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 | | The Reluctant Emperor: A Biography of John Cantacuzene, Byzantine Emperor and Monk, c. 1295-1383 by Donald M. Nicol ISBN-10: 9780521552561 ISBN-10: 0-521-55256-7 ISBN-13: 9780521552561 ISBN-13: 978-0-521-55256-1 Hardcover 1996-04-26 Cambridge University Press Find Lowest Price |
Editorials | ||
Product Description This is a biography of one of the most unusual Byzantine emperors in Constantinople who reigned from 1347 to 1354, and subsequently spent thirty years as a monk. John Cantacuzene was unique in that he wrote his own memoirs and in his varied talents and interests in a long life, as a soldier, scholar, and theologian. His dealings with the earliest leaders of the Ottoman Turks, with the merchants of Venice and Genoa, with the papacy, and with Stephen Dusan of Serbia also give his career a special interest. This is the first biography of John Cantacuzene in English. | ||
Reviews | ||
Enlightened Emperor / Mystical Monk This epic study by Donald Nichol is a credible journey through a period of time when great changes were unfolding at the frontiers of Europe. The reluctant Emperor is a magnificent story of the political struggles of the time and the desire of the Romans to rebuild their diminishing empire. Donald Nichol covers a range of themes and currents with an expert analytical hand, respectful of the sensitivities of the key characters and the underlying forces at work. He distinguishes himself in his awareness of the importance of the Orthodox faith to the Romans and their Emperor and the vital role of the Athonite elders and Patriarchal opinion. His astute explanations are supported by other Greek texts. It is a pity that a genealogical tree was not included to show the lineages referred to in the text. Some additional mapwork showing the locations of various battles, key cities and other geopolitical states (emirates, principalities) would have helped with the context. The writer conveys the frustrations Emperor Kantakouzinos experienced in dealing with circumstances that not only tested him, but his people. I commend this study to all who are interested in history beyond the western european sphere. | ||