Sewter's original version.
6 people found this helpful
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