Volkoff A. Some features of the narrative sources on the history of the Nicaean Empire (1204–1261)

Abstract: This article focuses on the Greek narrative sources written during and about the Nicaean Empire (1204–1261). The principal authors of historical texts during this period were Niketas Choniates and Georgios Akropolites, as well as Michael Choniates and Nikolaos Mesarites. The article presents brief biographies about each author and notes the value of their contributions to the historical knowledge concerning the Nicaean Empire. These authors’ lives were closely connected to the events of the Fourth Crusade and the capture of Constantinople in 1204, and their works shed light on the subsequent events in Byzantine history – at Nicaea and in its subordinate territories. The main common attribute of the named authors is that they do not express a discontinuation of the Byzantine government and society after the loss of the ancient capital. On the contrary, their texts clearly reflect a historical continuity of the Nicaean government and ideology from the old Byzantine capital. The article considers the historical sources within the context of the writers and their biographies and the general socio-political situation of the period. The author also analyses the features of these sources and traces how they reflect the personal elements of their creators.

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