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Constantine Manasses (right) next to tsar Ivan Alexander (middle) and Jesus Christ (left). Miniature from the Vatican copy of the Middle Bulgarian translation of Synopsis Chronike, 14th century.

Constantine Manasses (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος Μανασσῆς; c. 1125[a] – c. 1187) was a Byzantine chronicler and poet who was active during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180). His main work was Synopsis Chronike, a poetic overview of world history. In his final years, Constantine may have been appointed as the metropolitan of Naupactos, although some modern scholars reject the idea.[3]

Synopsis Chronike

Sýnopsis Chronikê (Σύνοψις Χρονική, translated as Chronological Synopsis[1] or Historical Summary[4]), though a historiographic work, is formally speaking a lengthy narrative poem, consisting of about 6,620 lines in political verse.[5][4] In addition to Biblical narratives, starting with the creation of the world, Near Eastern, and Roman history, the text pays particular attention to the Trojan War and Byzantine history, ending with the reign of Nikephoros III Botaneiates (1081).[6] The work was commissioned by Irene, the widow of Andronikos Komnenos and emperor Manuel’s sister-in-law. It is estimated that the work was finished around 1150, shortly before Irene’s death in 1153.[1] Judging by its neary hundred surviving manuscripts, the poem was widely read.[7] In 13th century a prose retelling in the vernacular register was also produced, surviving in 24 manuscripts.[8]

In the 14th century, the Synopsis was translated into Middle Bulgarian (Bulgarian Church Slavonic) prose. This translation was commissioned by tsar Ivan Alexander between 1340 and 1345. In comparison with the original, the translation contains modifications and additions mainly focusing on Bulgarian history, and their ultimate goal has been interpreted as promotion of the idea of Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgarian Empire) as the Third Rome, i.e. the successor of Constantinople by the principle of translatio imperii.[9] The text exerted influence on later Russian chronicles, and was one of the inspirations for the notion of Moscow as the Third Rome.[10][11]

An Arabic translation written in 1313 is now hosted at the British Library.[12]

Other works

Manasses also wrote the poetical romance Loves of Aristander and Callithea, also in political verse. It is only known from the fragments preserved in the rose-garden of Macarius Chrysocephalus (14th century). Manasses also wrote a short biography of Oppian, and some descriptive pieces, all except one unpublished, on artistic and other subjects.[13][b]

Manuscripts and editions

The Greek text of the Synopsis survives in almost a hundred manuscripts.[7] The critical editions are:

The Slavonic text survives in five complete manuscripts – three in Middle Bulgarian from 14th century, and two later ones:[14]

The Middle Bulgarian version has been published in:

Modern translations are:

  • The Chronicle of Constantine Manasses. Translated by Yuretich, Linda. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. 2018. ISBN 9781786941510. (based on Greek and Slavonic versions)
  • Konstantinos Manasses: Verschronik. Translated by Paul, Anneliese; Rhoby, Andreas. Stuttgart: Anton Hiersemann. 2019.

Texts and translations of the Loves of Aristander and Callithea were published in:

  • Mazal, Otto (1967). Der Roman des Konstantinos Manasses: Überlieferung, Rekonstruktion, Textausgabe der Fragmente. Wien: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften.
  • Four Byzantine Novels. Translated by Jeffreys, Elizabeth. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. 2012. ISBN 978-1-84631-825-2.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Older sources estimate his year of birth to be around 1130. Finding it unlikely that Manasses was just 20 years old when writing the Synopsis Chronike, Warren Treadgold pushes the estimation slightly earlier to c. 1125.[1] Other modern sources suggest 1120[2] or even 1115.[1]
  2. ^ For further information on the work, see Hunger (1978:126–128).

References

  1. ^ a b c d Treadgold 2013, p. 399.
  2. ^ Yuretich 2018, p. 1.
  3. ^ Treadgold 2013, p. 400–401.
  4. ^ a b Yuretich 2018, p. 3.
  5. ^ Treadgold 2013, p. 401.
  6. ^ Treadgold 2013, p. 402.
  7. ^ a b Treadgold 2013, p. 403.
  8. ^ Nilsson 2021, p. 29.
  9. ^ Kaimakamova 2006, p. 93–99.
  10. ^ Kaimakamova 2006, p. 99.
  11. ^ Yuretich 2018, p. 17.
  12. ^ Constantine Manases, Chronicle Archived 2022-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. British Library.
  13. ^ Wikisource One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). “Manasses, Constantine“. Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 541.
  14. ^ Салмина, М.А. (1989). “Хроника Константина Манассии”. In Лихачев, Д.С. (ed.). Словарь книжников и книжности Древней Руси. Вып. 2 (вторая половина XIV – XVI в.). Ч. 2: Л–Я. Ленинград: Наука. pp. 494–496.
  15. ^ Kaimakamova 2006, pp. 93, 99.

Sources

Further reading