Digenis Acritas

[Tobias]

G'day All

Whilst reading through some notes today, I come across a reference to a 12th century poem called "Digenis Acritas", a Byzantine epic poem. Has anybody else come across this poem? What is it about?

Edited April 11, 2006 by Tobias

[Andrew Dalby]

G'day All

Whilst reading through some notes today, I come across a reference to a 12th century poem called "Digenis Acritas", a Byzantine epic poem. Has anybody else come across this poem? What is it about?

 

It's about the fighting on the borders between Christians and Muslims, between the Byzantines on one side and the Arabs or Turks on the other -- and not just fighting, but marriages and alliances across the border too. Set in eastern Anatolia, at a vague date maybe 8th to 10th centuries AD. Digenis is 'twice born' (a strange nickname) meaning that he had parentage on both sides -- he came from one of these Christian-Muslim marriages.

 

There's a translation by John Mavrogordato, which is a bit dull to read (I think), and another by David Ricks (1990) which I haven't seen. The title can be spelt in different ways, but I expect these names would come up on Amazon.

[Tobias]

Ah, that'd fit in with the context of the notes. Thanks for that mate!

[Emperor Goblinus]

From what I've heard about it, it's quite a humanizing story. Both the Christians and Muslims are depicted as just regular people, with neither side being demonized.

[Tobias]

That'd make a good source for writing about the Muslims then. I've been meaning to find a translated version and read it, as i like adding such random bits of information to my knowledge

[Uros]

Very Nice poem.

 

Digenis; the protagonist name means: of two races

and Akrites the surname means: Landlocked soldier(or fines guardman)