A Commentary on Anna Komnene’s “the Alexiad”, Books X and XI

This commentary explores Books X and XI of Anna Komnene's The Alexiad, which recounts the events surrounding the First Crusade from a Byzantine perspective. Written over forty years after the events by the daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, Anna's narrative aims to defend her father's actions while critiquing the Latin crusaders, particularly Bohemund. The commentary identifies two central themes: the portrayal of Bohemund as deceitful and the exoneration of Alexios from accusations of oath-breaking. Anna’s depiction of the Latins, particularly their barbarity and breach of trust, serves to absolve her father of responsibility while framing the Crusade as a betrayal of Byzantium. Despite its valuable insights into Byzantine geopolitics and imperial strategy, the historical reliability of The Alexiad is undermined by omissions, contradictions, and an anti-Latin bias, reflecting Anna’s partiality and the challenges of interpreting events through a retrospective lens. Ultimately, the text serves more as a politically motivated narrative than a straightforward historical account, illustrating the complex interplay of power, loyalty, and identity in the context of the Crusades.