Constantine Manasses

Constantine Manasses (Κωνσταντῖνος Μανασσῆς; c. 1130 - c. 1187) was a Byzantine chronicler who flourished in the 12th century during the reign of Manuel I Comnenus (1143-1180). He was the author of a chronicle or historical synopsis of events from the creation of the world to the end of the reign of Nicephorus Botaniates (1081), written by direction of Irene, the emperors sister-in-law. It consists of about 7000 lines in the so-called political metre. It obtained great popularity and appeared in a free prose translation; it was also - XIV Sec. - translated into Bulgarian and Roman Slavic and enjoyed a great popularity.

Chronicle edition: Bekker, Bonn 1837; the Bulgarian translation, by Bogdan and Bianu ( "Cronica lui Constantin Manasses), Bucarest, 1922.

In 1969 Bulgaria issued two sets of stamps depicting important scenes of the chronicle, to celebrate it.

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 Manasses also wrote a short biography of Oppian, and some descriptive pieces (all except one unpublished) on artistic and other subjects.

Konstantin Manasses Κωνσταντίνος Μανασσής Constantino Manasés Konstantyn Manasses Konstantin Manasa