In the preface to his Synopsis Historion, John Skylitzes reveals that he held the elevated rank of kouropalates, and was formerly the megas droungarios tes viglas, a senior judicial position. He lived and wrote towards the end of the eleventh century, probably in the early years of the reign of Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118). His work, which covers the period AD 811-1057, was conceived as a continuation to the chronicle of Theophanes Confessor, which was in turn a continuation of the chronicle of George the Monk. Skylitzes praised both George and Theophanes, but condemned the subsequent histories by Psellos and 'the didaskalos Sikeliotes' as overly brief and inaccurate. (He is clearly referring to Psellos' Epitome, not his Chronographia; Sikeliotes' work has not survived.) The Synopsis Historion remains the best, indeed only substantial, complement and corrective to Psellos.
A continuation to Skylitzes' chronicle has survived, covering the years 1057 to 1079. Aptly called Skylitzes Continuatus, it is likely also to be the work of John Skylitzes. Minor differences in style might best be explained by the writer's increased maturity and the different purpose in writing: it is a reworking of the history of Michael Attaleiates, with a clear aristocratic bias. It has recently been suggested, by Catherine Holmes, that we can also detect a similar aristocratic bias in the Synopsis Historion. For example, several noble families are shown to have played a prominent role in Basil II's campaigns of the tenth and early eleventh centuries, whose successors might be encouraged to fight as bravely for Alexios I.
A provisional translation of the entire Synopsis Historion is now available, produced by John Wortley (University of Manitoba, March 2000). Wortley's definitive translation will parallel a French translation by B. Flusin with full commentary by J.-C. Cheynet (Paris: Réalités byzantines, 2004)
Paul Stephenson, December 2003
Updated November 2004