About - Revision history

Bonsall at 11:31, 8 June 2026

2026-06-08T11:31:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:31, 8 June 2026
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	=== Team: ===		=== Team: ===
	The database is largely the work of Jane Bonsall (University of St Andrews, United Kingdom). It was designed by Bonsall, Bettina Bildhauer (St Andrews) and Maximilian Nöth (Zentrum für Digitalität und Philologie at the University of Würzburg, Germany). Nöth and his team set up the user interface and web architecture. Individual entries were authored by Bonsall, Bildhauer, Elisabeth Böttcher (Freie Universität Berlin), Marjolijne Janssen (Freie Universität Berlin), Ava Byrne (St Andrews), and Alfie Watkins (Oxford). Additional data was entered by Jack Kornowske, Ana Ross, Annabel Lloyd Wrafter and Sining Yun. Jutta Eming as co-investigator on the AHRC-DFG project and Ida Toth contributed further contacts and information.~~''25-2026).] ''~~		The database is largely the work of Jane Bonsall (University of St Andrews, United Kingdom). It was designed by Bonsall, Bettina Bildhauer (St Andrews) and Maximilian Nöth (Zentrum für Digitalität und Philologie at the University of Würzburg, Germany). Nöth and his team set up the user interface and web architecture. Individual entries were authored by Bonsall, Bildhauer, Elisabeth Böttcher (Freie Universität Berlin), Marjolijne Janssen (Freie Universität Berlin), Ava Byrne (St Andrews), and Alfie Watkins (Oxford). Additional data was entered by Jack Kornowske, Ana Ross, Annabel Lloyd Wrafter and Sining Yun. Jutta Eming as co-investigator on the AHRC-DFG project and Ida Toth contributed further contacts and information.

	=== How to cite: ===		=== How to cite: ===

Bonsall at 11:29, 8 June 2026

2026-06-08T11:29:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:29, 8 June 2026
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	* Bettina Bildhauer: bmeb@st-andrews.ac.uk		* Bettina Bildhauer: bmeb@st-andrews.ac.uk
	* Jane Bonsall: ~~jeb~~@st-andrews.ac.uk		* Jane Bonsall: jeb30@st-andrews.ac.uk

Bonsall at 11:59, 26 May 2026

2026-05-26T11:59:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:59, 26 May 2026
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	Email us:		Email us:

	Bettina Bildhauer: bmeb@st-andrews.ac.uk		* Bettina Bildhauer: bmeb@st-andrews.ac.uk
			* Jane Bonsall: jeb@st-andrews.ac.uk
	Jane Bonsall: jeb@st-andrews.ac.uk

Bonsall at 11:56, 26 May 2026

2026-05-26T11:56:05Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:56, 26 May 2026
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	== ~~About the~~ Database ==		== The ''Seven Sages of Rome'' Database ==
	This database was created as part of the AHRC-DFG UK German collaborative research projects in the humanities: ''<nowiki/>'[https://seven-sages-of-rome.org/ The Seven Sages of Rome]''[https://seven-sages-of-rome.org/ : Editing and Reappraising a forgotten premodern classic from global and gendered perspectives]' (2023-2026), jointly funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. This project investigated the narrative known in English variously as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', ''The Seven Wise Masters, The Book of Sindbad, Dolopathos'' or ''The Book of Syntipas the Philosopher'', which was one of the most widely adapted and copied secular narrative in the medieval and the early modern periods. At least 140 distinct versions of the ''Seven Sages / Sindbad'' story matter were written down from the late eleventh to the sixteenth century and into the present day, across at least 32 languages of the Middle East, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Europe. The ''Seven Sages of Rome'' Database assembles existing research from across all branches of the multilingual ''Seven Sages of Rome'' and the ''Book of Sindbad'' tradition, verified and updated as far as possible.		This database was created as part of the AHRC-DFG UK German collaborative research projects in the humanities: ''<nowiki/>'[https://seven-sages-of-rome.org/ The Seven Sages of Rome]''[https://seven-sages-of-rome.org/ : Editing and Reappraising a forgotten premodern classic from global and gendered perspectives]' (2023-2026), jointly funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. This project investigated the narrative known in English variously as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', ''The Seven Wise Masters, The Book of Sindbad, Dolopathos'' or ''The Book of Syntipas the Philosopher'', which was one of the most widely adapted and copied secular narrative in the medieval and the early modern periods. At least 140 distinct versions of the ''Seven Sages / Sindbad'' story matter were written down from the late eleventh to the sixteenth century and into the present day, across at least 32 languages of the Middle East, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Europe. The ''Seven Sages of Rome'' Database assembles existing research from across all branches of the multilingual ''Seven Sages of Rome'' and the ''Book of Sindbad'' tradition, verified and updated as far as possible.

	''The Seven Sages of Rome / Book of Sindbad'' narrative is a frame tale with embedded stories. Across all versions, the consistent kernel of the frame-narrative plot is a false accusation of attempted rape made against a prince by his father’s second wife or consort. The young prince had been sent away from court to be educated by the wisest man or men in the land, but when he returns, he does not speak, because he has read in the stars that harm will come to him unless he remains silent for a certain number of days (usually seven). The ruler’s wife or consort (not the boy’s mother) attempts to make the son speak by taking him to a private bedchamber; once there, she propositions him (sometime also suggesting they jointly overthrow his father). The prince rejects her advances. The woman then injures herself, usually tearing her face and clothing, and raises the false accusation that the prince had tried to rape her. The ruler immediately sentences his son to death, but the prince cannot defend himself against the accusation due to his vow of silence. A wise man (or several wise men) now steps in and tells one or more stories to make the king delay the execution and bridge the time until the son is allowed to speak again. The stories told by the sages, usually discrediting women and warning against rash decisions, are followed by stories from the woman herself, designed to convince the ruler to kill his son, which usually show sons and advisers in a bad light. This pattern is repeated every day until the deadline has passed, at which point the prince tells his father what happened, and the woman is instantly found guilty. These plot elements remain essentially the same across time and language, while the embedded stories and many other characters and motifs vary (see [[Bildhauer and Bonsall (2026)\|Bildhauer and Bonsall, 2026]]).		=== ''The Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative: ===
			''The Seven Sages of Rome / Book of Sindbad'' narrative is a frame tale with embedded stories. Across all versions, the consistent kernel of the frame-narrative plot is a false accusation of attempted rape made against a prince by his father’s second wife or consort. The young prince had been sent away from court to be educated by the wisest man or men in the land, but when he returns, he does not speak, because he has read in the stars that harm will come to him unless he remains silent for a certain number of days (usually seven). The ruler’s wife or consort (not the boy’s mother) attempts to make the son speak by taking him to a private bedchamber; once there, she propositions him (sometime also suggesting they jointly overthrow his father). The prince rejects her advances. The woman then injures herself, usually tearing her face and clothing, and raises the false accusation that the prince had tried to rape her. The ruler immediately sentences his son to death, but the prince cannot defend himself against the accusation due to his vow of silence. A wise man (or several wise men) now steps in and tells one or more stories to make the king delay the execution and bridge the time until the son is allowed to speak again. The stories told by the sages, usually discrediting women and warning against rash decisions, are followed by stories from the woman herself, designed to convince the ruler to kill his son, which usually show sons and advisers in a bad light. This pattern is repeated every day until the deadline has passed, at which point the prince tells his father what happened, and the woman is instantly found guilty. These plot elements remain essentially the same across time and language, while the embedded stories and many other characters and motifs vary (for more details, see [[Bildhauer and Bonsall (2026)\|Bildhauer and Bonsall, 2026]]).

	The ''Seven Sages'' Database captures information about: the prints and manuscripts that contain this narrative; the different linguistic and narrative versions of the narrative; the embedded stories inset into the frame in all of the above versions and textual witnesses; and the relevant scholarship that clarifies this information.		The ''Seven Sages'' Database captures information about: the prints and manuscripts that contain this narrative; the different linguistic and narrative versions of the narrative; the embedded stories inset into the frame in all of the above versions and textual witnesses; and the relevant scholarship that clarifies this information.
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	Bonsall, Jane, Bettina Bildhauer and Maximilian Nöth (eds), ''The Seven Sages of Rome'' Database (2024–2026) https://db.seven-sages-of-rome.org/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=8394		Bonsall, Jane, Bettina Bildhauer and Maximilian Nöth (eds), ''The Seven Sages of Rome'' Database (2024–2026) https://db.seven-sages-of-rome.org/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=8394

	== ~~Using the database~~ ==		== User Guide ==
	The information in the Database is chiefly organised into a few key sections.		The information in the Database is chiefly organised into a few key sections.

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	'''For all of the above''': pages in the database often appear as previews and lists, with partial information included in those representations. However, page previews do not contain all information about a text; critically, any uncertainties, key details, omissions, or contradictions in scholarship are given on a page in '''Notes''', and will not appear in the listed preview information. Always consult individual pages for confirmation of full details about manuscripts, prints, or versions.		'''For all of the above''': pages in the database often appear as previews and lists, with partial information included in those representations. However, page previews do not contain all information about a text; critically, any uncertainties, key details, omissions, or contradictions in scholarship are given on a page in '''Notes''', and will not appear in the listed preview information. Always consult individual pages for confirmation of full details about manuscripts, prints, or versions.<br />
	~~== The ''Seven Sages of Rome'' Tradition ==~~

	[Adapted from Bildhauer and Bonsall, '[https://doi.org/10.16995/olh.28296 Translingual premodern literature in the digital age: The case of ''The Seven Sages of Rome / Book of Sindbad,''<nowiki/>'], in Special Issue of ''Open Library of the Humanities Journal,'' ed. by Bildhauer and Bonsall, Vol. 11 Issue 2-Vol. 12 Issue 1 (2025-2026).]

	The narrative known in English variously as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', ''The Seven Wise Masters, The Book of Sindbad, Dolopathos'' or ''The Book of Syntipas the Philosopher'' was one of the most widely adapted and copied secular narrative in the medieval and the early modern periods. At least 140 distinct versions of the ''Seven Sages / Sindbad'' story matter were written down from the late eleventh to the sixteenth century and into the present day, across at least 32 languages of the Middle East, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Europe.

	Across all versions, the kernel of the frame-narrative plot is a false accusation of attempted rape made against a prince by his father’s second wife or consort. The young prince had been sent away from court to be educated by the wisest man or men in the land, but when he returns, he does not speak, because he has read in the stars that harm will come to him unless he remains silent for a certain number of days (usually seven). The ruler’s wife or consort (not the boy’s mother) attempts to make the son speak by taking him to a private bedchamber; once there, she propositions him (sometime also suggesting they jointly overthrow his father). The prince rejects her advances. The woman then injures herself, usually tearing her face and clothing, and raises the false accusation that the prince had tried to rape her. The ruler immediately sentences his son to death, but the prince cannot defend himself against the accusation due to his vow of silence. A wise man (or several wise men) now steps in and tells one or more stories to make the king delay the execution and bridge the time until the son is allowed to speak again. The stories told by the sages, usually discrediting women and warning against rash decisions, are followed by stories from the woman herself, designed to convince the ruler to kill his son, which usually show sons and advisers in a bad light. This pattern is repeated every day until the deadline has passed, at which point the prince tells his father what happened, and the woman is instantly found guilty. These plot elements remain essentially the same across time and language, while the embedded stories and many other characters and motifs vary.<br />
	== Sources ==		== Sources ==
	Our original project brief was to capture a complete picture of the transmission of the ''Seven Sages of Rome / Book of Sindbad'' narrative before 1600. As we progressed, we observed an unbroken pattern of transmission beyond that date, and so while the early textual tradition has remained our priority, we have also entered information on later manuscripts and print editions when readily available.To populate the ''Seven Sages of Rome'' Database with this information, we have relied on existing secondary research material (cited throughout the Database). While we have tried to verify information where possible (e.g. using library catalogues, digitisations, and editions), we have not always conducted primary research to confirm this information, but instead have worked to capture the state of the field. To do so, we have relied on ''Seven Sages/Book of Sindbad'' scholarship, both focused studies exploring individual languages or traditions, and a few large, multi-lingual overviews of the whole narrative transmission.		Our original project brief was to capture a complete picture of the transmission of the ''Seven Sages of Rome / Book of Sindbad'' narrative before 1600. As we progressed, we observed an unbroken pattern of transmission beyond that date, and so while the early textual tradition has remained our priority, we have also entered information on later manuscripts and print editions when readily available.To populate the ''Seven Sages of Rome'' Database with this information, we have relied on existing secondary research material (cited throughout the Database). While we have tried to verify information where possible (e.g. using library catalogues, digitisations, and editions), we have not always conducted primary research to confirm this information, but instead have worked to capture the state of the field. To do so, we have relied on ''Seven Sages/Book of Sindbad'' scholarship, both focused studies exploring individual languages or traditions, and a few large, multi-lingual overviews of the whole narrative transmission.
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	* Greek ''Syntipas'' prints (to be added)		* Greek ''Syntipas'' prints (to be added)
	* ''The Seven Wise Mistresses'' (early modern English gender-swapped version of the Seven Wise Masters - manuscripts/prints and version details to be added)		* ''The Seven Wise Mistresses'' (early modern English gender-swapped version of the Seven Wise Masters - manuscripts/prints and version details to be added)


	== Contact us ==		== Contact us ==
	Questions, comments, or feedback about the database?		Questions, comments, or feedback about the database?

	Email: Bettina Bildhauer or Jane Bonsall		Email us:

			Bettina Bildhauer: bmeb@st-andrews.ac.uk

			Jane Bonsall: jeb@st-andrews.ac.uk

Bonsall at 11:47, 26 May 2026

2026-05-26T11:47:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:47, 26 May 2026
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	The ''Seven Sages'' Database captures information about: the prints and manuscripts that contain this narrative; the different linguistic and narrative versions of the narrative; the embedded stories inset into the frame in all of the above versions and textual witnesses; and the relevant scholarship that clarifies this information.		The ''Seven Sages'' Database captures information about: the prints and manuscripts that contain this narrative; the different linguistic and narrative versions of the narrative; the embedded stories inset into the frame in all of the above versions and textual witnesses; and the relevant scholarship that clarifies this information.

	[Adapted from Bildhauer and Bonsall, '[https://doi.org/10.16995/olh.28296 Translingual premodern literature in the digital age: The case of ''The Seven Sages of Rome / Book of Sindbad,''<nowiki/>'], in Special Issue of ''Open Library of the Humanities Journal,'' ed. by Bildhauer and Bonsall, Vol. 11 Issue 2-Vol. 12 Issue 1 (20''Team:		=== Team: ===
	The database is largely the work of Jane Bonsall (University of St Andrews, United Kingdom). It was designed by Bonsall, Bettina Bildhauer (St Andrews) and Maximilian Nöth (Zentrum für Digitalität und Philologie at the University of Würzburg, Germany). Nöth and his team set up the user interface and web architecture. Individual entries were authored by Bonsall, Bildhauer, Elisabeth Böttcher (Freie Universität Berlin), Marjolijne Janssen (Freie Universität Berlin), Ava Byrne (St Andrews), and Alfie Watkins (Oxford). Additional data was entered by Jack Kornowske, Ana Ross, Annabel Lloyd Wrafter and Sining Yun. Jutta Eming as co-investigator on the AHRC-DFG project and Ida Toth contributed further contacts and information.''25-2026).]		The database is largely the work of Jane Bonsall (University of St Andrews, United Kingdom). It was designed by Bonsall, Bettina Bildhauer (St Andrews) and Maximilian Nöth (Zentrum für Digitalität und Philologie at the University of Würzburg, Germany). Nöth and his team set up the user interface and web architecture. Individual entries were authored by Bonsall, Bildhauer, Elisabeth Böttcher (Freie Universität Berlin), Marjolijne Janssen (Freie Universität Berlin), Ava Byrne (St Andrews), and Alfie Watkins (Oxford). Additional data was entered by Jack Kornowske, Ana Ross, Annabel Lloyd Wrafter and Sining Yun. Jutta Eming as co-investigator on the AHRC-DFG project and Ida Toth contributed further contacts and information.''25-2026).] ''

	=== How to cite: ===		=== How to cite: ===

Bonsall at 11:45, 26 May 2026

2026-05-26T11:45:33Z

Show changes

Bonsall at 10:43, 5 May 2026

2026-05-05T10:43:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:43, 5 May 2026
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	=== Team: ===		=== Team: ===
	The database is largely the work of Jane Bonsall (University of St Andrews, United Kingdom). It was designed by Bonsall, Bettina Bildhauer and Maximilian Nöth ~~at the~~ Zentrum für Digitalität und Philologie at the University of Würzburg (Germany). Nöth and his team set up the user interface and web architecture. Individual entries were authored by Bonsall, Bildhauer, Elisabeth Böttcher (Freie Universität Berlin), Alfie Watkins (Oxford), Marjolijne Janssen (Freie Universität Berlin), Ava Byrne (St Andrews). Additional data was entered by Jack Kornowske, Ana Ross, Annabel Lloyd Wrafter and Sining Yun. Jutta Eming as co-investigator on the AHRC-DFG project and Ida Toth contributed further contacts and information.		The database is largely the work of Jane Bonsall (University of St Andrews, United Kingdom). It was designed by Bonsall, Bettina Bildhauer (St Andrews) and Maximilian Nöth (Zentrum für Digitalität und Philologie at the University of Würzburg, Germany). Nöth and his team set up the user interface and web architecture. Individual entries were authored by Bonsall, Bildhauer, Elisabeth Böttcher (Freie Universität Berlin), Alfie Watkins (Oxford), Marjolijne Janssen (Freie Universität Berlin), Ava Byrne (St Andrews). Additional data was entered by Jack Kornowske, Ana Ross, Annabel Lloyd Wrafter and Sining Yun. Jutta Eming as co-investigator on the AHRC-DFG project and Ida Toth contributed further contacts and information.

	== What is ''The Seven Sages of Rome'' and ''The Book of Sindbad'' tradition? ==		== What is ''The Seven Sages of Rome'' and ''The Book of Sindbad'' tradition? ==

Bonsall at 10:31, 5 May 2026

2026-05-05T10:31:32Z

Bonsall: /* Conventions: */

2026-03-25T13:17:37Z

Conventions:

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:17, 25 March 2026
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	* '''Title: ''The Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'':''' Scholarship on this narrative traditionally separated the text into “Western” and “Eastern” or “Oriental” branches; while the broad strokes of this division are useful, it needs modification, not least due to its Orientalist history and Eurocentric assumption of a strict intellectual divide between East and West. Geographically, both branches overlap, with early “Eastern” Hebrew and Arabic versions likely originating in the far west of the Eurasian mainland, in Champagne and Andalucia respectively. We have therefore instead followed [[Kunkel (2023)\|Nico Kunkel (2023)]] in calling the “Eastern” versions ''The Book of Sindbad'', because variations of this title have been assigned to most of its iterations, and referring to the “Western” versions as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', again because variations of this title are used for many of its exemplars. [See Bildhauer, Introduction to ''Global Premodern Literature in the Digital Age.'']		* '''Title: ''The Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'':''' Scholarship on this narrative traditionally separated the text into “Western” and “Eastern” or “Oriental” branches; while the broad strokes of this division are useful, it needs modification, not least due to its Orientalist history and Eurocentric assumption of a strict intellectual divide between East and West. Geographically, both branches overlap, with early “Eastern” Hebrew and Arabic versions likely originating in the far west of the Eurasian mainland, in Champagne and Andalucia respectively. We have therefore instead followed [[Kunkel (2023)\|Nico Kunkel (2023)]] in calling the “Eastern” versions ''The Book of Sindbad'', because variations of this title have been assigned to most of its iterations, and referring to the “Western” versions as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', again because variations of this title are used for many of its exemplars. [See Bildhauer, Introduction to ''Global Premodern Literature in the Digital Age.'']
	* '''Deciding which texts to include:''' The ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' tradition is diffuse and sometimes hard to pin down. Many premodern (and modern) texts include parts of the narrative - either individual embedded stories, parts of the frame narrative. To keep things simple, we have therefore only recorded manuscript/print witnesses that include both (part of) the frame narrative, and some of the embedded stories, as seen in e.g. the [[Excerpts in Gesta Romanorum\|Excerpts in the Gesta Romanorum]]. (There are a few exceptions to this rule: see the [[Group B: Alexander og Lúðvík\|Icelandic Version H Groups B]] and [[Group D: Vinaspegill\|D]].) The ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative is also found embedded in other, larger story collections. We see this in its presence within the ''Gesta Romanorum,'' Johannes Gobi's ''Scala Coeli,'' in the Persian ''Tutinama,'' and both the''1001'' and ''101 Nights.'' We have attempted to add all relevant prints and manuscripts for these traditions; however, scholarship does not always detail the full contents of each copy of a story collection. We have therefore omitted any manuscripts or prints that contain the larger story ~~colelction~~, if we have not also been able to positively confirm (via scholarship at least) that a ~~text~~ contains the ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative itself. Future scholarship into these areas may therefore expand our lists.		* '''Deciding which texts to include:''' The ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' tradition is diffuse and sometimes hard to pin down. Many premodern (and modern) texts include parts of the narrative - either individual embedded stories, parts of the frame narrative. To keep things simple, we have therefore only recorded manuscript/print witnesses that include both (part of) the frame narrative, and some of the embedded stories, as seen in e.g. the [[Excerpts in Gesta Romanorum\|Excerpts in the Gesta Romanorum]]. (There are a few exceptions to this rule: see the [[Group B: Alexander og Lúðvík\|Icelandic Version H Groups B]] and [[Group D: Vinaspegill\|D]].) The ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative is also found embedded in other, larger story collections. We see this in its presence within the ''Gesta Romanorum,'' Johannes Gobi's ''Scala Coeli,'' in the Persian ''Tutinama,'' and both the''1001'' and ''101 Nights.'' We have attempted to add all relevant prints and manuscripts for these traditions; however, scholarship does not always detail the full contents of each copy of a story collection. We have therefore omitted any manuscripts or prints that contain the larger story collection, if we have not also been able to positively confirm (via scholarship at least) that a manuscript contains the ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative itself. Future scholarship into these areas may therefore expand our lists.
	* '''Inset Story Names''': We have preserved the Latin names for the inset stories given in scholarship (and will be creating new Latin short titles for some stories that do not yet have those titles, such as those from the ''[[Forty Viziers: Ḥikāyet-i Ḳırḳ Vezīr\|Forty Viziers]]'' tradition, for consistency across the tradition). We have also added English short titles for all stories as well, for accessibility. These English titles are either direct translations of the Latin, or are made slightly more descriptive if that is necessary either for clarity or to adhere with titles given in some scholarship (e.g. work on the Arabic tradition, which often omits the Latin titles).		* '''Inset Story Names''': We have preserved the Latin names for the inset stories given in scholarship (and will be creating new Latin short titles for some stories that do not yet have those titles, such as those from the ''[[Forty Viziers: Ḥikāyet-i Ḳırḳ Vezīr\|Forty Viziers]]'' tradition, for consistency across the tradition). We have also added English short titles for all stories as well, for accessibility. These English titles are either direct translations of the Latin, or are made slightly more descriptive if that is necessary either for clarity or to adhere with titles given in some scholarship (e.g. work on the Arabic tradition, which often omits the Latin titles).
	* '''Versions and Sigla''': We have largely preserved the narrative groupings, usually determined by the embedded stories and their order as well as key plot points, that most contemporary scholarship refers to as distinct versions of the ''Book of Sindbad / Seven Sages'' narrative, though sometimes with qualifications (given on their distinct [[Versions\|Version]] pages). We have also maintained the sigla traditionally given in scholarship to these distinct branches of the tradition, usually letter-names (H, L, M, I, etc.). The version of the narrative usually titled ''Historia Septem Sapientum'' takes the siglum H, for example, and the branches of that version are therefore designated as e.g. Czech Version H, Scots Version H, Latin Version H, etc.		* '''Versions and Sigla''': We have largely preserved the narrative groupings, usually determined by the embedded stories and their order as well as key plot points, that most contemporary scholarship refers to as distinct versions of the ''Book of Sindbad / Seven Sages'' narrative, though sometimes with qualifications (given on their distinct [[Versions\|Version]] pages). We have also maintained the sigla traditionally given in scholarship to these distinct branches of the tradition, usually letter-names (H, L, M, I, etc.). The version of the narrative usually titled ''Historia Septem Sapientum'' takes the siglum H, for example, and the branches of that version are therefore designated as e.g. Czech Version H, Scots Version H, Latin Version H, etc.

Bonsall: /* Sources: */

2026-03-16T13:02:47Z

Sources:

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:02, 16 March 2026
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	== What is ''The Seven Sages of Rome'' and ''The Book of Sindbad'' tradition? ==		== What is ''The Seven Sages of Rome'' and ''The Book of Sindbad'' tradition? ==

	[Adapted from Bildhauer, 'Introduction to ''Global Premodern Literature in the Digital Age: The Seven Sages of Rome/ Sindbad/ Syntipas/ Dolopathos''<nowiki/>', Special Issue of ''Open Library of the Humanities Journal,'' ed. by Bildhauer and Bonsall, Vol. 11 Issue 2-Vol. 12 Issue 1 (2025-2026).]		[Adapted from Bildhauer, 'Introduction to ''Global Premodern Literature in the Digital Age: The Seven Sages of Rome/ Sindbad/ Syntipas/ Dolopathos''<nowiki/>', Special Issue of ''Open Library of the Humanities Journal,'' ed. by Bildhauer and Bonsall, Vol. 11 Issue 2-Vol. 12 Issue 1 (2025-2026).]

	The narrative known in English variously as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', ''The Seven Wise Masters, The Book of Sindbad, Dolopathos'' or ''The Book of Syntipas the Philosopher'' was one of the most widely adapted and copied secular narrative in the medieval and the early modern periods. At least 140 distinct versions of the ''Seven Sages / Sindbad'' story matter were written down from the late eleventh to the sixteenth century and into the present day, across at least 32 languages of the Middle East, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Europe.		The narrative known in English variously as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', ''The Seven Wise Masters, The Book of Sindbad, Dolopathos'' or ''The Book of Syntipas the Philosopher'' was one of the most widely adapted and copied secular narrative in the medieval and the early modern periods. At least 140 distinct versions of the ''Seven Sages / Sindbad'' story matter were written down from the late eleventh to the sixteenth century and into the present day, across at least 32 languages of the Middle East, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Europe.
Line 23:		Line 23:
	Our original project brief was to capture a complete picture of the transmission of the ''Seven Sages of Rome/Book of Sindbad'' narrative before 1600. As we progressed, we observed an unbroken pattern of transmission beyond that date, and so while the early textual tradition has remained our priority, we have also entered information on later manuscripts and print editions when readily available.To populate the ''Seven Sages of Rome'' Database with this information, we have relied on existing secondary research material. While we have tried to verify information where possible (e.g. using library catalogues, digitisations, and editions), we have not always conducted primary research to confirm this information, but instead have worked to capture the state of the field. To do so, we have relied on ''Seven Sages/Book of Sindbad'' scholarship, both focused studies exploring individual languages or traditions, and a few large, multi-lingual overviews of the whole narrative transmission.		Our original project brief was to capture a complete picture of the transmission of the ''Seven Sages of Rome/Book of Sindbad'' narrative before 1600. As we progressed, we observed an unbroken pattern of transmission beyond that date, and so while the early textual tradition has remained our priority, we have also entered information on later manuscripts and print editions when readily available.To populate the ''Seven Sages of Rome'' Database with this information, we have relied on existing secondary research material. While we have tried to verify information where possible (e.g. using library catalogues, digitisations, and editions), we have not always conducted primary research to confirm this information, but instead have worked to capture the state of the field. To do so, we have relied on ''Seven Sages/Book of Sindbad'' scholarship, both focused studies exploring individual languages or traditions, and a few large, multi-lingual overviews of the whole narrative transmission.

	~~===~~ Sources: ~~===~~		'''Sources:'''

	A few key sources have been especially useful:		A few key sources have been especially useful:

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	* '''Title: ''The Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'':''' Scholarship on this narrative traditionally separated the text into “Western” and “Eastern” or “Oriental” branches; while the broad strokes of this division are useful, it needs modification, not least due to its Orientalist history and Eurocentric assumption of a strict intellectual divide between East and West. Geographically, both branches overlap, with early “Eastern” Hebrew and Arabic versions likely originating in the far west of the Eurasian mainland, in Champagne and Andalucia respectively. We have therefore instead followed [[Kunkel (2023)\|Nico Kunkel (2023)]] in calling the “Eastern” versions ''The Book of Sindbad'', because variations of this title have been assigned to most of its iterations, and referring to the “Western” versions as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', again because variations of this title are used for many of its exemplars. [See Bildhauer, Introduction to ''Global Premodern Literature in the Digital Age.'']		* '''Title: ''The Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'':''' Scholarship on this narrative traditionally separated the text into “Western” and “Eastern” or “Oriental” branches; while the broad strokes of this division are useful, it needs modification, not least due to its Orientalist history and Eurocentric assumption of a strict intellectual divide between East and West. Geographically, both branches overlap, with early “Eastern” Hebrew and Arabic versions likely originating in the far west of the Eurasian mainland, in Champagne and Andalucia respectively. We have therefore instead followed [[Kunkel (2023)\|Nico Kunkel (2023)]] in calling the “Eastern” versions ''The Book of Sindbad'', because variations of this title have been assigned to most of its iterations, and referring to the “Western” versions as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', again because variations of this title are used for many of its exemplars. [See Bildhauer, Introduction to ''Global Premodern Literature in the Digital Age.'']
	* '''Deciding which texts to include:''' The ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' tradition is diffuse and sometimes hard to pin down. Many premodern (and modern) texts include parts of the narrative - either individual embedded stories, parts of the frame narrative. To keep things simple, we have therefore only recorded manuscript/print witnesses that include both (part of) the frame narrative, and some of the embedded stories, as seen in e.g. the [[Excerpts in Gesta Romanorum\|Excerpts in the Gesta Romanorum]]. (There are a few exceptions to this rule: see the [[Group B: Alexander og Lúðvík\|Icelandic Version H Groups B]] and [[Group D: Vinaspegill\|D]].) The ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative is also found embedded in other, larger story collections. We see this in its presence within the ''Gesta Romanorum,'' Johannes Gobi's ''Scala Coeli,'' in the Persian ''Tutinama,'' and both the''1001'' and ''101 Nights.'' We have attempted to add all relevant prints and manuscripts for these traditions; however, scholarship does not always detail the full contents of each copy of a story collection. We have therefore omitted any manuscripts or prints that contain the larger story ~~colelction~~, if we have not also been able to positively confirm (via scholarship at least) that a ~~text~~ contains the ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative itself. Future scholarship into these areas may therefore expand our lists.		* '''Deciding which texts to include:''' The ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' tradition is diffuse and sometimes hard to pin down. Many premodern (and modern) texts include parts of the narrative - either individual embedded stories, parts of the frame narrative. To keep things simple, we have therefore only recorded manuscript/print witnesses that include both (part of) the frame narrative, and some of the embedded stories, as seen in e.g. the [[Excerpts in Gesta Romanorum\|Excerpts in the Gesta Romanorum]]. (There are a few exceptions to this rule: see the [[Group B: Alexander og Lúðvík\|Icelandic Version H Groups B]] and [[Group D: Vinaspegill\|D]].) The ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative is also found embedded in other, larger story collections. We see this in its presence within the ''Gesta Romanorum,'' Johannes Gobi's ''Scala Coeli,'' in the Persian ''Tutinama,'' and both the''1001'' and ''101 Nights.'' We have attempted to add all relevant prints and manuscripts for these traditions; however, scholarship does not always detail the full contents of each copy of a story collection. We have therefore omitted any manuscripts or prints that contain the larger story collection, if we have not also been able to positively confirm (via scholarship at least) that a manuscript contains the ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' narrative itself. Future scholarship into these areas may therefore expand our lists.
	* '''Inset Story Names''': We have preserved the Latin names for the inset stories given in scholarship (and will be creating new Latin short titles for some stories that do not yet have those titles, such as those from the ''[[Forty Viziers: Ḥikāyet-i Ḳırḳ Vezīr\|Forty Viziers]]'' tradition, for consistency across the tradition). We have also added English short titles for all stories as well, for accessibility. These English titles are either direct translations of the Latin, or are made slightly more descriptive if that is necessary either for clarity or to adhere with titles given in some scholarship (e.g. work on the Arabic tradition, which often omits the Latin titles).		* '''Inset Story Names''': We have preserved the Latin names for the inset stories given in scholarship (and will be creating new Latin short titles for some stories that do not yet have those titles, such as those from the ''[[Forty Viziers: Ḥikāyet-i Ḳırḳ Vezīr\|Forty Viziers]]'' tradition, for consistency across the tradition). We have also added English short titles for all stories as well, for accessibility. These English titles are either direct translations of the Latin, or are made slightly more descriptive if that is necessary either for clarity or to adhere with titles given in some scholarship (e.g. work on the Arabic tradition, which often omits the Latin titles).
	* '''Versions and Sigla''': We have largely preserved the narrative groupings, usually determined by the embedded stories and their order as well as key plot points, that most contemporary scholarship refers to as distinct versions of the ''Book of Sindbad / Seven Sages'' narrative, though sometimes with qualifications (given on their distinct [[Versions\|Version]] pages). We have also maintained the sigla traditionally given in scholarship to these distinct branches of the tradition, usually letter-names (H, L, M, I, etc.). The version of the narrative usually titled ''Historia Septem Sapientum'' takes the siglum H, for example, and the branches of that version are therefore designated as e.g. Czech Version H, Scots Version H, Latin Version H, etc.		* '''Versions and Sigla''': We have largely preserved the narrative groupings, usually determined by the embedded stories and their order as well as key plot points, that most contemporary scholarship refers to as distinct versions of the ''Book of Sindbad / Seven Sages'' narrative, though sometimes with qualifications (given on their distinct [[Versions\|Version]] pages). We have also maintained the sigla traditionally given in scholarship to these distinct branches of the tradition, usually letter-names (H, L, M, I, etc.). The version of the narrative usually titled ''Historia Septem Sapientum'' takes the siglum H, for example, and the branches of that version are therefore designated as e.g. Czech Version H, Scots Version H, Latin Version H, etc.

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	== What is ''The Seven Sages of Rome'' and ''The Book of Sindbad'' tradition? ==		== What is ''The Seven Sages of Rome'' and ''The Book of Sindbad'' tradition? ==

	[Adapted from Bildhauer, '~~Introduction to ''Global Premodern Literature~~ in the ~~Digital Age~~: The Seven Sages of Rome/ Sindbad~~/ Syntipas/ Dolopathos~~''<nowiki/>', Special Issue of ''Open Library of the Humanities Journal,'' ed. by Bildhauer and Bonsall, Vol. 11 Issue 2-Vol. 12 Issue 1 (2025-2026).]		[Adapted from Bildhauer and Bonsall, '[https://doi.org/10.16995/olh.28296 Translingual premodern literature in the digital age: The case of ''The Seven Sages of Rome / Book of Sindbad,''<nowiki/>'], in Special Issue of ''Open Library of the Humanities Journal,'' ed. by Bildhauer and Bonsall, Vol. 11 Issue 2-Vol. 12 Issue 1 (2025-2026).]

	The narrative known in English variously as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', ''The Seven Wise Masters, The Book of Sindbad, Dolopathos'' or ''The Book of Syntipas the Philosopher'' was one of the most widely adapted and copied secular narrative in the medieval and the early modern periods. At least 140 distinct versions of the ''Seven Sages / Sindbad'' story matter were written down from the late eleventh to the sixteenth century and into the present day, across at least 32 languages of the Middle East, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Europe.		The narrative known in English variously as ''The Seven Sages of Rome'', ''The Seven Wise Masters, The Book of Sindbad, Dolopathos'' or ''The Book of Syntipas the Philosopher'' was one of the most widely adapted and copied secular narrative in the medieval and the early modern periods. At least 140 distinct versions of the ''Seven Sages / Sindbad'' story matter were written down from the late eleventh to the sixteenth century and into the present day, across at least 32 languages of the Middle East, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Europe.
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	Runte, Wikeley and Farrell divide the tradition into 32 languages, and use language grouping as their primary way of organising the tradition (rather than Versions or narrative patterns). We have usually followed their language divisions and designations (for example, using 'Icelandic' rather than 'Old Norse', etc.), with some exceptions:		Runte, Wikeley and Farrell divide the tradition into 32 languages, and use language grouping as their primary way of organising the tradition (rather than Versions or narrative patterns). We have usually followed their language divisions and designations (for example, using 'Icelandic' rather than 'Old Norse', etc.), with some exceptions:

	* We have designated the Scots tradition (both [[Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis\|manuscripts]] and [[Scots Version H: Rolland, Seuin Seages\|prints]]) as distinct from the English transmission		* We have designated the Scots tradition (both [[Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis\|manuscripts]] and [[Scots Version H: Rolland, Seuin Seages\|prints]]) as distinct from the English transmission.
	* We have renamed 'Provençal' as '[[Occitan Version L\|Occitan]]'		* We have renamed 'Provençal' as '[[Occitan Version L\|Occitan]]'.
	* We have omitted Norwegian. While Runte et. al. refer to [[Vogt (1931)]] who mentions a Norwegian version (p. 145), it is not an adaptation of the complete ''Seven Sages'' narrative, but rather a distinct saga that includes motifs found in the ''Seven Sages'' tradition (e.g., a delayed execution). It therefore does not meet our minimum requirements for inclusion in the database.		* We have omitted Norwegian. While Runte et. al. refer to [[Vogt (1931)]] who mentions a Norwegian version (p. 145), it is not an adaptation of the complete ''Seven Sages'' narrative, but rather a distinct saga that includes motifs found in the ''Seven Sages'' tradition (e.g., a delayed execution). It therefore does not meet our minimum requirements for inclusion in the database (see Conventions, below).
	'''[[Nishimura (2001)]]:'''		'''[[Nishimura (2001)]]:'''

	In Nishimura Masami's translation of [[Perry (1960)]], シンドバードの書の起源 (Shindobādo no sho no kigen, The Origin of the Book of Sindbad), he included broad, comprehensive appendices of information about the ''Seven Sages/Book of Sindbad'' transmission and narrative contents, such as comparative stemma and charts of embedded tales. Nishimura's appendices offer by far the most complete, updated, and detailed list of all of the embedded tales from across the tradition (barring the ''Forty Viziers'') in any ''Seven Sages'' scholarship. He kindly shared an unpublished English translation of his summaries of those stories, along with his extensive notes on each, with our project, and this material has been invaluable in the population of the [[Inset Stories\|inset story pages]] in this database.		In Nishimura Masami's 2001 translation of [[Perry (1960)]], titled シンドバードの書の起源 (''Shindobādo no sho no kigen, The Origin of the Book of Sindbad''), he included broad, comprehensive appendices of information about the ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' transmission and narrative contents, such as comparative stemma and charts of embedded tales. Nishimura's appendices offer by far the most complete, updated, and detailed list of all of the embedded tales from across the tradition (barring the ''Forty Viziers'') in any ''Seven Sages'' scholarship. He kindly shared an unpublished English translation of his summaries of those stories, along with his extensive notes on each, with our project, and this material has been invaluable in the population of the [[Inset Stories\|inset story pages]] in this database.

	For more of the sources that have shaped our understanding of the tradition, see the [[Modern Research Literature]] page.		For more of the sources that have shaped our understanding of the tradition, see the [[Modern Research Literature]] page.
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	* '''Inset Story Names''': We have preserved the Latin names for the inset stories given in scholarship (and will be creating new Latin short titles for some stories that do not yet have those titles, such as those from the ''[[Forty Viziers: Ḥikāyet-i Ḳırḳ Vezīr\|Forty Viziers]]'' tradition, for consistency across the tradition). We have also added English short titles for all stories as well, for accessibility. These English titles are either direct translations of the Latin, or are made slightly more descriptive if that is necessary either for clarity or to adhere with titles given in some scholarship (e.g. work on the Arabic tradition, which often omits the Latin titles).		* '''Inset Story Names''': We have preserved the Latin names for the inset stories given in scholarship (and will be creating new Latin short titles for some stories that do not yet have those titles, such as those from the ''[[Forty Viziers: Ḥikāyet-i Ḳırḳ Vezīr\|Forty Viziers]]'' tradition, for consistency across the tradition). We have also added English short titles for all stories as well, for accessibility. These English titles are either direct translations of the Latin, or are made slightly more descriptive if that is necessary either for clarity or to adhere with titles given in some scholarship (e.g. work on the Arabic tradition, which often omits the Latin titles).
	* '''Versions and Sigla''': We have largely preserved the narrative groupings, usually determined by the embedded stories and their order as well as key plot points, that most contemporary scholarship refers to as distinct versions of the ''Book of Sindbad / Seven Sages'' narrative, though sometimes with qualifications (given on their distinct [[Versions\|Version]] pages). We have also maintained the sigla traditionally given in scholarship to these distinct branches of the tradition, usually letter-names (H, L, M, I, etc.). The version of the narrative usually titled ''Historia Septem Sapientum'' takes the siglum H, for example, and the branches of that version are therefore designated as e.g. Czech Version H, Scots Version H, Latin Version H, etc.		* '''Versions and Sigla''': We have largely preserved the narrative groupings, usually determined by the embedded stories and their order as well as key plot points, that most contemporary scholarship refers to as distinct versions of the ''Book of Sindbad / Seven Sages'' narrative, though sometimes with qualifications (given on their distinct [[Versions\|Version]] pages). We have also maintained the sigla traditionally given in scholarship to these distinct branches of the tradition, usually letter-names (H, L, M, I, etc.). The version of the narrative usually titled ''Historia Septem Sapientum'' takes the siglum H, for example, and the branches of that version are therefore designated as e.g. Czech Version H, Scots Version H, Latin Version H, etc.
	* '''Names of characters''': The storytellers are often, but not always, named in the ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' tradition. We have added the names of the 'sages' when they are given, and have attempted both to offer standardized names (to demonstrate shared inheritances and patterns), and also manuscript- or language-specific variations of those names (e.g. Cato, and Katho, Caton, Chatomas, etc.). The king's consort, the other prolific storyteller, is referred to as the Empress. This reflects her role in the ''Seven Sages'' tradition, but not the ''Book of Sindbad,'' in which she is not always married to the ruler. ''Book of Sindbad'' scholarship sometimes refers to her as the ~~lady~~, the concubine, or simply the woman; for consistency, we have referred to her as the Empress throughout.		* '''Names of characters''': The storytellers are often, but not always, named in the ''Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' tradition. We have added the names of the 'sages' when they are given, and have attempted both to offer standardized names (to demonstrate shared inheritances and patterns), and also manuscript- or language-specific variations of those names (e.g. Cato, and Katho, Caton, Chatomas, etc.). The king's consort, the other prolific storyteller, is referred to as the Empress. This reflects her role in the ''Seven Sages'' tradition, but not the ''Book of Sindbad,'' in which she is not always married to the ruler. ''Book of Sindbad'' scholarship sometimes refers to her as 'the Lady', the concubine, or simply 'the woman'; for consistency, we have referred to her as the Empress throughout.
	* '''Language and transcription:''' One of the striking features of ''The Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' is its multilinguality. We have attempted to preserve this (while simultaneously defaulting to English for accessibility) by including titles of text and libraries in their original and regional languages, and by offering text titles and incipits in their original scripts.		* '''Language and transcription:''' One of the striking features of ''The Seven Sages / Book of Sindbad'' is its multilinguality. We have attempted to preserve this (while simultaneously defaulting to English for accessibility) by including titles of text and libraries in their original and regional languages, and by offering text titles and incipits in their original scripts.
	* '''Dating:'''		* '''Dating:'''
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	* Turkish ''Kirk vezir'' prints (''Forty Viziers'' prints to be added to the existing manuscript list)		* Turkish ''Kirk vezir'' prints (''Forty Viziers'' prints to be added to the existing manuscript list)
	* Turkish ''Kirk vezir'' stories (''Forty Viziers'' embedded stories to be added)		* Turkish ''Kirk vezir'' stories (''Forty Viziers'' embedded stories to be added)
			* Greek ''Syntipas'' prints (to be added)
	* ''The Seven Wise Mistresses'' (early modern English gender-swapped version of the Seven Wise Masters - manuscripts/prints and version details to be added)		* ''The Seven Wise Mistresses'' (early modern English gender-swapped version of the Seven Wise Masters - manuscripts/prints and version details to be added)