Funny. In his Greek Myths, Robert Graves used to call him "dry-as-dust Tztzes".

Robert Graves was, shall we say, less than concerned about what the rest of us call reality. He probably saw a few lexicographical citations from Tzetzes and decided that was all there was to him. (Incidentally, if anybody reading this is tempted to take The White Goddess seriously, please don't. The guy did write some good poems though.)

if anybody reading this is tempted to take The White Goddess seriously, please don't

I wipe away a tiny tear, and I suppress a tiny sniffle, but I remain silent.

*hands pf a handkerchief*

(Don't get me wrong, it's a fun read, but it's a goddess-lovin' poet's fantasy, not a work of scholarship.)

My reaction to reading The White Goddess as a (female) teenager was very similar to Margaret Atwood's, who said that it gave her cold sweats for months. That recommendation for would-be women poets to behave more or less like praying mantises!

I think my transition into adulthood began when I realized that one can be a wonderful poet, a fascinating person, and spew utter nonsense nonetheless.

(Although, of course, the lingering adolescent in me persists in muttering: Laura Riding's fault. It was all Laura Riding's fault...)

Ah yes, Laura Riding. I think... [remainder of comment deleted at insistence of Riding estate].

(Kidding! I'm kidding! The Riding estate did not threaten to pull out my toenails if I said she was a megalomaniac who had no more idea of poetry than an aardvark!)

Kenneth Rexroth had a considerable admiration for Laura Riding which I was never able to understand. I suspect hanky-panky at some point.

Isn't a Byzantine revival about due? Procopius and Anna Comnenus are the only names I can think of , but there has to be some other fun stuff in there. They outlasted the Western Romans by a millenium, but nonethless they have this reputation as mediocre losers. Go figure. (Not all of them were hairy and dark, for Christ's sake).

White Goddess -- I had a rather similiar reaction to "Zorba the Greek". I'm not gay or even very effeminate, but if that's what A Real Man is like I'd rather be something else. (I think that by that time I had enough understanding of vital, charming, larger-than-life Mediterranean bullies to understand Zorba better than Kazantzakas and Quinn wanted me to).

i keep waiting for the great Byzantines to be
translated (after everything else has), but
so far Tzetzes (who can be seen as the First
Blogger, if you don't mind the anachronism)
exists in English mostly in snippets & sneers...

*scratches head* Does anyone have an idea about what Tzetzes thought he was saying with "bezek unto your khothar"?

*scratches head* Does anyone have an idea about what Tzetzes thought he was saying with "bezek unto your khothar"?

Part of the image problem with Byzantine authors is simply their lack of inclusion in traditional Western accounts of "medieval history" -- like Spain, they don't fit many of the generalizations, and they're far enough away to be even more easily ignored than Spain. Plus, there's a language barrier (not a horrific one, but still) and a religious barrier (problematic only if you realize how confessional the field of Christian studies still is). One tends to hear about the Byzantine Empire in the early Middle Ages (fighting Islam, sending an elephant to Charlemagne), then the Crusades (getting marched through, getting sacked), then the early modern period (succumbing to Islam). There's not a lot of room there for appreciating cultural achievements.

Well, he translates it "lightning be upon your head," and b-z-q is 'lightning' and k-t-r is 'crown,' so it doesn't seem that far off, though my knowledge of medieval Hebrew is even less than my knowledge of other forms of Hebrew.

And yeah, the factors you mention are certainly significant for the ignoring of Byzantium; I can only hope that the vast increase in scholarly interest in recent decades and consequent production of good books will eventually trickle down to school surveys and general knowledge. Not only did it last over a thousand years, it's chock-full of fascinating stories.

I am a civil engineer writing a paper about Trajan's Bridge. I have seen that Tzetzes mentions the bridge in Chiliades V 61-73 and 86-94.

Has his work on the bridge been translated into english? If so where can I access it?

Thanks

Sorry, I can't find any indication that the Chiliades ("Thousands," also called "Book of Histories") has been translated. Your best bet is probably to contact a Byzantinist who might be willing to translate the lines in question for you.

does anybody know how to transcribe the Alan sentences in a right way into greek with accents, I only know that "mesfili" is "μέσφιλι" and than other words without accents: χσινα (khsina), κιντζι (kintzi), ταπαγχας (tapankhas).. can anybody help me please?