Conclusion

Summary

Manuel II Palaiologos had a tumultuous but rich life. At the crossroads of Byzantine, Ottoman and Western medieval history, he witnessed many significant events and moments, and his path crossed with many celebrated historical figures. This biography sought to depict Manuel II Palaiologos as a multi-faceted ruler and author by tracing his life from childhood to his death and focusing on his person instead of the history of his reign. In order to achieve this goal, this book has explored Manuel’s complete oeuvre for the first time, discussing some aspects of his literary style, his self-representation, his portrayal of characters and the various messages that he imbedded into his work. Through his writings and other sources, I have attempted to gain insight into Manuel’s thoughts and feelings, as well as his reactions to events, the environment and the people around him. This book has attempted to portray Manuel as a personality by offering the reader glimpses of him as opposed to providing yet another narration of the events of his reign.