The Emperor received them on their arrival at Pelecanum with magnificence and the greatest show of goodwill. At length, when they were assembled, he addressed them thus: “‘You know that you have all bound yourselves to me by oath; if you do not now intend to ignore this, advise and persuade those of your number who have not yet pledged faith to take the oath.” They immediately summoned the counts who had not sworn. All of these came together and took the oath.
Tancred, however, nephew of Bohemund and a youth of most independent spirit, professed that he owed faith to Bohemund alone, and would serve him even to death. Rebuked by the loud protest of those of his own fellows who stood near, and of the Emperor’s retinue, besides, he turned toward the tent in which the Emperor was then dwelling the largest and most capacious which anyone has ever seen and, as if to make sport of them, said, “if you give me this (tent) full of money and, in addition, all the other presents which you gave all the counts, I, too, will take the oath.” But Palaeologus, full of zeal for the Emperor, could not endure the mocking speech of Tancred and pushed him away with contempt.
Then Tancred, very ready with his arms, sprang upon him. Seeing this, the Emperor arose hastily from his seat and stood between them. Bohemund, too, restrained the youth, saying “It is not fitting shamefully to strike the kinsman of the Emperor.” Then Tancred, recognizing the disgrace of his insolence toward Palaeologus, and persuaded by the advice of Bohemund and the others, offered to take the oath himself….
Anna Comnena
Byzantine historian, eldest daughter of Alexius Comnenus, Emperor of Constantinople (1081-1118). She was born in 1083, and received, as was the custom for Byzantine princesses, an excellent education in the Greek classics, history, geography, mythology, and even philosophy. She was married to Nicephorus Bryennius, son of a former pretender to the imperial office, and in 1118 joined in a conspiracy to place her husband on the throne.
Failing in her ambition she retired with her mother, the Empress Irene, to a monastery that the latter had founded, and wrote there in fifteen books her famous “Alexias”. It was finished by 1148, and describes the career of her father, from 1069 to his death in 1118; it is thus a continuation of her husband’s “Historical Materials”, that comes down to 1079.
The Princess is the historian of the fortunes of the Comneni family. Her own observations are often valuable by reason of her personal knowledge and the close acquaintance with public affairs that she owed to her high rank, but she also made use of diplomatic correspondence, the reports of her father’s generals and soldiers, and the imperialarchives.
Critics praise the fullness and choice quality of her historical information; she seems to have gone so far as to utilize in her account of Robert Guiscard a Latin contemporary chronicle, which was written probably by the Archdeacon of Bari. At the same time they point out the panegyrical and ultra-filial character of her work, it being formally devoted to the fame and honor of her father.
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