C (Sept Sages de Rome): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:26, 23 February 2026

The fragment of the Old French Roman des Sept Sages found in Ms 620 of the Bibliothèque Municipale des Chartres comprises Version C. However, the Chartres MS 620 was unfortunately lost in WWII. It was partially photographed prior to this distruction, but most of the images were of the second half of the text. This is noteworthy, because the two parts of the text were quite different: the opening of the text through to the beginning of 'Tentamina' (folios 19-26) was composed in prose, and then folios 27-44 in rhymed verse. Only one image of the first (prose) half of the text (folio 26) survives. According to Speer (1981) and Speer and Foehr-Janssens (2017), despite the fact that the two halves of the text are copied in different hands and styles, there is sufficient fluidity between them to consider them an intentional continuation and whole, rather than discrete fragments. Speer also suggests that the embedded stories in the first (lost) prose half of the text may have followed the Version A narrative pattern, and that the text closely resembles BNF 1421 (1981).

Identification & General Information

Title

Roman des Sept Sages

Tradition & Lineage

Branch of the tradition

Seven Sages of Rome

Recorded Secondary Versions

C (Sept Sages de Rome)

Connected Manuscripts

	Has Language	Has Location	Has Date Range Of Production

Language & Composition

Language of version

Old French

Place of composition

France

Date of Composition

1275 - 1325

Source for date of composition

Campbell (1907), Speer and Foehr-Janssens (2017), Speer (1981)

Modern Scholarship & Editions

Modern research literature

Speer (1989), Speer (1981), Foehr-Janssens (1994), Speer and Foehr-Janssens (2017), Campbell (1907), Smith (1912), Paris (1876), Misrahi (1933), Speer (1987), Speer (1994), Foehr-Janssens (1997), Uhlig and Foehr-Janssens (2014), Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984)

Modern Editions

Speer, Le Roman des Sept Sages de Rome (1989), Speer and Foehr-Janssens, Le Roman des Sept Sages de Rome (2017), Smith, A verse version of the Sept Sages de Rome (1912)

Notes & Commentary

Note

Speer suggests that the embedded stories in the first (lost) prose half of the text may have followed the Version A narrative pattern (1981).

Pattern of Embedded Stories in This Version

Has Short Title	Has Sequence Number	Has Narrator	Has Name Variation
Tentamina – The Test	8
Roma – Rome Besieged	9	Empress
Avis – The Bird	10	Cato
Sapientes – The Wise Men	11	Empress
Vidua – The Widow	12	Jesse
Virgilius – Virgil's Marvels	13	Empress
Inclusa – The Imprisoned Wife	14	Meron	Merol

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 |Has Description=The fragment of the Old French ''Roman des Sept Sages'' found in Ms 620 of the Bibliothèque Municipale des Chartres comprises Version C. However, the Chartres MS 620 was unfortunately lost in WWII. It was partially photographed prior to this distruction, but most of the images were of the second half of the text. This is noteworthy, because the two parts of the text were quite different: the opening of the text through to the beginning of 'Tentamina' (folios 19-26) was composed in prose, and then folios 27-44 in rhymed verse. Only one image of the first (prose) half of the text (folio 26) survives. According to Speer (1981) and Speer and Foehr-Janssens (2017), despite the fact that the two halves of the text are copied in different hands and styles, there is sufficient fluidity between them to consider them an intentional continuation and whole, rather than discrete fragments. Speer also suggests that the embedded stories in the first (lost) prose half of the text may have followed the Version A narrative pattern, and that the text closely resembles [[Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 1421|BNF 1421]] (1981).
 |Has Title=Roman des Sept Sages
-|Has Siglum=C (Sept Sages de Rome)
 |Has Branch Of Tradition=Seven Sages of Rome
 |Has Language Of Version=Old French