Tzetzes, John

Tzetzes, John

▪ Byzantine scholar
born c. 1110
died after 1180

      Byzantine didactic poet and scholar who preserved much valuable information from ancient Greek literature and scholarship, in which he was widely read.

      Tzetzes was for a time secretary to a provincial governor, then earned a meagre living by teaching and writing. He has been described as the perfect specimen of the Byzantine pedant. His literary and scholarly output was enormous, although it contained many inaccuracies—mostly because he was quoting from memory, lacking books, which he said his poverty forced him to do without.

      Of his numerous and varied works the most important is the Chiliades (“Thousands”). Also known as the Book of Histories, the work is a long poem (more than 12,000 lines of 15 syllables) containing literary, historical, antiquarian, and mythological miscellanies, intended to serve as a commentary on Tzetzes' own letters, which are addressed to friends and famous contemporaries as well as to fictitious persons. Though the whole work suffers from an unnecessary display of learning, the total number of authors quoted being more than 400, it contains much information unavailable elsewhere. Another work is Allegoriai on the Iliad and the Odyssey, two long didactic poems containing interpretations of Homeric theology. Interspersed in his learned commentaries are vignettes of everyday life in Constantinople.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tzetzes, John —    Poet and commentator on Homer (q.v.), who died ca. 1180. He was a contemporary of another great commentator on Homer, Eustathios of Thessalonike (q.v.). Tzetzes wrote in didactic verse about classical literature, for the instruction of… …   Historical dictionary of Byzantium

  • John Tzetzes — John (Johannes) Tzetzes (Ιωάννης Τζέτζης), (c. 1110 ndash; 1180) was a Byzantine poet and grammarian, known to have lived at Constantinople during the 12th century.Tzetzes was Georgian on his mother s side (and self consciously Georgian [Kazhdan …   Wikipedia

  • Jean Tzetzes — Jean Tzétzès Jean Tzétzès (en grec Ιωάννης Τζέτζης / Iôánnês Tzétzês), né vers 1110, mort entre 1180 et 1185, grammairien et poète byzantin. Appartenant à une famille fortunée (selon ses dires) d origine géorgienne du côté de sa mère, frère d… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jean Tzétzès — ou Joannes Tzetzes (en grec Ιωάννης Τζέτζης / Iôánnês Tzétzês), né vers 1110 à Constantinople[1], mort entre 1180 et 1185, grammairien et poète byzantin. Biographie Appartenant à une famille fortunée (selon ses dires) d origine géorgienne du côté …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Aeschrion of Samos — Aeschrion (Gr. polytonic|Αισχρίων) was an iambic poet, and a native of Samos.Citation last = Mason first = Charles Peter author link = contribution = Aeschrion (2) editor last = Smith editor first = William title = Dictionary of Greek and Roman… …   Wikipedia

  • Admete — is a name attributed to two individuals in Greek mythology:*Admete the Oceanid, a companion of Persephone. [Hesiod, Theogony 349.] Hyginus in the preface to his fables calls her Admeto, and a daughter of Pontus and Thalassa. *Admete (or Admeta),… …   Wikipedia

  • Laokoon — Künstlerische Darstellung von Laokoon kurz vor seinem Tod (Detail der Laokoon Gruppe) Laokoon (altgriechisch Λᾱοκόων /Laːokóɔːn/) war in der griechischen und römischen Mythologie ein trojanischer …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mopsus — For other uses, see Mopsus (disambiguation). Mopsus or Mopsos (Greek: Μόψος) was the name of two famous seers in Greek mythology. A historical/legendary Mopsus was the founder of a house in power at widespread sites in the coastal plains of… …   Wikipedia

  • Iliade — Titelblatt der Iliasausgabe von Theodose Thiel, die in Straßburg am Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts veröffentlicht wurde …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Interpretation des Laokoonmythos — → Hauptartikel: Laokoon Dieser Artikel beschäftigt sich mit den zahlreichen fachwissenschaftlichen Interpretationen des Laokoonmythos. Zur Person selbst, zur Entwicklung des Laokoonmythos und zu dessen Rezeption siehe den Artikel Laokoon.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”