Ioannes Tzetzes

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Authored by

Foteini Spingou
University of Edinburgh
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This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 726371.

Date range of records
1135 to 1160
Active as writer
Yes
Writings survive
Yes
Family origins
Constantinople
Georgia
Date of birth
Ca. 1110
Place of birth
Constantinople
Date of death
Ca. 1180 to 1185
Place of death
Constantinople
Social stratum at birth
Second-tier elite
Social status at birth notes
His mother was a relative of Empress Maria of Alania, while his father is said to be a teacher and have a considerable fortune
Social stratum at death
Second-tier elite
Social status at death notes
His place of death is not attested but it is highly possible that he died in the City, as he had repeatedly said that he was unwilling to travel
Add Career Stage
Date Life Event Type of mobility Location
345 to 370 Dummy 7 Travel
371 Dummy8 Life Event Constantinople
372 dummy9 Professional Posting
372 ca.372 dummy 3 Life Event Triaditsa
A relationship of 'Son' means that 'Ioannes Tzetzes' has a son who is the actor named in the table.
Relationship Name Date Evidence
Andrianos Komnenos 1150
Relationship Name Date Evidence
Friend Georgios Alopos 1146
Friend Ioannes Triphyles 1147 to 1150
Friend Ioannes Basilakes 1148 to 1150
Friend Georgios Kladon 1152 to Ca. 1154
Friend Ioannes Radenos 1152 to 1154
Friend Konstantinos Kotertzes 1148 to 1157
Friend Manuel Gabrielakites 1139
Friend Anonymous bishop 1139
Friend Epiphanios (deacon) 1155
Friend Ioannes Koukoumas 1138
Friend Michael Bourtzes 1135
Friend Polyeuktos 1135
Friend Anonymous hegoumenos 1135
Friend Anonymous grammatikos 2 1139
Friend Basileios Achridenos 1140 to 1155
Friend Theodosios Autoreianos 1143
Friend Anonymous, who asked Tzetzes to compose an epistle in attic dialect 1143
Friend Alexios, nephew of protovestiarios 1144
Friend Gregorios Zabareiotes 1144
Friend Leon Charsianites 1144 to 1155
Friend Anonymous patriarchal protonotary 1145
Friend Anonymous Mesarites 1145
Friend Protopsaltes Osteos 1146
Friend Michael, archiatros 1146
Friend Theosteriktos, monk 1146
Friend Ioannes Kolpotos 1146
Friend Konstantinos Kolpotos
Friend Joseph, hegoumenos of the Pantokrator monastery 1146 to Ca. 1154
Friend Theodoros (friend of Ioannes Tzetzes)
Friend Anonymous Eliopoulos 1148
Friend Theodoros Kostomyres 1148
Friend Ioannes Ismeniotes 1146 to 1150
Friend Anonymous nurse in the Pantokrator 1150
Friend Konstantinos, bishop of Dalisanda 1151
Friend Theodoros Doukas Kamateros 1152 to 1154
Friend Anonymous secretary of the phylax 1155
Friend Alexios Pantechnes 1155
Friend Nikephoros grammatikos 1157
Friend Ioannes Lachanas 1157
Friend Andrianos Komnenos
Friend Megas Chartoularios of Hagia Sophia 1146
Friend Eustratios 1147
Friend Theodoros 1147
Friend Ioannes, doctor, friend of Tzetzes 1148
Friend Michael, grammatikos-priest 1144
Friend Ioannikios, monk 1146
Intellectual rivals Anonymous Pelagonites 1150
Intellectual rivals Basileios Megistos 1150
Intellectual rivals Ioannes Ismeniotes 1150
Intellectual rivals Anonymous accuser 1147 to 1160
Addressee Theodoritos Kotertzes 1140
Addressee Alexios, nephew of protovestiarios 1143
Addressee Ioannes Ismeniotes 1148
Addressee Ioannes Kostomou 1150
Addressee Joseph, hegoumenos of the Pantokrator monastery 1150
Addressee Leon Charsianites 1150
Addressee Demetrios ek prosopou of Andronikos Doukas Kamateros 1157
Sender Galenos 1138
Sender Michael Bourtzes 1135
Sender Anonymous grammatikos 1138
Sender Konstantinos chartophylax of the Great Church 1139
Sender Epiphanios (deacon) 1155
Sender Michael Taronites 1135
Sender Isaakios Komnenos, brother of Ioannes II 1135
Sender Nikephoros Serblias, mystikos 1140
Sender Alexios, nephew of protovestiarios 1143
Sender Anonymous wife of a megas hetaireiarches 1147
Sender Ioannes Kostomou 1150
Sender Anonymous hieromnemon Ca. 1152
Sender Theodoros Doukas Kamateros 1154
Sender Andronikos Doukas Kamateros Ca. 1154
Sender Anonymous Thettalos 1157
Sender Leon, bishop of Klokotinitza 1140
Sender Georgios Kladon 1152
Student Son of Ioannes Ismeniotes
Student Anonymous chartoularios
Student Konstantinos Kotertzes 1140 Tzetzes Letters 22 and 23
Student Alexios, nephew of protovestiarios 1140 to 1143
Student Eustratios 1147 The specific type of relationship is not mentioned directly in John Tzetzes' Letter 61, but it is suggested by Michael Jeffreys in PBW.
Student Konstantinos Mitzalas Ca. 1155
Teacher Andronikos Kalorabdas 1135
Teacher Konstantinos Kotertzes 1140
Teacher Alexios, former pupil of Ioannes Tzetzes 1139
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Anonymous grammatikos 1138
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Theodoritos Kotertzes 1140
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Anonymous plagiarist 1145
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Aspidopoulos 1146
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Anonymous calumniator 1147
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Anonymous accuser 1147
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Basileios Megistos 1150
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Anonymous Pelagonites 1150
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Konstantinos Bathyrreites 1155
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Leon, to whom a work of Tzetzes was attibuted 1139
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Anonymous opponent of Ioannes Tzetzes 2 1141
[need description of Schoolmates/school wars/competitions] Anonymous Mesarites 1145
Colleague Stephanos, teacher 1143
Patron Eirene, sebastokratorissa 1146 Ioannes Tzetzes, Historiae, XI.45f.: τῆς σεβαστοκρατούσης δὲ μόνης καὶ ἀμισθίως / δόσεις λαμβάνων ἔχαιρεν ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων
Patron Konstantinos Kotertzes Ioannes Tzetzes revised his Historiae for the benefit of the Kotertzes. See Pizzone 2017: 184, fn. 7.
Patron Eirene-Bertha, wife of Manuel I Ante 1159 John Tzetzes started composing the Allegories on the Iliad and the Odyssey upon the request of the Empress.
Patron Anna Komnene, daughter of Alexios I 1146
Patron Andronikos Doukas Kamateros 1154 to 1157
Patron Manuel I Komnenos 1155
Commissioner Anonymous addressed to Michael Oxeites
Employee Eirene, sebastokratorissa Post 1142
Employee Konstantinos Kotertzes 1148
Employee Anonymous Megalonas 1146
Employee Eirene-Bertha, wife of Manuel I Ca. 1154
Employer Demetrios Gobinos 1157
Employer Theodoritos Kotertzes 1140
Dedicatee Andronikos Tzetzes Ioannes Tzetzes wrote a verse commentary on Porphyrius' Intronduction on the aristotelian categories, which he dedicated to his brother Andronikos. See Wendel 1948: 1983 (no. 17)
Affiliated to Gregorios Kamateros Ca. 1154
Affiliated to Theodoritos Kotertzes 1140
Affiliated to Michael Oxeites, patriarch of Constantinople 1143
Affiliated to Unknown 1146 to 1147
Affiliated to Anonymous Megalonas 1146
Affiliated to Anonymous father of a student 1147
Affiliated to Theodoros-Seblados 1150 Slave
Affiliated to Three oikonomoi 1156
Affiliated to Horeiarioi of the Pantokrator monastery 1156
Affiliated to Niketas Pentabounites 1157
Affiliated to Slavic slave boy
Affiliated to Anonymous father of Theodoros Koustomyres 1148
Affiliated to Theodoros Doukas Kamateros 1148
Affiliated to Andronikos Doukas Kamateros 1148 to 1157
Affiliated to Andrianos Komnenos 1150
Affiliated to Eirene-Bertha, wife of Manuel I Ca. 1155
Affiliated to Anonymous Chrysobelones 1141
Affiliated to Anonymous calumniator 1147
Affiliated to Anonymous father of Niketas Pentabounites 1157
Relationship Name Date Evidence
Related to Anonymous nephew of Ioannes Tzetzes
Related to Anonymous doctor from Patras
Son Andrianos Komnenos 1150
Mother Eudokia, mother of Ioannes Tzetzes Tzetzes, Historiae, V.17, 612–14 = Leone 1968: 191
Father Michael Tzetzes Ioannes Tzetzes, Letters, no. 10; Ioannes Tzetzes, Historiae, V.17, 615 = Leone 1968: 191
Sibling Isaakios Tzetzes Ca. 1154 Letter 38: Ioannes Tzetzes installed his brother Isaakios as the author of a commentary on Lykophron that he (John) had written. He told to the addressee of the letter that his action was lead by his true love for his brother.
Sibling Andronikos Tzetzes
Nephew Anonymous bishop of Patras 1139
Uncle Ioannes Basilakes 1148

There are no performances published for this person.

PBW
Ioannes 459