El elogio irónico : la conciencia de lo erotikon como prueba de rectitud moral
(2018) In Anales de Filologia clásica 2(31). p.47-53- Abstract
- It has often been stated that the Chronographia by the eleventh-century prolific author Michael Psellos is a piece of historiography that reads almost like a novel, and that Psellos spends much time on describing characters and taking ironical stances towards his imperial protagonists. This article claims that a refined version of this may be seen in Psellos’ book six on Constantine IX Monomachos. In this portrait Psellos explicitly states that he finds it hard to balance laudation and historical accuracy. We clearly see that Psellos owes favours to Constantine; on the other hand, his description of the rule of Constantine leaves no doubt that Constantine’s rule was fraught with problems. In the end –as it is here claimed– Psellos resorted... (More)
- It has often been stated that the Chronographia by the eleventh-century prolific author Michael Psellos is a piece of historiography that reads almost like a novel, and that Psellos spends much time on describing characters and taking ironical stances towards his imperial protagonists. This article claims that a refined version of this may be seen in Psellos’ book six on Constantine IX Monomachos. In this portrait Psellos explicitly states that he finds it hard to balance laudation and historical accuracy. We clearly see that Psellos owes favours to Constantine; on the other hand, his description of the rule of Constantine leaves no doubt that Constantine’s rule was fraught with problems. In the end –as it is here claimed– Psellos resorted to self-irony in the very last dramatic scene of the book, and thereby saved Constantine at least some praise, namely for being the only emperor who fully understood the hard conditions of rulership, that being emperor is something nobody can really sustain well to the end, as is also Psellos’ point elsewhere in the Chronographia. Constantine thereby becomes the only protagonist of the narration that shares this understanding with the narrator. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Abstract in Spanish
Se ha dicho a menudo que la Cronografía de Miguel Psellós, el prolífico
autor del s. xi, es una obra historiográfica que semeja una novela y que
Psellós gasta mucho tiempo en describir caracteres y en tomar actitudes
irónicas respecto de sus protagonistas imperiales. Este artículo
sostiene que una versión más refinada de esto puede ser vista en el
libro sexto de Psellós a propósito de Constantino IX Monómakhos. En este
retrato, Psellós establece explícitamente que encuentra difícil
mantener un equilibrio entre alabanza y exactitud histórica. Vemos
claramente que Psellós debe favores a Constantino; por otra parte, su
descripción del gobierno de Constantino no... (More) - Abstract in Spanish
Se ha dicho a menudo que la Cronografía de Miguel Psellós, el prolífico
autor del s. xi, es una obra historiográfica que semeja una novela y que
Psellós gasta mucho tiempo en describir caracteres y en tomar actitudes
irónicas respecto de sus protagonistas imperiales. Este artículo
sostiene que una versión más refinada de esto puede ser vista en el
libro sexto de Psellós a propósito de Constantino IX Monómakhos. En este
retrato, Psellós establece explícitamente que encuentra difícil
mantener un equilibrio entre alabanza y exactitud histórica. Vemos
claramente que Psellós debe favores a Constantino; por otra parte, su
descripción del gobierno de Constantino no deja duda de que ese gobierno
estaba plagado de problemas. Al final –como se sostiene aquí– Psellós
recurrió a la auto-ironía en la última escena del libro y, de este modo,
salvó a Constantino al menos con algún elogio, en concreto por ser el
único emperador que entendió completamente las duras condiciones del
ejercicio del gobierno, que el ser emperador es algo que nadie puede
soportar bien realmente hasta el final, como también apunta Psellós en
otro lugar de la Cronografía. Por eso Constantino se torna el único
protagonista de la narración que comparte su comprensión con el
narrador.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/d2f961d3-112c-483c-bc6b-391956360e1d
- author
- Høgel, Christian LU
- alternative title
- The ironic praise : the consciousness of the erotikon as a proof of moral rectitude
- publishing date
- 2018
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- psellos, cronografía, Constantino Monómaco, auto-ironía, historiografía bizantina, psellos, chronography, Constantinus Monomachos, self-irony, Byzantine historiography
- in
- Anales de Filologia clásica
- volume
- 2
- issue
- 31
- pages
- 7 pages
- ISSN
- 0325-1721
- DOI
- 10.34096/afc.v2i31.6150
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- d2f961d3-112c-483c-bc6b-391956360e1d
- alternative location
- http://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/afc/issue/view/482/showToc
- date added to LUP
- 2023-01-20 15:57:11
- date last changed
- 2023-01-20 15:57:11
@article{d2f961d3-112c-483c-bc6b-391956360e1d,
abstract = {{It has often been stated that the Chronographia by the eleventh-century prolific author Michael Psellos is a piece of historiography that reads almost like a novel, and that Psellos spends much time on describing characters and taking ironical stances towards his imperial protagonists. This article claims that a refined version of this may be seen in Psellos’ book six on Constantine IX Monomachos. In this portrait Psellos explicitly states that he finds it hard to balance laudation and historical accuracy. We clearly see that Psellos owes favours to Constantine; on the other hand, his description of the rule of Constantine leaves no doubt that Constantine’s rule was fraught with problems. In the end –as it is here claimed– Psellos resorted to self-irony in the very last dramatic scene of the book, and thereby saved Constantine at least some praise, namely for being the only emperor who fully understood the hard conditions of rulership, that being emperor is something nobody can really sustain well to the end, as is also Psellos’ point elsewhere in the Chronographia. Constantine thereby becomes the only protagonist of the narration that shares this understanding with the narrator.}},
author = {{Høgel, Christian}},
issn = {{0325-1721}},
keywords = {{psellos; cronografía; Constantino Monómaco; auto-ironía; historiografía bizantina; psellos; chronography; Constantinus Monomachos; self-irony; Byzantine historiography}},
language = {{swe}},
number = {{31}},
pages = {{47--53}},
series = {{Anales de Filologia clásica}},
title = {{El elogio irónico : la conciencia de lo erotikon como prueba de rectitud moral}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.34096/afc.v2i31.6150}},
doi = {{10.34096/afc.v2i31.6150}},
volume = {{2}},
year = {{2018}},
}