The pleasure of storytelling: anecdotes in Nikephoros Bryennios’ Material for History
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article presents the first sustained narratological analysis of the embedded stories in Nikephoros Bryennios’ Material for History . It argues that pleasure in storytelling was a valued feature of Byzantine historiography and that Bryennios’ anecdotes derive their appeal from four interrelated features: eventfulness, tellability, narrativity, and immersion. The article further contends that, by mimicking oral storytelling through rhetorical questions, direct speech, and vivid sensory detail, Bryennios crafts narratives suited to performative settings while preserving a sense of authenticity. It concludes by proposing narratological criteria for identifying and analysing anecdotes across Byzantine historiography and reassessing the role of pleasure in historical writing.
Author: Piril Us MacLennan
Institution: Ghent University
Language: English
Subfield: Classics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
OpenAlex ID: W7119516959
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