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* AntiquatedLinguistics: [[InvokedTrope Adopted deliberately]], as Anna wished to hearken back to the works of Thucydides, Polybius, and Xenophon as a means of demonstrating both her education and her father's exalted status as a benevolent monarch who single-handedly restored the Byzantine Empire and its people to glory. Written in Attic Greek, it also comes across as highly stilted and artificial, often straying into SesquipedalianLocquaciousness and PurpleProse (her speech in the preface regarding her grief for her husband is particularly verbose and [[TalksLikeASimile filled with figurative language]]); as a result, modern translations tend to be a bit more informal, and even in the centuries after it was written it tended to be paraphrased into vernacular Greek for more readability.
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* AntiquatedLinguistics: [[InvokedTrope Adopted deliberately]], as Anna wished to hearken back to the works of Thucydides, Polybius, and Xenophon as a means of demonstrating both her education and her father's exalted status as a benevolent monarch who single-handedly restored the Byzantine Empire and its people to glory. Written in Attic Greek, it also comes across as highly stilted and artificial, often straying into SesquipedalianLocquaciousness SesquipedalianLoquaciousness and PurpleProse (her speech in the preface regarding her grief for her husband is particularly verbose and [[TalksLikeASimile filled with figurative language]]); as a result, modern translations tend to be a bit more informal, and even in the centuries after it was written it tended to be paraphrased into vernacular Greek for more readability.
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* AmusingInjuries: During one of his wars with the Scythian incursions in the north, Alexios was stabbed by one of them in the ''ass''. With a ''scythe''.
* AntiquatedLinguistics: [[InvokedTrope Adopted deliberately]], as Anna wished to hearken back to the works of Thucydides, Polybius, and Xenophon as a means of demonstrating both her education and her father's exalted status as a benevolent monarch who single-handedly restored the Byzantine Empire and its people to glory. Written in Attic Greek, it also comes across as highly stilted and artificial, often straying into SesquipedalianLocquaciousness and PurpleProse (her speech in the preface regarding her grief for her husband is particularly verbose and [[TalksLikeASimile filled with figurative language]]); as a result, modern translations tend to be a bit more informal, and even in the centuries after it was written it tended to be paraphrased into vernacular Greek for more readability.
* AntiquatedLinguistics: [[InvokedTrope Adopted deliberately]], as Anna wished to hearken back to the works of Thucydides, Polybius, and Xenophon as a means of demonstrating both her education and her father's exalted status as a benevolent monarch who single-handedly restored the Byzantine Empire and its people to glory. Written in Attic Greek, it also comes across as highly stilted and artificial, often straying into SesquipedalianLocquaciousness and PurpleProse (her speech in the preface regarding her grief for her husband is particularly verbose and [[TalksLikeASimile filled with figurative language]]); as a result, modern translations tend to be a bit more informal, and even in the centuries after it was written it tended to be paraphrased into vernacular Greek for more readability.
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* AuthorAppeal: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Theban queen Niobe, who turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by her people's ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down on during that time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
* AmusingInjuries: During one of his wars with the Scythian incursions in the north, Alexios was stabbed by one of them in the ''ass''. With a ''scythe''.
* AmusingInjuries: During one of his wars with the Scythian incursions in the north, Alexios was stabbed by one of them in the ''ass''. With a ''scythe''.
* AuthorAppeal: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to the tragic tale of Theban queen Niobe, who turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by her people's ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down on during that time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
* ExcessiveMourning: Several times Anna has to berate herself to cease crying for her husband, mother, and father so as to continue the story; the excessiveness is apparent not only in her long and flowery descriptions of her grief but in how she compares her sufferings to those of Niobe (who literally wept for her loss even while turned to stone) and states her whole life was such a "long series of storms and revolutions" that her misfortunes would make anyone weep in sympathy the same as Orpheus' music. That said, she does express it with poignant simplicity on occasion, such as thinking she must be dreaming her tragedies, or that "living I died a thousand deaths."
* TheGreatestStoryNeverTold: Anna's reason for writing the ''Alexiad'' is to avert this trope--for her whole family and its reign, but especially for her father. Not only is she afraid future historians will think poorly of him, believing him to have been weak, a coward, or the downfall of the empire, she believes he might simply be forgotten entirely if his story is not written down while those who knew him and witnessed the events of his reign were still living and could attest to them. The page quote, from the closing paragraphs of the preface, speaks to this fear.
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* SelfDeprecation: In the book's introduction, the narrator is aware that because she is Alexios' daughter, her account of his life will be accused by others of only praising him and as such tries to be impartial as much as she can.
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* SelfDeprecation: In the book's introduction, the narrator is aware that because she is Alexios' daughter, her account of his life will be accused by others of only praising him and as such tries to be impartial as much as she can. "And wherever I perceive my father made a mistake, I unhesitatingly transgress the natural law and cling to the truth, for though I hold him dear, I hold the truth dearer still."
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* SurvivorsGuilt: While some of this is for the glory of her house (and her being passed over as empress), the fact she outlived her husband as well as her parents, and that her study of medicine meant she was one of those treating Alexios' illness near the end of his life, clearly had a deep and lasting effect on Anna. "Even now I cannot believe that I am still alive and writing this account of the emperor's death. ...How comes it that when he is dead I am still numbered among the living?"
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->''Time in its irresistible and ceaseless flow carries along on its flood all created things, and drowns them in the depths of obscurity... But the tale of history forms a very strong bulwark against the stream of time, and to some extent checks its irresistible flow...and does not allow [events] to slip away into the abyss of oblivion.''
-->--''Alexiad'', Preface
-->--''Alexiad'', Preface
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''The Alexiad'' is a historical document recording [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_I_Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos]], the [[UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire Byzantine Emperor]] who ruled during the time of [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades First Crusade]], written by his daughter Princess Anna Komnene. Modeled after classical epics like ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and combined with historical events, the text is split into 15 books detailing his rise from power, his military campaign against the neighboring nations, his call for assistance against the Turks that results in the Crusader campaigns and his eventual death after triumphing against his enemies.
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''The Alexiad'' is a historical document recording [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_I_Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos]], the [[UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire Byzantine Emperor]] who ruled during the time of the [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades First Crusade]], written by his daughter Princess Anna Komnene. Modeled after classical epics like ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and combined with historical events, the text is split into 15 books detailing his rise from to power, his military campaign against the neighboring nations, his call for assistance against the Turks that results in the Crusader campaigns campaigns, and his eventual death after triumphing against his enemies.
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* AuthorAppeal: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Theban queen Niobe, who turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by her people's ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down during that time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
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* AuthorAppeal: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Theban queen Niobe, who turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by her people's ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down on during that time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
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* BackFromTheBrink: The Byzantines were caught up in severe civil strife and surrounded by the Turks in the East, the Scythians in the North and the Normans in the West, until the Komnene restoration started by Alexios would reunify make the Empire strong again (or at least [[ForegoneConclusion slow its decline]]).
* BarbarianTribe: The Scythians are an nomadic group that made incursions into the northern domains of the Byzantine Empire.
* BarbarianTribe: The Scythians are an nomadic group that made incursions into the northern domains of the Byzantine Empire.
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* BackFromTheBrink: The Byzantines were caught up in severe civil strife and surrounded by the Turks in the East, the Scythians in the North North, and the Normans in the West, until the Komnene restoration started by Alexios would reunify make the Empire strong again (or at least [[ForegoneConclusion slow its decline]]).
* BarbarianTribe: The Scythians arean a nomadic group that made incursions into the northern domains of the Byzantine Empire.
* BarbarianTribe: The Scythians are
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* BittersweetEnding: The chronicle ends with Alexios succumbing to an illness after stabillizing the Empire through his great efforts, but Anna concludes the tale in a very somber and depressing note as she grieves for his death while living in a convent.
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* BittersweetEnding: The chronicle ends with Alexios succumbing to an illness after stabillizing stabilizing the Empire through his great efforts, but Anna concludes the tale in a very somber and depressing note as she grieves for his death while living in a convent.
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* DangerousDeserter: The Seljuk warlord Tzachas was once a Byzantine vassal that was granted his own island to govern until he decided to rebel and become a pirate king that sacked several coastal cities. He even went as far as challenge Alexios for the Byzantine throne.
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* DangerousDeserter: The Seljuk warlord Tzachas was once a Byzantine vassal that was granted his own island to govern until he decided to rebel and become a pirate king that sacked several coastal cities. He even went as far as to challenge Alexios for the Byzantine throne.
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* EnemyMine: Alexios' [[GondorCallsForAid call for aid]] against the Turks leads to him siding include his previous hated enemies, the Franks.
* TheEmpire: The Byzantine Empire is a natural given, but from the Byzantines' perspective its the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum that is creeping into their territory in Anatolia. Of all Alexios' enemies, they end up being the climatic foe that he faces at the end (if you don't count the Bogomilians).
* TheEmpire: The Byzantine Empire is a natural given, but from the Byzantines' perspective its the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum that is creeping into their territory in Anatolia. Of all Alexios' enemies, they end up being the climatic foe that he faces at the end (if you don't count the Bogomilians).
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* EnemyMine: Alexios' [[GondorCallsForAid call for aid]] against the Turks leads to him siding include his side including his previous hated enemies, the Franks.
* TheEmpire: The Byzantine Empire is a natural given, but from the Byzantines' perspectiveits it's the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum that is creeping into their territory in Anatolia. Of all Alexios' enemies, they end up being the climatic climactic foe that he faces at the end (if you don't count the Bogomilians).
* TheEmpire: The Byzantine Empire is a natural given, but from the Byzantines' perspective
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* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Franks in general. While Anna regards them as savages, she cannot but help admire their bravery like as Sikelgata's charge and the Crusaders attacking the Saracens shouting "God with us".
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* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Franks in general. While Anna regards them as savages, she cannot but help admire their bravery like such as Sikelgata's charge and the Crusaders attacking the Saracens shouting "God with us".
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* VestigialEmpire: The Byzantines have entered an state of decline by the start of Alexios' career and are threatened to be carved up by enemies everywhere - from all sides and within.
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* VestigialEmpire: The Byzantines have entered an a state of decline by the start of Alexios' career and are threatened to be carved up by enemies everywhere - from all sides and within.
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* SketchySuccessor: Given that Anna was exiled to her monastery by her brother, John II, it might not be surprising that she takes every opportunity to portray him as being unable to live up to the legacy of their illustrious father. In reality, by all accounts John II was a very capable and competent emperor, though [[OvershadowedByAwesome unfortunately lost]] between the reigns of his romanticized father and illustrious son.
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* BastardBastard: Bohemond, the illegitimate eldest son of Robert Guiscard, whose determination to carve out a kingdom of his own around Antioch by any means necessary makes him Alexios's adversary.
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* AthensAndSparta: The Eastern Roman Empire is presented by the narrative as the Athens due to being a bastion of Christendom and safeguarding civilization from barbarism in all of it's forms with everything else like the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Franks]] and the [[EvilEmpire Turks]] being the Sparta.
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* AthensAndSparta: The Eastern Roman Empire is presented by the narrative as the Athens due to being a bastion of Christendom and safeguarding civilization from barbarism in all of it's its forms with everything else like the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Franks]] and the [[EvilEmpire Turks]] being the Sparta.
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* WarriorPrince: Alexios was already a kickass military commander before his coronation and managed to singlehandedly keep the empire from collapsing.
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* WarriorPrince: Alexios was already a kickass military commander before his coronation and managed to singlehandedly keep the empire from collapsing.collapsing.
----
----
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* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Byzantine politics really show why the term is synonymous with this trope. Alexios is able to secure his position as emperor via court intrigue and has to tangle with several usurpers from within his court trying to take the throne.
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* DeadlyDecadentCourt: DecadentCourt: Byzantine politics really show why the term is synonymous with this trope. Alexios is able to secure his position as emperor via court intrigue and has to tangle with several usurpers from within his court trying to take the throne.
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* MemeticMutation: InUniverse; Anna notes that one of Bohemond's boasts, "I have thrown Alexios to the wolf's mouth," is a subject of much repetition and parody in her time.
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* TheStarscream: Alexios is a rare heroic-ish example. As Domestic of the Schools, he is technically second to the emperor in the army, and Alexios uses this position to become emperor himself.
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* GuileHero: Alexios, both as Grand Domestic and as Emperor, uses his wits frequently to outmaneuver his enemies.
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* ArtisticLicenseHistory: The enemies that Anna refers to as Scythians were actually a loose connection of [[UsefulNotes/{{Bulgaria}} Bulgars]].
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* ArtisticLicenseHistory: The enemies that Anna refers to as Scythians were actually a loose connection collection of tribes that also included [[UsefulNotes/{{Bulgaria}} Bulgars]].Bulgars]]. The Scythian peoples as we know were extinct for ages.
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* ArtisticLicenseHistory: The enemies that Anna refers to as Scythians were actually a loose connection of [[UsefulNotes/{{Bulgaria}} Bulgars]].
* AuthorAppeal: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Theban queen Niobe, who turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by her people's ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down during that time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
* AuthorAppeal: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Theban queen Niobe, who turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by her people's ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down during that time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
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* CainAndAbel: Whenever the subject of her brother John comes up, Anna can barely disguise her contempt for him due to John inheriting the throne and [[LockedAwayInAMonastery exiling her to a monastery]] after trying to usurp him.
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* CainAndAbel: Whenever the subject of her brother John comes up, Anna can barely disguise her contempt for him due to John inheriting the throne and [[LockedAwayInAMonastery exiling her to a monastery]] after trying she tried to usurp him.
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* DatedHistory: The enemies that Anna refers to as Scythians were actually the Pechenegs, an Turkic tribe. The Scythians as we know it were extinct for ages by Alexios' time.
* HordesFromTheEast: The Byzantine Empire is surrounded by all sorts of enemies like these such as the Seljuk Turks, including the West (the Franks) and the North (the Scythians).
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* ShoutOut: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Theban queen Niobe, who turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by her people's ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down during that time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
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* AthensAndSparta: The Eastern Roman Empire is presented by the narrative as the Athens due to being a bastion of Christendom and safeguarding civilization from barbarism in all of it's forms with the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Franks]] and the [[EvilEmpire Turks]] else being the Sparta.
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* AthensAndSparta: The Eastern Roman Empire is presented by the narrative as the Athens due to being a bastion of Christendom and safeguarding civilization from barbarism in all of it's forms with everything else like the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Franks]] and the [[EvilEmpire Turks]] else being the Sparta.
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* PuppetKing: Robert Guiscard props up some monk as the exiled emperor Michael VII Doucas in order to overthrow Alexios and place him in power under the excuse of[[RightfulKingReturns restoring him to the throne]].
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* PuppetKing: Robert Guiscard props up some monk as the exiled emperor Michael VII Doucas in order to overthrow Alexios and place him in power under the excuse of[[RightfulKingReturns of [[RightfulKingReturns restoring him to the throne]].
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''The Alexiad'' is a historical document recording [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_I_Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos]], the [[UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire Byzantine Emperor]] who ruled during the time of [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades First Crusade]], written by his daughter Princess Anna Komnene. Modeled after classical epics ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and combining it with historical writings, its split into 15 books detailing his rise from power, his military campaign against the neighboring nations, his call for assistance against the Turks that results in the Crusader campaigns and his eventual death after triumphing against his enemies.
to:
''The Alexiad'' is a historical document recording [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_I_Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos]], the [[UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire Byzantine Emperor]] who ruled during the time of [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades First Crusade]], written by his daughter Princess Anna Komnene. Modeled after classical epics like ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and combining it combined with historical writings, its events, the text is split into 15 books detailing his rise from power, his military campaign against the neighboring nations, his call for assistance against the Turks that results in the Crusader campaigns and his eventual death after triumphing against his enemies.
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* BittersweetEnding: The chronicle ends with Alexios succumbing to an illness after stabillizing the Empire through his great efforts, but Anna concludes the tale in a very somber and depressing note since she is an exile.
to:
* BittersweetEnding: The chronicle ends with Alexios succumbing to an illness after stabillizing the Empire through his great efforts, but Anna concludes the tale in a very somber and depressing note since as she is an exile.grieves for his death while living in a convent.
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* TheHeretic: At several points during his life, Alexios tries to put down cults regarded as heretical such as the Paulicians and Bogomilism with the [[KillItWithFire obligatory death by fire]]. Anna wishes she could devote some time explaining what Bogomilism entails to the readers, but decides not to because she doesn't want to "defile her tongue". She at least devotes some words debunking Palicianism in her text - that is how much she hates Bogomilism.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Franks in general. Anna particularly regards the Normans as savages, but she can help and admiring their bravery like as Sikelgata's charge and the Crusaders attacking the Saracens shouting "God with us".
* PuppetKing: Robert Guiscard props up some monk as the exiled emperor Michael VII Doucas in order to overthrow Alexios and place him in power by pretending to [[RightfulKingReturns restore him to the throne]].
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Franks in general. Anna particularly regards the Normans as savages, but she can help and admiring their bravery like as Sikelgata's charge and the Crusaders attacking the Saracens shouting "God with us".
* PuppetKing: Robert Guiscard props up some monk as the exiled emperor Michael VII Doucas in order to overthrow Alexios and place him in power by pretending to [[RightfulKingReturns restore him to the throne]].
to:
* TheHeretic: At several points during his life, Alexios tries to put down cults regarded as heretical such as the Paulicians and Bogomilism Bogomilians with the [[KillItWithFire obligatory death by fire]]. Anna wishes she could devote some time explaining what Bogomilism entails to the readers, but decides not to because she doesn't want to "defile her tongue". She at least devotes some words debunking Palicianism in her text - that is how much she hates Bogomilism.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Franks in general. While Annaparticularly regards the Normans them as savages, she cannot but she can help and admiring admire their bravery like as Sikelgata's charge and the Crusaders attacking the Saracens shouting "God with us".
* PuppetKing: Robert Guiscard props up some monk as the exiled emperor Michael VII Doucas in order to overthrow Alexios and place him in powerby pretending to [[RightfulKingReturns restore under the excuse of[[RightfulKingReturns restoring him to the throne]].
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Franks in general. While Anna
* PuppetKing: Robert Guiscard props up some monk as the exiled emperor Michael VII Doucas in order to overthrow Alexios and place him in power
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* VestigialEmpire: The Byzantines have entered an state of decline by the start of Alexios' career and are threatened to be carved up by enemies everywhere - from all sides and within.
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It's one of the most well-known primary sources of the Eastern Roman Empire and provides their perspective on the Crusades, more specifically, the writer's own personal commentary in the events and her own father. The book was written decades after Alexios' death when Anna was exiled.
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It's one of the most well-known primary sources of the Eastern Roman Empire and provides their perspective on the Crusades, more specifically, the writer's own personal commentary in the events and her own father. The book was written decades after Alexios' death when Anna was exiled.
exiled by her brother.
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* BarbarianTribe: The Scythians are an nomadic group that began making incursions
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* BarbarianTribe: The Scythians are an nomadic group that began making made incursions into the northern domains of the Byzantine Empire.
* BittersweetEnding: The chronicle ends with Alexios succumbing to an illness after stabillizing the Empire through his great efforts, but Anna concludes the tale in a very somber and depressing note since she is an exile.
* BittersweetEnding: The chronicle ends with Alexios succumbing to an illness after stabillizing the Empire through his great efforts, but Anna concludes the tale in a very somber and depressing note since she is an exile.
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* DatedHistory: The enemies that Anna refers to as Scythians were actually the Pechenegs, an Turkic tribe. The Scythians as we know it have ceased to exist for ages by Alexios' time.
to:
* DatedHistory: The enemies that Anna refers to as Scythians were actually the Pechenegs, an Turkic tribe. The Scythians as we know it have ceased to exist were extinct for ages by Alexios' time.time.
* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Byzantine politics really show why the term is synonymous with this trope. Alexios is able to secure his position as emperor via court intrigue and has to tangle with several usurpers from within his court trying to take the throne.
* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Byzantine politics really show why the term is synonymous with this trope. Alexios is able to secure his position as emperor via court intrigue and has to tangle with several usurpers from within his court trying to take the throne.
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* TheHeretic: At several points during his life, Alexios tries to put down cults regarded as heretical such as the Paulicians and Bogomilism with the [[KillItWithFire obligatory death by fire]]. Anna wishes she could devote some time explaining what Bogomilism entails to the readers, but decides not to because she doesn't want to "defile her tongue". She devotes a paragraph debunking Palicianism - that is how much she hates Bogomilians.
to:
* TheHeretic: At several points during his life, Alexios tries to put down cults regarded as heretical such as the Paulicians and Bogomilism with the [[KillItWithFire obligatory death by fire]]. Anna wishes she could devote some time explaining what Bogomilism entails to the readers, but decides not to because she doesn't want to "defile her tongue". She at least devotes a paragraph some words debunking Palicianism in her text - that is how much she hates Bogomilians.Bogomilism.
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* PuppetKing: Robert Guiscard props up some monk as the exiled emperor Michael VII Doucas in order to overthrow Alexios and place him in power by pretending to [[RightfulKingReturns restore him to the throne]].
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''The Alexiad'' is a historical document recording [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_I_Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos]], the [[UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire Byzantine Emperor]] who ruled during the time of [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades First Crusade]], written by his daughter Princess Anna Komnene. With the name styed after classical epics ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and drawing some elements from ancient Greek mythos, its split into 15 books detailing his rise from power, his military campaign against the neighboring nations, his call for assistance against the Turks that results in the Crusader campaigns and his eventual death after triumphing against his enemies.
to:
''The Alexiad'' is a historical document recording [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_I_Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos]], the [[UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire Byzantine Emperor]] who ruled during the time of [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades First Crusade]], written by his daughter Princess Anna Komnene. With the name styed Modeled after classical epics ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and drawing some elements from ancient Greek mythos, combining it with historical writings, its split into 15 books detailing his rise from power, his military campaign against the neighboring nations, his call for assistance against the Turks that results in the Crusader campaigns and his eventual death after triumphing against his enemies.
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* AmusingInjuries: During one of his wars with the Scythian incursions in the north, Alexios was stabbed by one of them in the ''ass''. With a ''scythe''.
* AthensAndSparta: The Eastern Roman Empire is presented by the narrative as the Athens due to being a bastion of Christendom and safeguarding civilization from barbarism in all of it's forms with the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Franks]] and the [[EvilEmpire Turks]] else being the Sparta.
* AthensAndSparta: The Eastern Roman Empire is presented by the narrative as the Athens due to being a bastion of Christendom and safeguarding civilization from barbarism in all of it's forms with the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Franks]] and the [[EvilEmpire Turks]] else being the Sparta.
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* BarbarianTribe: The Normans and Franks (Western Europeans in general, not necessarily French people) are regarded as particularly savages. Though to be technical, any non-Byzantine would be regarded as a barbarian to them.
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* BarbarianTribe: The Normans and Franks (Western Europeans in general, not necessarily French people) Scythians are regarded as particularly savages. Though to be technical, any non-Byzantine would be regarded as a barbarian to them.an nomadic group that began making incursions
* DatedHistory: The enemies that Anna refers to as Scythians were actually the Pechenegs, an Turkic tribe. The Scythians as we know it have ceased to exist for ages by Alexios' time.
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* TheHeretic: The Bogomilians, a gnostic Christian cult that Alexios tries to pull down at the end of the chronicle by burning their leader at the stake. In fact, Anna wishes she could devote some time explaining what Bogomilism is to the readers, but decides not to because she doesn't want to "defile her tongue".
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* TheHeretic: The Bogomilians, a gnostic Christian cult that At several points during his life, Alexios tries to pull put down at cults regarded as heretical such as the end of Paulicians and Bogomilism with the chronicle [[KillItWithFire obligatory death by burning their leader at the stake. In fact, fire]]. Anna wishes she could devote some time explaining what Bogomilism is entails to the readers, but decides not to because she doesn't want to "defile her tongue".tongue". She devotes a paragraph debunking Palicianism - that is how much she hates Bogomilians.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Franks in general. Anna particularly regards the Normans as savages, but she can help and admiring their bravery like as Sikelgata's charge and the Crusaders attacking the Saracens shouting "God with us".
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Franks in general. Anna particularly regards the Normans as savages, but she can help and admiring their bravery like as Sikelgata's charge and the Crusaders attacking the Saracens shouting "God with us".
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* ShoutOut: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Niobe, a Theban queen that turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down during her time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
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* ShoutOut: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Niobe, a Theban queen that Niobe, who turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by her people's ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down during her that time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
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* BackFromTheBrink: The Byzantines were caught up in severe civil strife and surrounded by the Turks in the East, the Scythians in the North and the Normans in the West, until the Komnene restoration started by Alexios would reunify make the Empire strong again (or at least [[ForeignConclusion slow its decline]]).
to:
* BackFromTheBrink: The Byzantines were caught up in severe civil strife and surrounded by the Turks in the East, the Scythians in the North and the Normans in the West, until the Komnene restoration started by Alexios would reunify make the Empire strong again (or at least [[ForeignConclusion [[ForegoneConclusion slow its decline]]).
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* EnemyMine: Alexios' [[GondorCallForAid call for aid]] against the Turks leads to him siding include his previous hated enemies, the Franks.
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* EnemyMine: Alexios' [[GondorCallForAid [[GondorCallsForAid call for aid]] against the Turks leads to him siding include his previous hated enemies, the Franks.
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Changed line(s) 7 (click to see context) from:
* BackFromTheBrink: The Byzantines were caught up in severe civil strife and surrounded by the Turks in the East, the Scythians in the North and the Normans in the West, until the Komnene restoration started by Alexios would reunify make the Empire strong again.
to:
* BackFromTheBrink: The Byzantines were caught up in severe civil strife and surrounded by the Turks in the East, the Scythians in the North and the Normans in the West, until the Komnene restoration started by Alexios would reunify make the Empire strong again.again (or at least [[ForeignConclusion slow its decline]]).
* BurnTheWitch: Alexios orders the Bogomilian leader Basil to be burned on a pyre for heresy.
* DangerousDeserter: The Seljuk warlord Tzachas was once a Byzantine vassal that was granted his own island to govern until he decided to rebel and become a pirate king that sacked several coastal cities. He even went as far as challenge Alexios for the Byzantine throne.
* GreatBigBookOfEverything: The Alexiad itself served this purpose for the Alexios' period.
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* WarriorPrince: Alexios was already a kickass military commander before his coronation and managed to singlehandedly keep the
to:
* ShoutOut: Anna makes frequent references to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek mythology]] like comparing Sikelgata to Pallas Athena or her own ultimate fate to tragic tale of Niobe, a Theban queen that turned into stone after her family's murder. She was highly influenced by ancient tales considering the naming convention of her book, which was highly looked down during her time period because of its paganistic roots and Greece already being UsefulNotes/{{Orthodox Christian|ity}}.
* WarriorPrince: Alexios was already a kickass military commander before his coronation and managed to singlehandedly keepthethe empire from collapsing.
* WarriorPrince: Alexios was already a kickass military commander before his coronation and managed to singlehandedly keep
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Added DiffLines:
''The Alexiad'' is a historical document recording [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_I_Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos]], the [[UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire Byzantine Emperor]] who ruled during the time of [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades First Crusade]], written by his daughter Princess Anna Komnene. With the name styed after classical epics ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and drawing some elements from ancient Greek mythos, its split into 15 books detailing his rise from power, his military campaign against the neighboring nations, his call for assistance against the Turks that results in the Crusader campaigns and his eventual death after triumphing against his enemies.
It's one of the most well-known primary sources of the Eastern Roman Empire and provides their perspective on the Crusades, more specifically, the writer's own personal commentary in the events and her own father. The book was written decades after Alexios' death when Anna was exiled.
!!The Alexiad contains examples of the following tropes:
* ActionGirl: The Lombard princess Sikelgaita is said to have personally lead her own troops during the Battle of Dyrrhachium. Anna goes as far as comparing her to Pallas Athena.
* BackFromTheBrink: The Byzantines were caught up in severe civil strife and surrounded by the Turks in the East, the Scythians in the North and the Normans in the West, until the Komnene restoration started by Alexios would reunify make the Empire strong again.
* BarbarianTribe: The Normans and Franks (Western Europeans in general, not necessarily French people) are regarded as particularly savages. Though to be technical, any non-Byzantine would be regarded as a barbarian to them.
* CainAndAbel: Whenever the subject of her brother John comes up, Anna can barely disguise her contempt for him due to John inheriting the throne and [[LockedAwayInAMonastery exiling her to a monastery]] after trying to usurp him.
* DaddysGirl: Though she is occasionally critical of him, it's clear that Anna completely adores her father Alexios and is aware that her account will be biased.
* EnemyMine: Alexios' [[GondorCallForAid call for aid]] against the Turks leads to him siding include his previous hated enemies, the Franks.
* TheEmpire: The Byzantine Empire is a natural given, but from the Byzantines' perspective its the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum that is creeping into their territory in Anatolia. Of all Alexios' enemies, they end up being the climatic foe that he faces at the end (if you don't count the Bogomilians).
* TheHeretic: The Bogomilians, a gnostic Christian cult that Alexios tries to pull down at the end of the chronicle by burning their leader at the stake. In fact, Anna wishes she could devote some time explaining what Bogomilism is to the readers, but decides not to because she doesn't want to "defile her tongue".
* SelfDeprecation: In the book's introduction, the narrator is aware that because she is Alexios' daughter, her account of his life will be accused by others of only praising him and as such tries to be impartial as much as she can.
* WarriorPrince: Alexios was already a kickass military commander before his coronation and managed to singlehandedly keep the
It's one of the most well-known primary sources of the Eastern Roman Empire and provides their perspective on the Crusades, more specifically, the writer's own personal commentary in the events and her own father. The book was written decades after Alexios' death when Anna was exiled.
!!The Alexiad contains examples of the following tropes:
* ActionGirl: The Lombard princess Sikelgaita is said to have personally lead her own troops during the Battle of Dyrrhachium. Anna goes as far as comparing her to Pallas Athena.
* BackFromTheBrink: The Byzantines were caught up in severe civil strife and surrounded by the Turks in the East, the Scythians in the North and the Normans in the West, until the Komnene restoration started by Alexios would reunify make the Empire strong again.
* BarbarianTribe: The Normans and Franks (Western Europeans in general, not necessarily French people) are regarded as particularly savages. Though to be technical, any non-Byzantine would be regarded as a barbarian to them.
* CainAndAbel: Whenever the subject of her brother John comes up, Anna can barely disguise her contempt for him due to John inheriting the throne and [[LockedAwayInAMonastery exiling her to a monastery]] after trying to usurp him.
* DaddysGirl: Though she is occasionally critical of him, it's clear that Anna completely adores her father Alexios and is aware that her account will be biased.
* EnemyMine: Alexios' [[GondorCallForAid call for aid]] against the Turks leads to him siding include his previous hated enemies, the Franks.
* TheEmpire: The Byzantine Empire is a natural given, but from the Byzantines' perspective its the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum that is creeping into their territory in Anatolia. Of all Alexios' enemies, they end up being the climatic foe that he faces at the end (if you don't count the Bogomilians).
* TheHeretic: The Bogomilians, a gnostic Christian cult that Alexios tries to pull down at the end of the chronicle by burning their leader at the stake. In fact, Anna wishes she could devote some time explaining what Bogomilism is to the readers, but decides not to because she doesn't want to "defile her tongue".
* SelfDeprecation: In the book's introduction, the narrator is aware that because she is Alexios' daughter, her account of his life will be accused by others of only praising him and as such tries to be impartial as much as she can.
* WarriorPrince: Alexios was already a kickass military commander before his coronation and managed to singlehandedly keep the
