Konstantinos Manasses

Constantine Manasses (right) next to Bulgarian tsar Ivan Alexander (middle) and Jesus Christ (left). Miniature from the Vatican copy of the Middle Bulgarian translation of Synopsis Chronike, 14th century.

Constantine Manasses (; ) was a Byzantine chronicler and poet who was active during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180). His main work was Synopsis Chronike, a poetic overview of world history. In his final years, Constantine may have been appointed as the metropolitan of Naupactos, although some modern scholars reject the idea.

Synopsis Chronike

Sýnopsis Chronikê (, translated as 'Chronological Synopsis', or 'Historical Summary'), though a historiographic work, is formally speaking a lengthy narrative poem, consisting of about 6,620 lines in political verse. In addition to Biblical narratives, starting with the creation of the world, Near Eastern, and Roman history, the text pays particular attention to the Trojan War and Byzantine history, ending with the reign of Nikephoros III Botaneiates (1081). The work was commissioned by Irene, the widow of Andronikos Komnenos and Emperor Manuel's sister-in-law. It is estimated that the work was finished around 1150, shortly before Irene's death in 1153. Judging by its nearly hundred surviving manuscripts, the poem was widely read. In the 13th century, a prose retelling in the vernacular register was also produced, surviving in 24 manuscripts.

In the 14th century, the Synopsis was translated into Middle Bulgarian (Bulgarian Church Slavonic) prose. This translation was commissioned by Bulgarian tsar Ivan Alexander between 1340 and 1345. In comparison with the original, the translation contains modifications and additions mainly focusing on Bulgarian history, and their ultimate goal has been interpreted as promotion of the idea of Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgarian Empire) as the Third Rome, i.e. the successor of Constantinople by the principle of translatio imperii. The text exerted influence on later Russian chronicles, and was one of the inspirations for the notion of Moscow as the Third Rome.

An Arabic translation written in 1313 is now hosted at the British Library.

Other works

Manasses also wrote the poetical romance Loves of Aristander and Callithea, also in political verse. It is only known from the fragments preserved in the rose-garden of Macarius Chrysocephalus (14th century). Manasses also wrote a short biography of Oppian, and some descriptive pieces, all except one unpublished, on artistic and other subjects.

Manuscripts and editions

The Greek text of the Synopsis survives in almost a hundred manuscripts. The critical editions are: (Greek text with Latin translation) (2 vols.)

The Slavonic text survives in five complete manuscripts – three in Middle Bulgarian from 14th century, and two later ones: Synodal or Moscow copy , held at State Historical Museum in Moscow Codex Vaticanus slavicus 2, held at Vatican Library; slightly younger than the Synodal copy and illustrated with 69 miniatures – scan on DigiVatLib Tulcea copy, held at the library of Romanian Academy of Sciences, Bucharest Hilandar copy, held at Hilandar Monastery; in Serbian Church Slavonic, 16th century Sofia copy, held at National Library of Russia, 17th century

The Middle Bulgarian version has been published in:

(reproductions of miniatures from the Cod. Vat. slav. 2)

Modern translations are: (based on Greek and Slavonic versions)

Texts and translations of the Loves of Aristander and Callithea were published in:

Footnotes