Abstract This paper investigates the Exempla concerning ancient Greek history in Byzantine rhetorical and historiographic works of the twelfth century. The paper shows that knowledge of ancient history in this period of Byzantine literature was significant, and it reveals which ancient Greek personalities and events were preferred and which were overlooked. The paper examines the critical and encomiastic purposes of various Byzantine authors with regard to their perception of the past. The paper contributes towards an understanding of Byzantine ideology, with regard to its connections to and differences from ancient Greek culture.

This paper investigates the Exempla concerning ancient Greek history in Byzantine rhetorical and historiographic works of the twelfth century. The paper shows that knowledge of ancient history in this period of Byzantine literature was significant, and it reveals which ancient Greek personalities and events were preferred and which were overlooked. The paper examines the critical and encomiastic purposes of various Byzantine authors with regard to their perception of the past. The paper contributes towards an understanding of Byzantine ideology, with regard to its connections to and differences from ancient Greek culture.