Patria of Constantinople


The Patria of Constantinople, also regularly referred to by the Latin name Scriptores originum Constantinopolitarum, are a Byzantine collection of historical works on the history and monuments of the Byzantine imperial capital of Constantinople.
Although in the past attributed to the 14th-century writer George Kodinos, the collection in fact dates from earlier centuries, being probably first compiled ca. 995 in the reign of Basil II and then revised and added to in the reign of Alexios I Komnenos.
The collection contains:
From an archaeological point of view, the Patria are an invaluable record of the early history of Byzantium and the various monuments of Constantinople. However, their accounts must be examined with care, since they often mix facts with fiction and urban legends. From a political point of view, the Patria are interesting because of their portrayal of the Emperors, who are relatively absent from the account of the imperial city, and are largely confined to a role as "chronological indicators".