Michael Psellos
Chronographia — Byzantine polymath and court philosopher
The most brilliant intellectual of the middle Byzantine period. The Chronographia is a gallery of imperial portraits drawn with psychological acuity and literary flair that rivals Tacitus. He revived Neoplatonic philosophy and embodied the dangerous life of the Byzantine court intellectual.
Key works
- Chronographia~1060s— Portraits of emperors from Basil II to Michael VII — vivid, gossipy, brilliant