The Alexiad of Anna Comnena details the life and reign of Anna Comnena’s father Byzantine Emperor Alexius. Through fifteen books The Alexiad spans from the militaristic ambitions of a 14-year-old Alexius through his final loosing battle with disease, and in doing so depicts the military campaigns in the Holy Land during the First Crusade as well as the interplay between the East and West. Through her classical epic-style writing, Anna illustrates the events of the First Crusade, their antecedents, and limited aftermath through the lens of an aristocratic, well-educated, Greek woman. She offers insight into how the Emperor and Greeks as a whole viewed the West’s campaign against the Muslims and presents a unique perspective that differs from the historical texts written by western clergy traveling on
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Comnena writes a fatherly motivated, Byzantine biased understanding of the crusading movement. Anna Comnena dictates two main motivations for writing The Alexiad. She has the public motivation of historical documentation and the more private motivation to legitimize her father’s actions surrounding the First Crusade. The public, and overtly-stated objective, is to be a true historian and honestly represent the events and actions that took place during her father’s life and reign as Byzantine Emperor. To this effect she writes, “I intend in this writing of mine to recount the deeds done by my father for they should certainly not be lost in silence (i).” As a politically intelligent and well-educated woman, Anna recognizes the importance of history and the magnitude of the events that transpired in Byzantium during his reign. This motivation, however, is more of a guise to her underlying motivation. Her repetitive defense of her writing gives the impression that she is trying to convince her audience,
Comnena writes a fatherly motivated, Byzantine biased understanding of the crusading movement. Anna Comnena dictates two main motivations for writing The Alexiad. She has the public motivation of historical documentation and the more private motivation to legitimize her father’s actions surrounding the First Crusade. The public, and overtly-stated objective, is to be a true historian and honestly represent the events and actions that took place during her father’s life and reign as Byzantine Emperor. To this effect she writes, “I intend in this writing of mine to recount the deeds done by my father for they should certainly not be lost in silence (i).” As a politically intelligent and well-educated woman, Anna recognizes the importance of history and the magnitude of the events that transpired in Byzantium during his reign. This motivation, however, is more of a guise to her underlying motivation. Her repetitive defense of her writing gives the impression that she is trying to convince her audience,