Michael Glycas

Michael Glycas or Glykas (Μιχαὴλ Γλυκᾶς; 12th century) was a Byzantine historian, theologian, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He was probably from Corfu and lived in Constantinople (now Istanbul).

His chief work is his Chronicle of events from the creation of the world to the death of Alexius I Comnenus (1118). It is extremely brief and written in a popular style, much space is devoted to theological and scientific matters. Glycas was also the author of a theological treatise and a number of letters on theological questions.

A poem of some 15-syllable verses, written in 1158/1159 during his imprisonment on a charge of slandering a neighbor and containing an appeal to the emperor Manuel I, is still extant, and is commonly regarded as the first dated work of Modern Greek literature, since it contains several vernacular proverbs. The exact nature of his offence is not known, but his punishment was to be blinded.