← Explore on the interactive map

John Skylitzes

Type Figure Region Byzantine Empire Time c. 1040–1101 Also known as John Skylitzes、John Scylitzes、Ioannes Scylitzes、Ἰωάννης Σκυλίτζης

John Skylitzes (c. 1040s – after 1101) was a late Byzantine historian and senior civil official, author of the Synopsis of Histories covering the emp…

Timeline

  1. 1040–1060Thracian theme · Thracian themeBorn in the Thracian theme of western Asia Minor, his family belonged to the Byzantine judicial-administrative elite; he received a typical bureaucratic education, was versed in classical Greek literature and rhetoric, laying the stylistic foundation for his later historical writing.
  2. 1080–1100Constantinople · ConstantinopleHe wrote the Synopsis of Histories (Synopsis Historiarum), narrating from the death of Nikephoros I in 811 to the abdication of Michael VI in 1057, with detailed treatment of the emperors of the late Macedonian dynasty from 1021 to 1030; the first half is based on a now-lost prior history, the second half draws on contemporary oral tradition and judicial experience.
  3. 1081–1101Constantinople · ConstantinopleHe held high office under Alexios I Komnenos, overseeing the palace guard and court affairs, and possibly drafted legal documents for the emperor in 1092; his historical narratives often carry a judicial and moralizing tone.

Sources