Ioannes Tzetzes, man of letters E / L XII
Ἰωάννου τοῦ Τζέτζου (Ioannes 459)
(Unspecified)
(null)
Narrative
(134)
Authorship
(96)
He accused
Anonymus 1006
of being extremely lazy, wrote to
Joseph 114
to have him removed from his classes, and complained that in not continuing with his translation activity he was missing a source of money which Tzetzes himself had secured
Τῷ καθηγουμένῳ τῆς τοῦ Παντοκράτορος μονῆς κυρῷ Ἰωσήφ. Tzetzes, Letters 117.11-118.21
He asked
Nikephoros 190
to send from Amastris some plants useful for his asthma; he described the plant and gave instructions on its conveyance (as seeds, or else as small growing plants); he would pay on delivery
Τῷ γαμματικῷ κυρῷ Νικηφόρῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 146.5-147.7
He collected the first half of his correspondence chronologically, putting a letter out of order to introduce it: it was to
Epiphanios 108
, listing possible categories of attacks made on Ioannes himself, with the reaction he planned for each
Τῷ εὐλαβεστάτῳ διακόνῳ κυρῷ Ἐπιφανίῳ τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ Σίδης. Tzetzes, Letters 1.1-4.13
He gave an encouraging interpretation to a sinister dream of
Andronikos 112
Τῷ πανσεβάστῳ σεβστῷ καὶ ἐπάρχῳ κυρῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ τῷ Καματηρῷ. Tzetzes, Letters 149.10-18
He greatly admired the rhetorical qualities of a letter of
Ioannes 493
to
Anonymus 1004
, gaving previouly noted Ioannes' competence only in lesser skills of writing
Tzetzes, Letters 114.1-116.10
He had written earlier to save the bureacratic process when
Anonymus 777
had written iambic lines at the foot of a document, and
Ioannes 493
had refused to sign it; he now wrote again to prepare the ground in case of a repeat offence
Τῷ λογαριαστῇ κυρῷ Ἰωάννῃ Σμενιώτῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 67.16-68.14
He made an emotional appeal to
Demetrios 180
to discipline
Anonymus 1047
who was exploiting his workers with complete contempt for the laws and the city authorities
Tzetzes, Letters 147.8-148.3
He replied to
Konstantinos 313
's letter with bad news from Chrysopolis, which was damaged by river water; he replied at once, looking for good omens in the indecipherable letter
Τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ διδασκάλῳ κυρῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ Κοτέρτζῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 148.4-149.9
He sent
Theodoros 261
a curt note asking for the return of something (a book?)
Τῷ σεβαστῷ κυρῷ Θεοδώρῳ τῷ Καματηρῷ. Tzetzes, Letters 127.12-14
He sent a letter of consolation to
Theodoros 259
over the death of
Anonymus 1002
; it was improvised, emotional and very rushed, because
Ioannes 512
gave him the fateful news just as
Anonymus 1003
was leaving to go to Theodore
Τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ Κοστομύρη κυρῷ Θεοδώρῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 103.18-106.7
He sent a letter with a few brief improvised poems to
Andronikos 112
and
Theodoros 261
; he wanted them sent on to
Anonymus 1040
, to show the quality of his improvisation; he also asked for other verses to be sent, for his opponents to test their metre
Τῷ σεβαστῷ κυρῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ Καματηροῦ. Tzetzes, Letters 130.12-131.4
He sent a petition to
Manuel 1
claiming that many of the ecclesiastical authorities, out of envy or thwarted personal ambition, were conspiring against
Kosmas 12
; he urged Manuel to intervene like a Komnenian and ensure they achieved no success
Τῷ κραταιῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ ἡμῶν αὐτοκράτορι τῷ Κομνηνῷ κυρῷ Μανουὴλ τῷ πορφυρογεννήτῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 65.1-67.15
He thanked
Polyeuktos 102
for the mule, a generous gift, but he had not been able to ride it; for this he blamed fate, which rewarded the poor and disreputable, while he, being of good family and character, was jinxed even in details like this
Τῷ λογαριαστῇ κυρῷ Πολυεύκτῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 8.10-20
He thanked
Ioannes 454
for paying fees due from him, whilst warning him that
Ioannes 494
's performance and behaviour were far outside limits Tzetzes set for his pupils
Τῷ ἁγιωτάτῳ μητροπολίτῃ Ἐφέσου κυρῷ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ Κολπωτῷ. Tzetzes, Letters 71.1-72.4
He thanked
Ioannes 510
for a gift of knives, most of which he had sent on to another recipient, as military equipment was useless to him
Τῷ Βασιλάκῃ κυρῷ Ἰωάννῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 98.8-23
He thanked
Ioannes 511
eloquently for the present of a piece of silk fabric, noting that his name was appropriate: his family name referred to the Ismenos, the river running through Thebes, a famous town of silk-workers
Tzetzes, Letters 101.1-103.17
He thanked
Alexios 115
for a gift of food and a tame partridge, but was less positive about an earlier offering of a lamb and chickens; he explained his dislike of the imprisonment of slaves and animals, and also of the shedding of blood; gifts of meat to him were best sent cooked
Tzetzes, Letters 134.10-136.4
He told
Ioannes 522
that he had not understood how many people told lies in his day
Τῷ εὐλαβεστάτῳ διακόνῳ κυρῷ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ Λαχανᾷ. Tzetzes, Letters 152.16-22
He was asked by
Anonymus 768
for help with an application in high Attic; he attacked the genre, as being for those with nothing better to do, but out of friendship wrote a text to which his friend could add content in an introduction
Φίλῳ ἀξιώσαντι γράψαι ἱκετηρίαν κομψὴν ἀττικίζουσαν. Tzetzes, Letters 50.13-51.3
He wrote (lost) iambics for the death of
Alexandros 102
τοὺς ἰάμβους αὐτοσχεδίασα. Tzetzes, Letters 52.17-18
He wrote a commentary on Lykophron, but generously attributed it to
Isaakios 106
, as Pheidias attributed one of his works to a lesser artist
Πρωτονοταρίῳ τῷ πατριαρχικῷ κυρῷ Βασιλείῳ τῷ Ἀχραδηνῷ, ἐν τῇ εἰς τὸν Λυκόφρονα ἐξηγήσει Ἰωάννου τοῦ Τζέτζου ἐπιγραφὴν εὑρόντι Ἰσαακίου τοῦ Τζέτζου καὶ ἀπορουμένῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 38.14-24
He wrote a form letter in an unknown persona complaining of the unfair criticisms of him made by
Theodoros 252
; he thanked him for a gift of game
ἀγριμαῖα. Tzetzes, Letters 73.13-25
He wrote a lament in iambics for
Isaakios 106
, who died on Rhodes on his way back from
Ioannes 2
's Syrian expedition; from excessive emotion it was full of metrical solecisms, so Tzetzes cancelled and suppressed it
Τῷ γλυκυτάτῳ ἀδελφῷ κυρῷ Ἰσαακίῳ θανόντι ἐν ῾Ρόδῳ ἐν τῷ ὑποστρέφειν ἐκ τῆς μιαρᾶς ἐκστρατίας τοῦ Χάλεπ. Tzetzes, Letters 19, tit
He wrote a letter immortalising
Anonymus 753
, who resembled a bath-beetle and abused heroes, just as Homer immortalised Thersites, whom nobody would have heard of but for his insults at Troy
Ἡρώας ὑβρίζοντι λουτροκανθάρῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 37.6-12
He wrote a letter in reply to one received from
Georgios 273
on May 17, with a friendly greeting and good news of his health; Tztetzes hoped to see Georgios before returning to the capital
Τῷ Ἀλωπῷ κυρῷ Γεωργίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 64.1-13
He wrote a letter of consolation to
Niketas 182
and
Anonymus 1055
, over the death of
Anonymus 1054
, who died young but in a calm and enviable way
Tzetzes, Letters 156.1-157.13
He wrote a letter of recommendation for
Michael 291
to
Alexios 107
, who was living far from the capital to the south, in the European provinces; he regretted Alexios' absence
Τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου κυρῷ Ἀλεξίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 58.23-59.16
He wrote a letter to
Ioannes 521
, apologising for its brevity, which was due to his sickness
Tzetzes, Letters 128.1-18
He wrote affectionately to
Michael 292
, thanking him for his gift of partridges from Adrianople, which extended his long arm as far as the capital; but he explained that his vegetarian tendencies made him prefer letters to food
Τῷ ἀρχιητρῷ κυρῷ Μιχαήλ. Tzetzes, Letters 68.15-69.12
He wrote again to
Georgios 276
, narrating his many misfortunes and listing the family members and good friends who had recently died, for some of whom he had composed metrical laments;
Eirene 66
was absent on campaign
Τῷ Κλάδωνι κυρῷ Γεωργίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 136.5-138.5
He wrote brief verse laments for the deaths of
Joseph 114
and
Ioannes 454
, and sent copies to
Georgios 276
εἰς οὓς καὶ βραχεῖς ἐσχεδιάσαμεν μετρσυνθέτους γραφάς, ἅσπερ καὶ σοὶ νῦν ἀπεστάλκειμεν. Tzetzes, Letters 138.2-4
He wrote for
Anonymus 748
to
Anonymus 749
, explaining delays in tax receipts; last year
Adrianos 25001
had to bring the receipts from the campaign in Syria; this year there were problems with letter-carriers and incomplete payments
Τῷ ἱερωτάτῳ μητροπολίτῃ Πατρῶν ἀπό τινός. Tzetzes, Letters 28.1-29.3
He wrote humorously to
Anonymus 999
, accusing him of moving from the capital to Thessalonike to see the famously beautiful Paionian women
Tzetzes, Letters 96.10-97.27
He wrote in the persona of
Anonymus 740
to
Anonymus 739
, demanding protection for an estate of his orphan niece
Anonyma 220
in Thrakesion; if not, he would (with the aid of his patron) petition the emperor on the matter
Τῷ Γαληνῷ δουκὶ Θρᾳκησίου ὡς ἀπὸ τινὸς εὐνούχου βαιούλου πορφυρογεννήτου. Tzetzes, Letters 19.17-20.20
He wrote in the persona of a deacon
Anonymus 735
to persuade a bishop
Anonymus 736
to fill the vacant see of Medeia
Ὡς ἀπὸ τινὸς διακόνου πρὸς ἐπίσκοπον. Tzetzes, Letters 15.15-16.13
He wrote three letters to
Joseph 114
, one thanking him for a gift of sweet-smelling material, the second a eulogy referring to their first meeting, and the third asking for an improvement in the path leading to his cell
Τῷ καθηγουμένῳ τῆς τοῦ Παντοκράτορος μονῆς κυρῷ Ἰωσήφ. Tzetzes, Letters 72.5-73.12, 74.1-75.11
He wrote three times to
Ioannes 509
in Thessalonike; the first letter suggested how Triphyles should order his life in Thessalonike; the second thanked him for sending a book, together with his father, to Constantinople, mentioning common friends; the third asked Triphyles to write to him
Τῷ Τριφύλῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 88.25-93.8
He wrote three very short letters to anonymous persons
Tzetzes, Letters 92.10-16
He wrote to his ex-student,
Andronikos 117
, who had taken some drug of forgetfulness, for he had not written: he should remind his employer of any broken promises; as well as his duties he should do various exercises from his book on rhetoric
Τῷ Καλορᾳβδᾷ κυρῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 16.14-17.19
He wrote to
Ioannes 460
, asking him, however busy he claimed to be, to return a book he had borrowed
Τῷ κυρῷ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ Κουκουμᾷ. Tzetzes, Letters 4.14-5.7
He wrote to
Michael 277
, denying reponsibility for lack of contact, since Michael had stopped near his house and been invited in, but had refused (friends did not need announced visits); he wanted to give Michael a belt, by messenger or face-to face
Τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίτου κυρῷ Μιχαὴλ τῷ Βούρτζῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 5.8-6.12
He wrote to
Michael 278
saying that the latter's retainers complimented him on living close to
Anonymus 732
; in fact, he got nothing from this but a sense of exclusion, despite his healthy lifestyle and respectable background
Tzetzes, Letters 6.13-8.9
He wrote to
Isaakios 105
, declaring war in all possible ways; Isaakios must sack
Anonymus 733
, damned by many negative adjectives, confirmed by many famous secretaries called up from the underworld; nobody will blame Isaakios for this essential act
Tzetzes, Letters 9.1-15.13
He wrote to
Anonymus 737
in the persona of
Anonymus 738
, one given shelter there before and saved by that previous stay; but when he left he had suffered imperial displeasure and lost his money, so he now begged to return
Tzetzes, Letters 17.20-18.17
He wrote to
Anonymus 741
, telling him to stop attacking him; he had thought to ignore the attacks, but now he warned the man he might have to repent of what he wrote, as making fun of Tzetzes could be dangerous
Πρὸς τινὰ γραμματικόν. Tzetzes, Letters 20.21-21.7
He wrote to
Manuel 116
in Thessaly, praising his letter but nervous he might return a Lapith or Centaur; Ioannes' own letter was ruined by emotion over
Isaakios 106
, not helped by the impatient
Anonymus 742
; he sent best wishes from several friends
Τῷ Γαβριηλακίτῃ κυρῷ Μανουήλ. Tzetzes, Letters 21.8-24.23
He wrote to
Anonymus 750
, thanking him for his blessing but gently insinuating that the work he had ascribed to
Leon 210
had been written by Ioannes himself and should be reattributed
Πρὸς ἐπίσκοπον ἀξιοῦντα μετ᾽ εὐγνωμοσύνης τὰ στελλόμενα παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ τὸν Λέοντα ἐπιγράψαντα πρὸς ὃν ἐστέλλετο τὰ στελλόμενα. Tzetzes, Letters 29.20-31.4
He wrote to
Anonymus 751
, to whom he had generously loaned some papers, demanding their return; if not, he would have to learn his lesson and be less generous; the grammatikos would be responsible for a decrease in the generosity of humanity
Πρός τινα γραμματικόν. Tzetzes, Letters 31.5-14
He wrote to
Nikephoros 20159
, describing his dangerous and insanitary living conditions, explaining that they could be easily improved, and and asking him to take the necessary steps
Τῷ μυστικῷ κυρῷ Νικηφόρῳ τῷ Σερβλίᾳ. Tzetzes, Letters 31.15-34.12
He wrote to
Leon 211
, refuting the rumour that he was moving to Philippopolis with
Basileios 237
, who might become its metropolitan; he expressed (ironical?) contentment with his independent life, which was free of ties as well as money
Τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Κλοκοτινίτζης κυρῷ Λέοντι. Tzetzes, Letters 34.13-37.5
He wrote to
Basileios 238
explaining that he had generously attributed his commentary on Lykophron to
Isaakios 106
, as Pheidias attributed one of his works to a lesser artist; but neither he nor Pheidias had forgotten their own names (?)
Πρωτονοταρίῳ τῷ πατριαρχικῷ κυρῷ Βασιλείῳ τῷ Ἀχραδηνῷ, ἐν τῇ εἰς τὸν Λυκόφρονα ἐξηγήσει Ἰωάννου τοῦ Τζέτζου ἐπιγραφὴν εὑρόντι Ἰσαακίου τοῦ Τζέτζου καὶ ἀπορουμένῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 38.14-24
He wrote to
Theodoretos 104
that as
Konstantinos 276
was far behind other pupils (whatever lies he told his father), he returned payment and expelled him; in another letter he assuaged the father's grief, which had affected all his pupils, even Konstantinos
Τῷ κυρίῳ Θεοδωρήτῳ τῷ Κοτέρτζῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 39.1-41.22
He wrote to
Alexios 107
over mules; one request for a mule brought an unruly beast, now returned with very qualified thanks; he asked Alexios again for transport through muddy streets to
Anonymus 754
's ordination, offering his handwriting as proof of identity
Τῷ αὐτῷ πεπομφότι στασιῶντα ἡμιίονον. Τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ βεστιαρίου κυρῷ Ἀλεξίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 42.14-43.6; 44.12-45.12
He wrote to
Alexios 107
, absolving himself from blame over their failure to meet at some (unexplained) crisis; he had done his best, sending messengers, and even going on foot to Alexios' home; Alexios should now shake off his lethargy and act
Τῷ αὐτῷ. Tzetzes, Letters 43.7-16
He wrote to
Anonymus 757
with humorous logic-chopping, trying to persuade him to return some texts which had been lent to him
Τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου τοῦ Ψύλλου. Tzetzes, Letters 43.17-44.11
He wrote to
Stephanos 159
that he had been silent for months over a notebook which had to be returned to him; he then protested, and received a promise of quick action, but nothing had happened for weeks; he now asked again for an honest reply
τετράδιον. Tzetzes, Letters 47.19-48.6
He wrote to
Alexios 107
, as he acted as tax-collector (?), asking for a reply; he reminded him of a promise to find a job in the village of Xeros, near Apros (Thrace), for the letter-carrier,
Leon 212
, whom Alexios should treat like Tzetzes himself
Tzetzes, Letters 46.13-47.18
He wrote to
Alexios 107
, lamenting his absence from Constantinople, which deprived his friend not only of him, but of the delights of an estate near Bathys Ryax and the Acheiropoietos monastery, and of travel by mule; he wanted him back
Τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου κυρῷ Ἀλεξίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 51.4-52.9
He wrote to
Gregorios 20127
that he had immediately, on receipt of his letter, written the iambics for the death of
Alexandros 102
, out of gratitude to the departed, though their different social levels never allowed contact while he was alive
Τῷ Ζαβαρειώτῃ κυρῷ Γρηγορίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 52.10-20
He wrote to
Leon 207
, expressing puzzlement that he had received no letter from Dristra but three fish, preserved in different ways; this led to philosophical reflections, including thoughts on his own refusal of public office
Τῷ αὐτῷ γγεγονότι μητροπολίτῃ Δρίστρας. Tzetzes, Letters 56.18-58.22
He wrote to
Anonymus 769
, trying to get back something of his own, for which he had made a formal request without success; he blamed himself, probably ironically, for taking the process too seriously
Τῷ πατριαρχικῷ ὑπομιμνήσκοντι. Tzetzes, Letters 59.17-60.4
He wrote to
Anonymus 775
, telling him, if he supported
Kosmas 12
(and there was evidence that he did), he should hand a petition (Letter 46) to
Manuel 1
, and have it read to him by a grammatikos not from the anti-Kosmas faction
Τῷ πρωτοψάλτῃ Ὀστέῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 64.14-22
He wrote to
Theosteriktos 101
to ask for a young servant to help him in a time of sickness, and to defend himself against a charge (not spelt out here) of being in debt and taking for himself things temporarily entrusted to him
Τῷ μοναχῷ κυρῷ Θεοστηρίκτῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 69.13-70.27
He wrote to
Anna 62
, revealing details of the story of the heretic
Tzourichos 101
and his family, and asking for
Anonymus 495
to be dismissed and punished
Tzetzes, Letters 75.12-77.18
He wrote to
Eirene 20115
to complain about the unnamed
Anonymus 789
, who claimed to have written Tzetzes' scholia and so diverted to himself the money due to the real author; Eirene was aware of the deception, which the man almost admitted
Tzetzes, Letters 77.19-79.5
He wrote to
Anonymus 790
, complaining of the insufficient fee paid for a work commissioned from him; he complained of the unfairness of Byzantine society, especially of refusal to pay extra for goods and services with a heavy component of labour
Τῷ Μεγαλωνᾷ τῷ ἐκ προσώπου τῆς Αὐγούστης καὶ ἁγίας ἡμῶν δεσποίνης τῷ Τζέτζῃ περὶ συγγραμάτων μηνύοντι. Tzetzes, Letters 79.6-84.16
He wrote to
Manuel 1
, narrating an unusual dream, which, by tortuous processes, he interpreted as recommending that Manuel make all possible use of nomad (probably Cuman) cavalry; this may well have reference to the Second Crusade
Τῷ κραταιῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ ἡμῶν βασιλεῖ κυρῷ Μανουὴλ τῷ πορφυρογεννήτῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 84.19-86.29
He wrote to
Konstantinos 307
, thanking him for the gift of a honey cake, though he would have preferred a letter
Τῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ Κοτέρτζῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 98.1-6
He wrote to
Ioannes 509
, explaining that he made his living by his pen, like Plato, and would starve if he stopped writing
Tῷ κυρῷ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ Τριφὐλῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 109.16-111.26
He wrote to
Basileios 257
, praising him but asking him to be fairer in judging Tzetzes himself; he sent greetings to friends, and finally hoped that Basileios and
Manuel 1
would realise that the embassy to Sicily was a complete waste of time
Τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως ἰατρῷ κυρῷ Βασιλείῳ Μεγίστῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 108.1-109.15
He wrote to
Ioannes 510
, rejecting the charge that he had not written, claiming that he had been writing letters to Basilakes constantly; it was not his fault if the carriers failed to deliver the letters
Τῷ Βασιλάκῃ κυρῷ Ἰωάννῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 106.8-107.24
He wrote to
Joseph 114
, giving a description of a statue of Lysippos which portrayed Time in human form, interpreting it as meaning that nobody should waste time
Tzetzes, Letters 99.1-100.29
He wrote to
Konstantinos 281
, expressing in many mythological ways proud enthusiasm for two major victories: a successful test of Konstantinos' feelings for him, involving a request for a book, and a promise by
Ioannes 519
to find him a home and a job; irony is likely
Τῷ ἀδελφῷ τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου μητροπολίτου Ἐφέσου τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Δαλισανδοῦ κυρῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ Φιλοσόφῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 123.1-125.7
He wrote to
Anonymus 1037
, furious at the antics of
Anonymus 1034
; but he was not so angry at him as at the Holy Synod, which had not spoken out against him
Τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἱερομνήμονι. Tzetzes, Letters 125.9-22
He wrote to
Georgios 276
delighted to have heard from a young man very dear to him but sad to read that his friend was ill; he then rebutted Georgios' claim that he did not reply to his letters; he hoped they would soon meet
Τῷ Κλάδωνι κυρῷ Γεωργίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 126.1-127.9
He wrote to
Theodoros 261
, claiming he was born on an unlucky day to be badly treated by others; but as he saw others falling, he too felt he would fall
Τῷ αὐτῷ. Tzetzes, Letters 127.16-20
He wrote to
Anonymi 223
, to ask them to explain a difficult situation to
Gregorios 105
, and to set up a public trial of Tzetzes' own poetic skills
Τοῖς σεβαστοῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ Καματηροῦ. Tzetzes, Letters 129.1-130.11
He wrote to
Anonymus 1042
, thanking him for the generous and affectionate gift of a copy of Aetios to help with his asthma; however he would not use its remedies, as he relied on God for cures
Τῷ γραμματικῷ τοῦ φύλακος. Tzetzes, Letters 131.15-134.9
He wrote to
Basileios 238
, to show he was still alive, despite rumours of his death; he thanked Basileios for many favours and kindnesses, and for the concern he showed; he described the daily death and resurrection resulting from his painful asthma
Τῷ ἁγιωτάτῳ μητροπολίτῃ Θεσσαλονίκης κυρῷ Βασιλείῳ τῷ Ἀχριδιώτῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 138.6-139.26
He wrote to
Anonymi 225
, complaining of the quality of the grain they sent him: they seemed to think he needed materials for a potter or builder
Tzetzes, Letters 145.1-146.4
He wrote to
Ioannes 522
complaining that he received no letters from him; he gave long lists of historical and mythological names, showing that Lachanas was too proud of his new position as grammatikos of the Zabareion (the imperial armoury), and lacked loyalty and affection
Τῷ κυρίῳ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ Λαχανᾷ, γραμματικῷ τοῦ ζαβαρείου ὑπάρχοντι. Tzetzes, Historiai IV 471-779
He wrote to complain to
Anonymus 1050
about
Anonymus 1051
, describing his character and narrating some of his crimes; Thettalos should think what it was best to do for the church and its people: if he did nothing, the outrages would only get worse
Τῷ οἰκουμενικῷ διδασκάλῳ καὶ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ πατριάρχου τῷ Θετταλῷ. Tzetzes, Letters 153.1-155.21
He wrote to console
Leon 207
the death of
Anonyma 225
; the framework is Christian, with Homeric quotations, thoughts from the Phaedo and some humour; her death avoided many unpleasant features, some of which would have resulted from old age
Τῷ διακόνῳ κυρῷ Λέοντι τῷ Χαρσιανίτῃ. Tzetzes, Letters 53.1-56.17
He wrote to demand a letter from his good friend
Theodosios 126
, who had left the capital some time ago but had sent no letter
Τῷ Αὐτωρειανῷ κυρῷ Θεοδοσίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 48.7-18
He wrote to excoriate Anonymus 25110, who first appropriated work of Anonymus 25111, then claimed the Commentary on Lykophron (which the whole world knew was Tzetzes' own), then furiously attacked Anonymus 25112 for revealing the fraud
Τῷ βασιλικὸν λόγον, βασιλικὸν ἐπιτάφιον τινὸς τῶν Τζέτζου φίλων ἀποσυλήσαντι καὶ ὡς οἰκεῖον μεταποιήσαντι, τέλος καὶ τὰς ἐξηγήσεις σφετεριζομένῳ τοῦ Τζέτζου, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ Λυκόφρονος, καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτῆς ἑρμηνεύοντι καὶ τῷ Μεσαρίτῃ χολάναντι, ἀνθ᾽ ὧν τοῦτον ἐξήλεγξεν εἰπών· τοῦ Τζέτζου ἐστὶν ἡ ἐξήγησις καὶ ἡ δύναμις ὧν ἑρμηνεύεις ῥητῶν. Tzetzes, Letters 60.5-63.8
He wrote to his servant
Demetrios 179
, who run away and ended up making sausages in Philippoupolis; he told him he was a fool to leave Tzetzes' relaxed household, and advised him to return to the capital and act as a beggar saint; he gave a graphic description of this role
Ἰωάννης ὁ Τζέτζης τῷ σφῷ ἀνδραπόδῳ Δημητρίῳ Γοβίνῳ τῷ εὐωνυμεῖ ἀποδρασκάσαντι μὲν τῆς τούτου χειρός, ἐν δὲ τῇ Φιλίππου πόλει χορδεύοντι. Tzetzes, Letters 150.1-152.15
He wrote to Konstantinos Mitzala, reassuring him that the loss of the favour of
Eirene 66
might easily be reversed by divine intervention
Τῷ γραμματικῷ κυρῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ Μιτζαλᾷ. Tzetzes, Letters 131.5-14
He wrote to reassure the wife of the megas hetairarches that the city of Constantinople was very strong; his correspondent was apparently nervous about the approach of the armies of the Second Crusade, the circulation of gloomy prophecies and an ominous dream
Τῇ συζύγῳ τοῦ μεγάλου ἑταιρειάρχου ὅτε οἱ Ἀλαμανοὶ ἦλθον κατὰ τῆς πόλεως. Tzetzes, Letters 87.1-88.23
He wrote to the two grammatikoi of
Eirene 20115
,
Anonymus 773
and
Anonymus 774
, complaining that although often together they were very different in character, with inconsistent results
Tοῖς δυσὶ τῆς σεβαστοκρατορίσσης γραμματικοῖς. Tzetzes, Letters 63.9-17
He wrote twice to Leon, metropolitan of Dristra, about his presents of a carved inkwell and a young slave, repeating pleas that he did not need gifts; in the first letter he thanked Leon, explaining that the boy was no help and the inkwell useless for ink; by the second, he was asking how to refuse the slave
Τῷ ἁγιωτάτῳ μητροπολίτῃ Δρίστρας. Tzetzes, Letters 119.1-122.23
He wrote warning
Konstantinos 275
that monks at the Holy Apostles in the capital had been corrupted by the hermit
Anonymus 745
; Konstantinos had withdrawn his support for the man, but must now close all hermitages and send the monks away
ἐγκλείστρας. Tzetzes, Letters 25.1-27.24
Hearing that
Manuel 1
was honouring the unidentified
Anonymus 1045
with a triumphal procession for literature, he wrote to tell Manuel that the right ceremony was described in Dio Cassius, and detailed the rites to be observed
Tzetzes, Letters 141.7-148.17
In a bad-tempered letter he gave detailed evidence for the dating of Galen to a nurse from the Pantokrator hospital; the nurse had claimed that Galen lived in the time of Christ and accused Tzetzes of making up the dates
Τῷ νοσοκόνῳ τοῦ ἰατρείου τοῦ Παντοκράτορος. Tzetzes, Letters 121.1-26
In a letter not easy to interpret, he wrote to
Ioannes 513
, thanking him for the letter he sent and a generous gift; he hoped that
Theodoros 252
would read his work [difficult phrases], though he was fairly modest about its quality (?)
Tzetzes, Letters 112.1-113.20
Tzetzes accused Pelagonites of plagiarism, of trying to pass off Tzetzes' Aphthonios commentary as his own
Ἐπιστολὴ εἰρωνικὴ δριμεῖα. Ὁ ἀμαθὴς Τζέτζης τῷ τὴν Ἑρμοῦ τέχνην ἄκρως ἐξησκηκότι Πελαγονίτῃ, ὃν αἱ Ἀθῆναι βοῶσι καὶ Κολοφών. Tzetzes, Letters 106 tit
Writing again to
Alexios 107
, he returned to the subject of
Anonymus 760
's brother
Leon 212
; rumour had it that Alexios favoured priests with local connections: if so, let Leon have a job, if not, he should be given a position out of affection for Tzetzes
Τῷ ἀνεψιῷ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου κυρῷ Ἀλεξίῳ. Tzetzes, Letters 49.1-50.12
Death
(null)
Description
(11)
Like lions, he refused to eat dead meat, and had a generally healthy lifestyle
οὐδὲ ... τοῖς ὀδωδόσι σαρκίοις ἐκτρέφομαι. Tzetzes, Letters 7.14-8.9
He professed total ignorance of public affairs, like the name of a theme run by a particular sebastos
τοσοῦτο γὰρ ἔμοιγε δημοσίων πραγμάτων μέλησις, ὁπόσον κολοιοῖς βασιλείας .... Tzetzes, Letters 67.21-68.4
He claimed that God had never made a man with a better memory than his, and he knew all books by heart; yet, though he was of an excellent family, he chose to live a very simple life, thinking human life was vanity
οὐδὲ γὰρ μνημονέστερον τοῦ Τζέτζου θεὸς ἄλλον ἄνδρα τῶν πρίν τε καὶ τῶν νῦν ἐξέφηνεν ἐν βίῳ. Tzetzes, Historiai I 276-290
He identified with Cato, in looks and character, as he was taught everything by
Michael 303
as was Cato by his father; both had no interest in money and felt they were living in degenerate, unjust times; unlike Tzetzes, Cato was never angry; he also identified with Palamedes
Tzetzes, Historiai III 159-234
He was taught and educated by
Michael 303
, just like Cato, particularly around the age of 15; he was instructed to despise the life of men
Tzetzes, Historiai IV 564-598
He calls himself a writer of "historiai" and author of very many texts
τοῦ ἱστοριογράφου τε καὶ συγγραφέως πόσων. Tzetzes, Historiai V 586
He regarded himself as of respectable descent and character
ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ κατηγμένους τοῦ γένους καὶ οἷοι τυγχάνομεν ὄντας. Tzetzes, Letters 8.19-20
He had vegetarian tendencies, and far preferred letters to partridges
ἐσμὲν ἡμεῖς οὐ βοροὶ οὐδὲ βρωμάτων χαίρομεν δεξιώσεσιν. Tzetzes, Letters 69.2-7
He was a citizen of Constantinople, and found it hard to imagine circumstances under which he would leave
ἐσχάτης ἀτοπίας ἐστί. Tzetzes, Letters 35.12-25
He thought of himself as an independent teacher and scholar (despite job offers)
μετ᾽ ἀπράγμονος βιοτῆς. Tzetzes, Letters 35.25-37.5
He claimed to be more accurate than all the historians, and to have the best memory of all men alive
... ἀκριβέστερον εἰπεῖν ἱστορικῶν ἁπάντων, καὶ πάντων μνημονέστερον τῶν ὄντων νῦν ἐν βίῳ. Tzetzes, Historiai I 848-850
Dignity/Office
(null)
Education
(null)
Ethnic label
(3)
Byzantine (descended from pure Byzantine Greeks via
Michael 303
and therefore he should declare war in a civilised way!)
καθαρῶς Ἕλληνα. Tzetzes, Letters 10.3-6
Georgian (descended from high Georgian nobles via
Eudokia 113
)
Ἰβήρων. Tzetzes, Letters 10.3-6
Second Name
(2)
Tzetzes
Τζέτζου. Tzetzes, Letters 1, tit
Τζέτζου. Tzetzes, Historiai V 585
Kinship
(9)
brother of
Anonymi 187
(ἀδελφοί). Tzetzes, Letters 23.4-24.3
brother of
Anonymus 1038
ἀδελφόν. Tzetzes, Letters 136.18
brother of
Isaakios 106
ἀδελφῷ. Tzetzes, Letters 19, tit
grandson of
Anonyma 266
μητρομήτωρ. Tzetzes, Historiai V 585
kin of
Anonymus 777
(συγγενές). Tzetzes, Letters 68.7
son of
Eudokia 113
(μήτηρ). Tzetzes, Letters 10.4
son of
Michael 303
(πατρός). Tzetzes, Letters 10.5
(πατήρ). Tzetzes, Historiai III 160
πατήρ. Tzetzes, Historiai V 615
Language Skill
(null)
Location
(2)
Constantinople
was about to return to Constantinople μεγαλόπολιν. Tzetzes, Letters 64.12
was extremely unlikely to leave Constantinople Μεγαλόπολιν. Tzetzes, Letters 35.12-25
Occupation/Vocation
(null)
Possession
(2)
An inkwell of carved fishbone, a splendid work of art, which Tzetzes complained would hardly take a pen; it was a gift from
Leon 207
Tzetzes, Letters 119.5-7, 120.23-26
Plain saddle and harness for a mule, gift of
Joseph 114
, but not the decorations or mule itself
σελλοχάλινον. Tzetzes, Letters 70.11
Religion
(null)
Eunuchs
(null)
Alternative Name
(null)