The Oneirocriticon of Achmet(9th-11th cen.) is considered by the researchers, not only a significant source of information, but also a work that affected largely both the Byzantine and the European oneirocritic tradition. The interpretation of a dream is based upon the way in which the Oneirocriticon structures in chapters and upon the several criteria, in which it categorizes the dreamers. According to Achmet, the author of work, royal dreams are considered the most important ones, thus he begins the explanatory process using them in the majority of Oneirocriticon chapters.
In the Oneirocriticon, the Byzantine monarch is denominated as the basileus, and his dreams are approached in two aspects: the collective and the personal. Concerning the collective aspect, Oneirocriticon refers to political theory issues, which are related to the ἐκ Θεοῦ fundamental principal of the origin of the royal power, to hereditary succession, to Symbasileias, to the role of Senate and the People, to pursuit of a royal bride, defense of territorial integrity and to the concern of the prosperity of the people. The personal aspect of royal dreams needs more careful consideration because the limits between collective and the personal are often confusing, which may lead to elicitation of faulty conclusions.
In conclusion, we can say that even if the aim of Oneirocriticon is not this, nevertheless the royal dreams sketch out with skilful and perceptive way the political reality of Macedonian dynastic period.
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