Chronicon maius

work by Sphrantzes

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Last updated

June 24, 2026

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The Chronicon maius, or "Great Chronicle," is a historical work by Byzantine historian and diplomat George Sphrantzes. Written between 1413 and 1477, it covers the final years of the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople and the Peloponnese. Sphrantzes, who held high office under Byzantine rulers, wrote the chronicle for the people of Corfu after fleeing the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. The work expresses a strong aversion to the Ottomans and the Latins. Byzantine literature included many historical works, with world chronicles serving to place ordinary Byzantines within a framework of world history and salvation.12

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George Sphrantzes
…what is known as the Chronicon maius (“Great Chronicle”). It was written for the Corfiotes and deals with the last years of the Palaeologi in Constantinople and the Peloponnese, and it shows marked aversion to the Ottomans and the Latins.
Read More
…what is known as the Chronicon maius (“Great Chronicle”). It was written for the Corfiotes and deals with the last years of the Palaeologi in Constantinople and the Peloponnese, and it shows marked aversion to the Ottomans and the Latins.
Read More