An Ottoman Perception of Greek HistoryMahmut Efendi’s History of Athens

Presents an 18th-century Ottoman-language history of Athens, shedding light on attitudes towards the Classical Greek past

• Includes a detailed Commentary, which sheds light on the text’s divisions, historical references, sources and the implications of given words and phrases; a Directory of Geographical Terms that describes the cities, fortresses, and monuments playing a role in the narrative; and a Dictionary of Personal Names that evokes the historical role of critical personalities
• Reveals the attitudes of an educated Ottoman official towards the Classical Greek past, Christianity, Alexander the Great and Venice
• Grants insight into relations between Ottoman officials and Greek inhabitants, particularly the Orthodox clergy
• Discusses how methods of composition impact the final text: composition in sections, which then have to be sewn together; dictation to interpreter, who then dictates to scribe, making mistakes in syntax, personal names etc.; in contrast with the precise and correct Ottoman of Mahmut Efendi himself
• Makes it possible to compare the text, down to the linguistic level, with the history of Athens written in Greek around 50 years earlier
• Contributes to the study of the 18th-century Ottoman language and gives a rare insight into how educated Ottomans spoke

This edition comprises a transliteration, translation and commentary of a history of Athens written from the 1710s to the 1740s by Mahmut Efendi, a locally born Ottoman court official. The text describes the city's early history, the reforms of Solon, the battles of Marathon and Salamis, Socrates' teaching, Alexander the Great's involvement with the city and exploits in Asia, and the city's conversion to Christianity. It also outlines the involvement of Venice in the city's fortunes starting in the 13th century and complains of the second Venetian occupation (1686-87) of the Peloponnese and Athens. Shining a light on the historical consciousness and geographical awareness of an Ottoman official in a provincial court, the text is a valuable source for a range of fields.

The volume opens with an introduction, which considers Mahmut Efendi's motives in writing the text, his selections from and distortions of episodes in Athenian history, his take on Athenian mythology, and his language and the issues arising in the translation of his text. The volume also offers a detailed commentary, a directory of geographical terms and a dictionary of personal names.