Hungarian Version H: Pontianus tsaszar historiaia

From The Seven Sages of Rome

Two versions of the story of the Seven Wise Masters became widespread in the Hungarian language in the 16th–18th centuries. One of them is a translation and adaptation from a Latin source, the other from a German one. Both are iterations of the Historia Septem Sapientum version of the narrative in which emperor's name is Poncianus; the texts are therefore titled Poncianus czaszar historiaia, or Poncianus historiaja (The History of Poncianus).

The so-called Vienna Poncianus (1573), which has no later editions, is a Hungarian translation from the Latin Historia, its author is unknown. The nature, language, and wording of the book show medieval and scholarly characteristics.

Gáspár Heltai's Hungarian translation (produced between 1571–1574) was based on the German Historia text. Only fragments of the editio princeps have survived, while the complete text has been preserved in later editions (from the 17th and 18th centuries). The form and style of this variant is closer to modern Hungarian language.

[Added by Csilla Gabor and Jane Bonsall]

General Information

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Date of Composition
1570 - 1573

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