John II Komnenos, emperor of Byzantium : in the shadow of father and son / edited by Alessandra Bucossi and Alex Rodriguez Suarez.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-229) and index.

Life and reign of John II Komnenos (1118-1143) : a chronology / Alex Rodriguez Suarez -- John II Komnenos : a historiographical essay / Dionysios Stathakopoulos -- John II Komnenos before the year 1118 / Vlada Stankovic -- Narratives of John II Komnenos'wars : comparing Byzantine and modern approaches / Ioannis Stouraitis -- The political ideology of John II Komnenos / Angeliki Papageorgiou -- The triumph of 1133 / Paul Magdalino -- Emperor John II's encounters with foreign rulers / Martin Marko Vucetic -- From Greek into Latin : western scholars and translators in Constantinople during the reign of John II / Alex Rodriguez Suarez -- Literary trends in the Constantinopolitan courts in the 1120s and 1130s / Elizabeth Jeffreys -- Seeking a way out of the impasse : the Filioque Controversy during John' s reign / Alessandra Bucossi -- Architecture and patronage in the age of John II / Robert Ousterhout -- Imperial impersonations : disguised portraits of a Komnenian prince and his father / Kalliroe Linardou -- Coinage, numismatic circulation and monetary policy under John II / Pagona Papadopoulou.

"John II Komnenos ruled over the Byzantine Empire from 1118 to 1143. His contemporaries often describe him as the best emperor of his dynasty, the Komnenoi, and 'one of the best emperors of all time' (so wrote the famous historian Niketas Choniates). However, today John remains the least famous of the Komnenian emperors, overshadowed by his celebrated father, Alexios, and his legendary son, Manuel. How can the relative obscurity of this Emperor be explained in the light of his military successes, Byzantine territorial expansion in Asia Minor, and the construction of the most important monastic complex of twelfth-century Constantinople? Why has John been neglected by modern historians? What new historical evidence can lead to a reassessment of the achievements of his reign? This book sets out to answer these questions. It includes contributions both by leading experts on the period and by scholars at an earlier stage of their careers, combining overviews of the reign with detailed analysis of events and problematic issues. Coverage is interdisciplinary, from art history to literature, from theology to diplomatic history"-- Provided by publisher.