The Alexiad

The Alexiad, composed in the mid-12th century by the Byzantine princess Anna Comnena, serves as a vital historical record of the reign of her father, Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Writing in exile following her brother's ascension to the throne, Anna utilized her extensive education and access to the imperial court to document the political intrigue, military campaigns, and theological disputes of the era, most notably the First Crusade. Her work remains a foundational text for understanding the intersection of Byzantine diplomacy and Western European expansion.

The specific edition referenced here, published under the CreateSpace imprint, is a modern print-on-demand reproduction of the historical text rather than a 17th-century antique. While the Alexiad was first printed in Europe in the 17th century—notably by Hoeschel in 1610—this specific ISBN corresponds to a 21st-century scholarly reissue. It reflects a long-standing academic tradition of preserving Anna Comnena’s literary legacy, ensuring her complex, Atticizing Greek narrative remains accessible to historians and students of medieval history.