John Tzetzes
Byzantine poet and writer
- Lived
- 1110–1180
- Country
- Byzantine Empire
Updated September 2026
About John Tzetzes
John Tzetzes was a Byzantine poet and grammarian who lived at Constantinople in the 12th century. He is known for making significant contributions in preserving much valuable information from ancient Greek literature and scholarship. Of his numerous works, the most important one is the Book of Histories, also known as Chiliades ('Thousands'). The work is a long poem containing knowledge that is unavailable elsewhere and serves as commentary on Tzetzes's own letters. Two of his other important works are the Allegoriai on the Iliad and the Odyssey, which are long didactic poems containing interpretations of Homeric theology.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.