Kelsi Tallman
Summary:
Anna Comnena was the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus during the First Crusade in Constantinople in 1099. She compares her father to the character of Odysseus from the Iliad because of his heroic actions toward the crusaders.
Analysis:
According to Anna, the crusaders were indifferent "Latins" while the Byzantines were the real "Romans," which shows the growing separation between the East and the West (noting that the schism really hardens after the Fourth Crusade). Her description of her father also shows the differences between East and the West as portrayed by Anna. The Byzantines were afraid of the large army that the "Latins" had, except for the emperor who "remained calm" and "sat firmly on his throne." Not only was the emperor calm, confident, and planning his defense move with his military leaders, he was also "gazing cheerfully on them." Her father was the one "gazing" on the crusaders, not the other way around, show that he was the one in control.
The emperor is also portrayed as heroic and honorable by delaying the crusaders because they were invading during the Holy Week, and he wanted to avoid killing Christians. However, the crusaders, as depicted by Anna, didn't listen or care about having "reverence" for God and rejected the emperor's "sound advice" and attacked the Byzantines anyway (291). Again Anna portrays her father as the honorable leader who sits calmly on his throne and comforts his people when the crusaders begin to invade.
The "Latins" are portrayed as a barbaric group that wages war "without a moment's hesitation," whereas the Romans "showed greater spirit" and were able to make the "Latins" give way (292). Alexius is also described by Anna as being able to enforce an oath from the crusade leaders and was able to convince them to leave Byzantine territory, showing his great leadership and military skills.
Anna also describes her husband Nicephorus as a strong, capable military leader whose bow is "truly worthy of Apollo," the great archer god. He had perfect aim and control over his bow but didn't use his archery skills to hurt the crusaders during the Holy Week (291). Alexius and Nicephorus were described as heroic men with great leadership skills both politically and militarily compared with the heroes from the Iliad in order to represent the Byzantines as the true Romans.
Summary:
Anna Comnena was the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus during the First Crusade in Constantinople in 1099. She compares her father to the character of Odysseus from the Iliad because of his heroic actions toward the crusaders.
Analysis:
According to Anna, the crusaders were indifferent "Latins" while the Byzantines were the real "Romans," which shows the growing separation between the East and the West (noting that the schism really hardens after the Fourth Crusade). Her description of her father also shows the differences between East and the West as portrayed by Anna. The Byzantines were afraid of the large army that the "Latins" had, except for the emperor who "remained calm" and "sat firmly on his throne." Not only was the emperor calm, confident, and planning his defense move with his military leaders, he was also "gazing cheerfully on them." Her father was the one "gazing" on the crusaders, not the other way around, show that he was the one in control.
The emperor is also portrayed as heroic and honorable by delaying the crusaders because they were invading during the Holy Week, and he wanted to avoid killing Christians. However, the crusaders, as depicted by Anna, didn't listen or care about having "reverence" for God and rejected the emperor's "sound advice" and attacked the Byzantines anyway (291). Again Anna portrays her father as the honorable leader who sits calmly on his throne and comforts his people when the crusaders begin to invade.
The "Latins" are portrayed as a barbaric group that wages war "without a moment's hesitation," whereas the Romans "showed greater spirit" and were able to make the "Latins" give way (292). Alexius is also described by Anna as being able to enforce an oath from the crusade leaders and was able to convince them to leave Byzantine territory, showing his great leadership and military skills.
Anna also describes her husband Nicephorus as a strong, capable military leader whose bow is "truly worthy of Apollo," the great archer god. He had perfect aim and control over his bow but didn't use his archery skills to hurt the crusaders during the Holy Week (291). Alexius and Nicephorus were described as heroic men with great leadership skills both politically and militarily compared with the heroes from the Iliad in order to represent the Byzantines as the true Romans.