Byzantine literature

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Byzantine literature is the Greek literature of the Middle Ages, whether written in the Byzantine Empire or outside its borders.^[1] It was marked by a linguistic diglossy; two distinct forms of Byzantine Greek were used, a scholarly dialect based on Attic Greek, and a vernacular based on Koine Greek.^[2][3] Most scholars consider 'literature' to include all medieval Greek texts,^[2][4] but some define it with specific constraints.^[5][6] Byzantine literature is the successor to Ancient Greek literature and forms the basis of Modern Greek literature, although it overlaps with both periods.^[1]

The tradition saw the competing influences of Hellenism, Christianity, and earlier in the empire's history, Paganism.^[2][1] There was a general flourishing of gnomai, hagiography, sermons, and particularly historiography, which became less individual-focused.^[2] Poetry was often limited to musical hymnal forms, or the more niche epigram tradition, while ancient dramas and epics became obsolete.^[2] The influential romantic epic Digenes Akritas is a major exception.

Until recent scholarship from Alexander Kazhdan, Simon Franklin and others, Byzantine literature was held in low regard by academia.^[7][8] It was previously considered either an inferior variant of Ancient Greek or biblical literature, or only important for its contributions to Modern Greek literature.^[2]