The princess who rewrote history - Leonora Neville

Prevodilac: Katarina Čolić Lektor: Ivana Korom

Alexios Komnenos,

Aleksije Komnin,

Byzantine emperor,

vizantijski car,

led his army to meet the Scythian hordes

predvodio je svoju vojsku u bici

in battle.

sa skitskom hordom.

For good luck,

Kao amajliju

he carried one of the holiest relics

nosio je jednu od najsvetijih relikvija

in Christendom:

u hrišćanstvu:

the veil that had belonged

veo koji je pripadao

to the Virgin Mary.

Bogorodici.

Unfortunately, it didn’t help.

Nažalost, nije bio od pomoći.

Not only was his army defeated,

Ne samo da je njegova vojska poražena,

but as they fled,

već je i tokom bega

the Emperor was stabbed in the buttocks.

car zadobio ubod u zadnjicu.

To make matters worse, a strong wind

Da situacija bude još gora, od vetra je relikvija

made the relic too heavy to carry,

postala teška za nošenje,

so he stashed it in some bushes

stoga ju je sakrio u neko žbunje

as he escaped.

dok je bežao.

But even as he fled,

Međutim, čak i u begu

he managed to slay some Scythians

uspeo je da ubije par Skita

and rescue a few comrades.

i spasi nekoliko drugova po oružju.

At least, this is how Alexios' daughter

Na kraju krajeva, ovako je Aleksijeva

Anna recounted the story,

ćerka Ana prepričala priču

writing nearly 60 years later.

nakon skoro 60 godina.

She spent the last decade of her long life

Provela je poslednju deceniju svog dugog života

creating a 500-page history

u spravljanju 500 strana duge istorije o vladavini

of her father’s reign called The Alexiad.

njenog oca, pod imenom "Aleksijada".

Written in Greek, the book was modeled

Napisana na grčkom jeziku,

after ancient Greek epics

knjiga je rađena po modelu

and historical writings.

na grčke epove i istorijske spise.

But Anna had a different, trickier task

Međutim, Ana je imala drugačiji, složeniji zadatak

than the writers in these traditions:

u odnosu na ove pisce:

as a princess writing

kao princeza koja piše

about her own family,

o sopstvenoj porodici,

she had to balance her loyalty to her kin

morala je da pronađe sredinu između lojalnosti prema

with her obligation

bližnjem svom i obaveze

to portray events accurately,

da događaje prikaže precizno,

navigating issues like Alexios’s

i obrati posebnu pažnju na delikatne teme

embarrassing stab to the buttocks.

poput Aleksijeve rane na zadnjici.

A lifetime of study and participation

Čitav život učenja i učestvovanja

in her father’s government

u vladavini njenog oca

prepared Anna for this undertaking.

pripremio je Anu za ovaj poduhvat.

Anna was born in 1083,

Ana je rođena 1083. godine,

shortly after her father seized control

ubrzo nakon što je njen otac

of the Roman Empire

zavladao Rimskim carstvom

following a decade of brutal civil wars

posle čega je usledila decenija surovih

and revolts.

građanskih ratova i pobuna.

The empire was deep in decline

Carstvo je uveliko propadalo

when he came to power,

kada je on stupio na vlast,

and threatened from all sides:

a pretnje su stizale sa svih strana:

by the Seljuk Turks in the East,

od turskih Seldžuka sa istoka;

the Normans in the West,

Normana sa zapada;

and Scythian raiders to the north.

i skitskih napadača sa severa.

Over the course of Anna’s childhood

Tokom Aninog detinjstva

and adolescence,

i odrastanja

Alexios fought constant military campaigns

Aleksije je vodio neprestane borbe

to secure the frontiers of his empire,

da sačuva granice svog carstva,

even striking up an uneasy alliance

a čak je oformio ne tako ugodan savez

with the Crusaders.

sa krstašima.

Meanwhile in Constantinople,

U međuvremenu je u Carigradu

Anna fought her own battle.

Ana vodila svoje bitke.

She was expected to study subjects

Od nje se očekivalo da uči predmete

considered proper

prikladne za jednu vizantijsku princezu,

for a Byzantine princess,

like courtly etiquette and the Bible,

poput pravila ponašanja na dvoru i Biblije,

but preferred classical myth

ali je ona više volela klasični mit

and philosophy.

i filozofiju.

To access this material, she had to learn

Da bi mogla da proučava taj materijal,

to read and speak Ancient Greek,

morala je da nauči da čita i piše starogrčki

by studying secretly at night.

i to krišom, noću.

Eventually her parents realized

Roditelji su na kraju shvatili

how serious she was,

koliko je ozbiljna

and provided her with tutors.

i obezbedili joj tutore.

Anna expanded her studies

Ana je proširila svoje učenje

to classical literature, rhetoric,

na klasičnu književnost, retoriku,

history, philosophy, mathematics,

istoriju, filozofiju, matematiku,

astronomy, and medicine.

astronomiju i medicinu.

One scholar even complained

Jedan učenjak se čak i požalio

that her constant requests

da njena neprestana žeđ

for more Aristotle commentaries

za tumačenjima Aristotela

were wearing out his eyes.

umara njegove oči.

At age fifteen,

Sa petnaest godina

Anna married Nikephoros Bryennios

Ana se udala za Nićifora Vrijenija

to quell old conflicts

kako bi izmirila

between their families

dve zavađene porodice

and strengthen Alexios’s reign.

i ojačala Aleksijevo carstvo.

Fortunately, Anna and Nikephoros ended up

Srećom, Ana i Nićifor su delili

sharing many intellectual interests,

mnoga intelektualna interesovanja,

hosting and debating

gostili i ulazili u debate

the leading scholars of the day.

sa najznačajnijim učenim ljudima tog doba.

Meanwhile, Alexios’s military excursions

U međuvremenu su Aleksijevi vojni poduhvati

began to pay off,

počeli da urađaju plodom,

restoring many of the empire’s

čime se povratio veliki deo

former territories.

nekadašnjih teritorija carstva.

As her father aged,

Kako je njen otac stario,

Anna and her husband helped her parents

Ana i njen suprug pomagali su njenim roditeljima

with their imperial duties.

u obavljanju kraljevskih dužnosti.

During this time,

Za to vreme

Anna reportedly advocated for

Ana se navodno zalagala

just treatment of the people

za pravedno postupanje prema ljudima

in their disputes with the government.

u raspravama sa vladajućim poretkom.

After Alexios’s death,

Nakon Aleksijeve smrti

Anna’s brother John ascended to the throne

Anin brat Džon je preuzeo presto,

and Anna turned back

a Ana se vratila

to philosophy and scholarship.

filozofiji i učenju knjiga.

Her husband had written a history

Njen suprug je napisao povest

arguing that his grandfather

u kojoj ističe da bi njegov deda

would have made a better emperor

bio daleko bolji vladar

than Alexios,

od Aleksija,

but Anna disagreed.

ali se Ana nije složila.

She began working on the Alexiad,

Počela je da piše Aleksijadu

which made the case for her father's

gde je opisala očeve zasluge kao cara.

merits as emperor.

Spanning the late 11th and early 12th

Aleksijada, koja obuhvata periode kasnog 11.

centuries of Byzantine history,

i ranog 12. veka vizantijskog carstva,

the Alexiad recounts

opisuje

the tumultuous events of Alexios’s reign,

turbulentne događaje za vreme Aleksijeve vladavine

and Anna’s own reactions to those events,

i Anine reakcije na te događaje,

like bursting into tears at the thought

poput plakanja pri pomisli

of the deaths of her parents and husband.

na smrt roditelja i supruga.

She may have included these emotional passages

Možda je napisala ove emotivne rečenice

in hopes that they would make her writing

u nadi da približi svoje delo

more palatable to a society

društvu koje je verovalo

that believed women shouldn't

da žene ne bi trebalo da pišu

write about battles and empires.

o bitkama i carstvima.

While her loyalty to her father

Premda je njena lojalnost ocu

was evident in her favorable account

očigledna u ovom spisu

of his reign, she also included criticism

o njegovoj vladavini, dala je i dozu kritike,

and her opinions of events.

kao i svoja mišljenja o tim dešavanjima.

In the centuries after her death,

Vekovima nakon njene smrti,

Anna’s Alexiad was copied over and over,

Anina Aleksijada je kopirana bezbroj puta

and remains an invaluable

i do danas ostaje

eyewitness account

neprocenjivo svedočanstvo

of Alexios’s reign today.

Aleksijeve vladavine.

And through her epic historical narrative,

I tako je, kroz ovo epsko, narativno, istorijsko delo,

Anna Komnene secured

Ana Komnina sačuvala

her own place in history.

svoje mesto u istoriji.