Born: December 2, 1083
Died: c. 1153
Anna Comnena was a Byzantine princess and historian, daughter of Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, born in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul). In 1118, after her father’s death, she conspired against her brother, Emperor John II Comnenus, in an attempt to have the succession changed in favour of her husband, the Byzantine soldier and historian Nicephorus Bryennius. The plot failed, and she retired to a convent, where she wrote the Alexiad, a notable historic work in 15 books (completed in 1148). Although it unduly glorifies her father and his family yet the Alexiad is considered a valuable historic source. It has been translated into English.
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