ίων βιβλία για κάθε επιστήμη, τέχνη και επάγγελμα

Η έκδοση αυτή είναι δίγλωσση, σε ελληνικά και αγγλικά.

Με την έκδοση αυτού του βιβλίου καθίσταται επιτέλους προσιτό στο διεθνές φιλολογικό κοινό το λόγιο ποίημα για την Αλωση της Κωνσταντινούπολης το1204 από τους Φράγκους Σταυροφόρους. Προσφέρει τόσο στους ειδικούς φιλολόγους, όσο και στο ευρύτερο αναγνωστικό κοινό, ένα χρήσιμο εργαλείο δουλειάς και ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον ιστορικό κείμενο.  Το ελληνικό κείμενο συνοδεύεται από μία προσεγμένη και γλαφυρή έμμετρη μετάφραση καθώς και από τον απαραίτητο ιστορικό σχολιασμό. Έτσι, μια χρήσιμη ιστορική πηγή γίνεται σήμερα ευρύτερα γνωστή στους ιστορικούς της περιόδου αυτής.
_____________________________

A critical edition with translation, grammatical and historical commentary of the Codex 408 Marcianus Graecus (ff.1-13v) in the Library of St. Mark, Venice. It is rare to find a book such as the present work that offers the reader so many diverse facets of Byzantine life: history, culture and literature.

“The Fall of Constantinople” is the title of a poem (verse-chronicle) of 759 lines written in 1392 by an anonymous author who describes the capture of Constantinople in 1204 by the Latins (Fourth Crusade) and its subsequent recovery in 1261 by Michael Palaiologos.
The poem, which is written in the Political metre (a metre favoured by the literati of the fourteenth century), is found in the Codex Marcianus 408 in the Library of St. Mark in Venice. This Codex contains other poems of historical interest that reflect a similar style of writing as that found in “The Fall of Constantinople”.

The identity of the anonymous writer of the poem is investigated on the basis of linguistic comparisons between the poem in question and other poetic works contained in the Codex. An unusual and invaluable feature of the poem is not only the translation from Medieval Greek into English, but also the actual rendering of the lines in the same metre (Political verse) as the reflected in Greek.

Following the translation is a section devoted entirely to a profound grammatical analysis of the language of the poem that shows the reader the development of the Greek language from the Classical to the Byzantine directed towards the shaping of Modern Greek.
The detailed historical commentary on the other hand describes the tragic history of the Fourth Crusade, focusing on the spectacular, intimate and exciting experiences of the notable Byzantine emperors: Andronikos I, Isaac II, Alexios III, IV, V, Michael Palaiologos VIII and others.

The recovery of Constantinople through the underground water-conduits as described in the poem, provides one of the most dramatically presented moments in the history of the “Queen of Cities”.
By reason of its sparkling content, this poem, accompanied by detailed commentary, makes for interesting and fascinating reading.
The present study therefore which, by all accounts, fulfils academic and scholarly requirements, sheds a revealing light on linguistic, cultural and moral aspects of Byzantine life, and can justifiably be considered an invaluable source of information for any reader of an inquiring mind.

ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΑ/CONTENTS:

FOREWORD by Professor Κ. Mitsakis
PREFACE
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PHOTO-REPRODUCTION OF THE MANUSCRIPT
PHOTO-REPRODUCTION OF f. 142 OF THE «ALEXANDER POEM» AND f.145 OF THE «PROSE CHRONICLE» MAP INTRODUCTION
1. The Codex Marcianus 408
2. Date of Composition
3. The Present Edition
4. Other Editions
5. Our Author (i) His Identity (ii) Is our author also the author of the Alexander poem?
6. An Insight into our Author and his Chronicle
7. Our Author and his Sources
8. Tables (Source References)
9. Language of our Author (a) General Observations (b) Formulaic Patterns
10. The Political Verse
11. The Task of the Translator TEXT, CRITICAL APPARATUS AND TRANSLATION Form of Apparatus

GRAMMATICAL COMMENTARY 1. Phonology (Pronunciation) (a) Iotacistic errors (b) The loss of phonological distinction between single and double consonants (c)άπαξ λεγόμενον (d) The fricativization of β, γ and of the second component of the diphthongs/e)/and /αυ/ (phonemic examples) (e) Assimilation of Consonants (f) Simplification of Consonants

Η ΑΛΩΣΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ 2. Author's Grammar (a) Substantives (i) Dvadva (ii) Homeric Forms (iii) Loss of Reduplication (iv) Latinisms (v) Christianisms (vi) Morphological Variation of Nouns (vii) Poetic Forms (e.g. πύλεως, ίππέοις, ύδραγωγέων) (b) Adjectives (c) Adverbs (i) Comparative Adverbs (d) Pronouns (e) Prepositions (f) Verbs (i) εΰρεν (ii) Verbs ending in -οσαν (iii)e Perfect Tense (iv) Periphrastic verb forms (ν) απερχόμενους 3. Syntax (a) Cases (i) Accusative (ii) Dative (b) Moods (i) Infinitive (ii) Optative (iii) Indicative (iv) Participle 4. Miscellanea (a) Pleonasms (b) Compound Verbs (c) Attic Usage (d) Metathesis

HISTORICAL COMMENTARY Preface to the poem
CONCLUSION APPENDIX Α "Εκκλητος : From Plutarch to the Patriach
APPENDIX Β Κοντάκιον Θεοτόκου: 'Ακάθιστος Υμνος αλωσισ τησ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως
11 APPENDIX C Medieval and Modem Greek
APPENDIX D Πάσχα poem (f. 14) APPENDIX D1 Pascha prose: Gregory of Nazianzos
APPENDIX Ε The Donation of Constantine (verse) (ff. 142v -144)
APPENDIX E1 The Donation of Constantine (prose): Matthew Blastares
APPENDIX F Lines on Morality (f.l44v) APPENDIX G Prophecy of the Bishop of Patera (ff.l5Ov-151v)
APPENDIX Η Seven Wonders of the World (verse) (f 153)
APPENDIX H1 Seven Wonders of the World (prose): Gregory of Nazianzos
APPENDIX I The Chaste Susanna (Apocrypha) (ff. 153V-154)
APPENDIX J Orestes and Pylades (verse) (ff. 14-14V)
APPENDIX J1 Orestes and Pylades (prose) : Gregory of Nazianzos
APPENDIX Κ Orion, Aktaion, Iphigenia (verse) (ff. 14V-15)
APPENDIX K1 Orion, Aktaion, Iphigenia (prose) : Gregory of Nazianzos

BIBLIOGRAPHY COMPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABBREVIATIONS INDEX VERBORUM INDEX NOMINUM