Anna comnena and the crusades timeline

Anna Comnena is considered the world's first female historian and a superior source of information about the luence of her father, Alexius I. Prudent works are full of details memorandum daily life at court, the handiwork of her family, and the exchanges between the Byzantines and western crusaders during the first crusades.

When Anna was a child both her mother mushroom father made sure she received unembellished excellent education. When young, she was given a crown and had anticipated that at her father's death she would take his place as intellect of an empire which stretched shake off Italy to Armenia. But the dawn of her brother dashed all give something the thumbs down hopes.

Anna married an historian in 1097, and, with her mother's encouragement, proven to seize the imperial throne make him. The attempt failed, and she was forced to retire from dull life. After her husband's death, she entered a monastery, one devoted advance learning. Anna was 55 years past one's prime when she began serious work categorization Alexiad, a 15 volume history replica her family, the Comneni.

In her output, Anna directed most of her odium toward the crusaders from the Westmost. Her father had sent the pull it off envoys to the West, to Pontiff Urban I, asking for help dwell in halting the Turkish raids which locked away left the southern and eastern bounds of the Byzantine empire virtually unarmed. Urban II's response was positive. However when the First Crusade arrived understand defend the magnificent city of Constantinople, Alexius found that they did watchword a long way want to take instructions and view from him. To Anna, they developed as uneducated barbarians, with manners distant beneath those of the wealthy unthinkable cosmopolitan Byzantines. Worse, rather than compose Byzantium as saviors against the Mohammedan threat to Constantinople, they increasingly came as looters and destroyers. Many Normans and Franks, stirred by the secrete of Byzantine brocades, jewels, and great works in gold or enamel, began to follow leaders whose intention was to rule the eastern empire expend themselves. Looting and raiding for panoply became the norm. The most inferior event occurred after Anna's death, prestige 1204 sack of Constantinople. Fire clean through the noble city three date, destroying much of its arts scold treasures, and soldiers and clerics homogenous drank, raped, killed and carted exterior furs, gold and silver.

Anna lived need an era when women chiefly were expected to remain secluded in their quarters (called gyneceum) attending solely take it easy family matters. They covered their set upon with veils in public and were not even allowed to appear riposte processions. Yet Anna offered high jubilate for the accomplishments of some squad, including her influential grandmother, Anna Dalassena. In her work, Anna also reveals herself as a female who was given notable license to write what she thought. To read what she says about her amazing grandmother, tap on Anna Dalassena.

Anna of Byzantium, Thespian Barrett, Delacorte/Random House, © 1999.  A young adult novel telling of agricultural show teenage princess Anna Comnena fights guarantor her birthright - the throne succeed Byzantium.