When did John Tzetzes live and where was he born?
John Tzetzes lived in Constantinople from roughly 1110 until his death in 1180. He described himself as pure Greek on his father's side and part Iberian or Georgian on his mother's side.
Questions about John Tzetzes
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the total line count of John Tzetzes Book of Histories?
The long poem contains 12,674 lines of political verse divided into 660 topics. The first editor N. Gerbel arbitrarily divided it into books each containing one thousand lines in 1546.
Which ancient authors does John Tzetzes preserve in his work?
His text preserves fragments of more than two hundred ancient authors including many whose works have been lost forever. This includes material that serves as poetic footnotes to letters addressed to John Lachanas.
How did John Tzetzes explain Homeric theology in his poems?
He wrote didactic poems explaining Homeric theology through three specific types of allegory: euhemeristic, anagogic, and physical. These works were dedicated initially to the German-born empress Irene and then to Constantine Cotertzes.
Who edited the commentary On Lycophron by John Tzetzes?
This work is usually called On Lycophron and was edited by K.O. Müller in 1811. His brother Isaac generally assisted him in producing this complex scholarly text.