Note 178 — Chapter II · THE CONTRIBUTION OF WESTERN CHRISTENDOM BEFORE 1100 A. D.

On the geographical work of Byzantine writers, see Krumbacher, Geschichte, 1897, pp. 409–427. Krumbacher distinguishes between two types of Byzantine geographical treatise: (1) scientific or theoretical, and (2) practical. The first consists almost exclusively of commentaries on, redactions of, or compilations of excerpts from earlier Byzantine works. The second type includes lists of ecclesiastical sees or provinces, statistical lists for the use of government officials, itineraries, sailors’ manuals, pilgrims’ handbooks, and the like. The Christian Topography of Cosmas Indicopleustes, with its fantastic description of the world, is of the first type. It was held in high favor and became a principal source of geographical “knowledge” among the Slavic people of the early Middle Ages (ibid., p. 35).

With the eleventh and twelfth centuries came a great literary revival at Constantinople. Michael Psellos (born 1018) besides being a poet was a prolific writer on philosophy, philology, history, law, and natural science. Among his works on the last-named subject were a series of essays on meteorology (ibid., pp. 433–444, esp. bibliography, p. 442). Nikephoras Blemmydes (thirteenth century) also wrote on matters of geographical interest (ibid., p. 448).