Routledge - History as Literature in Byzantium - Academic Book

Explore a new perspective on Byzantine culture with History as Literature in Byzantium. This volume contains papers from the Fortieth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies held at the University of Birmingham in April 2007. While historical writing is often viewed as a primary source for reconstructing events, this collection challenges the idea that literary elements are separate from historical facts. For centuries, scholars have focused on extracting information from these texts, often treating the classical tradition and the stylistic choices of Byzantine authors as external to the history itself. This publication, part of the series for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies, provides a deep look into how historical texts function as literary achievements. It moves beyond simple data extraction to examine how the imitation and absorption of classical traditions shaped the way Byzantine history was recorded and understood. It is an essential resource for students and researchers interested in the intersection of history and literature within the Byzantine tradition.