The corpus of letters by Michael Choniates (1138-1222), the learned Metropolitan of Athens, provides a reliable historical source for Athenian life in the 12th and 13th centuries. The 181 letters are models of Byzantine eloquence and rhetorical elegance; through this edition, complemented by prolegomena, regesta and indexes, the rhetorical skill and stylistic elegance of the correspondent present a complete picture of life (fiscal system, books, trade etc.) in the Byzantine province.