BY GEORGE PACHYMERES

DECLAMATIONS original: "Meletai" – These are formal rhetorical exercises or practice speeches, a hallmark of Byzantine higher education. In these works, the author often takes on the persona of a historical or mythological figure to argue a specific point of view.

George Pachymeres: A prominent Byzantine Greek historian, philosopher, and official who lived from 1242 to roughly 1310. He is best known for his detailed historical accounts of the Byzantine Empire.