Anna Komnene is the book’s titular protagonist and first-person narrator. As the protagonist, she undergoes the most notable and significant character development in the book, gradually transitioning from a power-hungry and apathetic young girl to an emotionally intelligent and contented woman. As a child raised in the cutthroat political environment of the Byzantine court, Anna is conditioned to enjoy her high status and protect it at all costs, especially under the mentorship of her paternal grandmother, Anna Dalassene, who teaches her that she should rule without mercy. Though she has many loving family members and friends present who try to show her otherwise—including her mother and tutor—Anna clings to the notion that the most important thing in life is maintaining power. This attitude is best reflected in her reaction to the story of Kassia: “Only a fool would choose to live in an abbey when she could have a palace!” (151).

To learn that her power-hungry ways will not lead to happiness, Anna must undergo a series of profoundly traumatic events: the betrayal of her grandmother and brother, the loss of her right to the throne, the death of her father, her mother’s psychological decline, and her eventual exile.