Studies in Byzantine Epitomes and the Greek Epitomizing Tradition - (Mnemosyne, Supplements) (Hardcover)

About the Book

This volume is the first to be devoted to the practice of writing epitomes or abridged books in Greek from Antiquity to end of the Byzantine period.

Book Synopsis

Epitomes, or abridged books, were a constant feature of Byzantine intellectual life and book culture. From epitomes of Greek and Roman historians to medical texts to condensed works of law, epitomes provided professionals and intellectuals with convenient sources of information - or erudition - that met the needs of their post-antique world. This volume, the first to be devoted to Byzantine epitomes, traces the development of the Byzantine epitomizing tradition from antiquity to the fall of Constantinople, while also analysing several key examples in depth. Across eight case-studies, Byzantine epitomes emerge as often surprising products of times of intense intellectual activity.

About the Author

Christopher Mallan is an Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History and the ACIS Cassamarca Foundation Chair in Latin Humanism at the University of Western Australia. His research interests include imperial Roman historiography and the reception of this tradition in Byzantium and beyond.

Contributors are: Jeffrey Beneker, Chrysanthos Chrysanthou, Isabel Grimm-Stadelmann, Marion Kruse, Laura Pfuntner, Marios Tantalos, Melpomeni Vogiatzi.