SOURCE: "Anna Comnena," in The Hibbert Journal, Vol. 33, No. 3. April, 1935, pp. 430-42.

In the following essay, Jackson describes the cultural, political, and religious conditions of the Byzantine empire before and during Alexius's reign, summarizes the books of the Alexiad, and provides evidence that Anna strived for impartiality.

Ladies who write history are not a phenomenon in our day, when the female sex has certainly achieved remarkable success in this field, notably in England. But almost as far down as the nineteenth century a woman as an historian was indeed a rara avis. When therefore a princess arose in the eleventh century to give the world an important record of one of the most momentous movements in human history she surely deserves the respectful attention of posterity. Such is Anna Comnena, who has scarcely received the credit she deserves from those who are prejudiced against her because of her...