Dolopathos

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The narrative Dolopathos, sive Rege et Septem Sapientibus (The King and the Seven Wise Men) was composed by the Cistercian monk Johannes de Alta Silva (or Jean de Haute-Seille) sometime between 1184 and 1212. The work is dedicated to Betrand, Bishop of Metz, and between these dates the monastery of Haute-Seille was in the bishop's diocese. The original Latin Dolopathos was translated into Old French by a poet and trouvere named Herbert in the early 13th century.

Dolopathos represents a unique version of the Seven Sages tradition, distinct from all the other Western texts. It opens with a lengthy preamble, setting the scene of the frame story. The narrative is set in Sicily, and King Dolopathos - meaning one who suffers great grief - is characterised as a beloved and benevolent ruler. His political enemies slander him to the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, but Dolopathos travels to Rome and mounts an eloquent defense of the justice of his rule. Learning how beloved he is by his people, Augustus rules in Dolopathos' favour, and the two become friends; Augustus even gives Dolopathos his wife's sister (the daughter of Agrippa) in marriage, who bears him a son. The boy is foretold to rule Sicily, to suffer treachery, and to worship the greatest god - presaging the conversion to Christianity at the end of the text. The education of the prince Lucinus follows the pattern found in the Eastern narratives, in that a single sage - Virgil, in this case - educates him until he has mastered the arts and sciences. His vow of silence upon his return to the king's court is punctuated by his written communication; this does not stop his step-mother from accusing him of rape after her failed seduction attempt.

The following stories-as-evidence told by seven sages from Rome and eventually Virgil diverge from the expected pattern, in that the queen does not tell any stories in between the sages' tales. In addition to the ommission of half the expected tales, Dolopathos is further distinguished by the unique collection of tales it does contain. The first story, Canis, is the only embedded tale found across all major branches of the tradition; of the rest, two (Gaza, Puteus) are part of all of the versions of the broad Western Seven Sages tradition (e.g., the Historia and Version A). Of the others, seven are found nowhere else in the tradition.

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Identification and general Information
Reference Number
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages	Dolopathos
Title	Dolopathos
Author

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Branch of the tradition	West
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Recorded secondary versions
Dolopathos French Dolopathos Latin Dolopathos

Connected manuscripts

Manuscript Language Location Date of Production Brixen im Thale Pfarrbibliothek Taz IX Latin Brixen im Thale, Pfarrbibliothek 1400 - 1500 Brno Moravský zemský archiv, Cerroni II 234 Latin Brno, Moravský zemský archiv 1400 - 1500 Gdańsk PAN Biblioteka Gdańska Mar. Q 27 Latin Gdańsk, PAN Biblioteka Gdańska 1400 - 1450 Innsbruck Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Tirol Cod. 60 Latin Innsbruck, Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Tirol 1471 Leipzig Universitätsbibliothek Ms 1279 German Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek 1460 - 1470 London British Library Add. MS. 18922 Latin London, British Library 1400 - 1500 Luxembourg Bibliothèque Nationale Ms. 110 Latin Luxembourg, Bibliothèque Nationale 1250/1300 Metz Bibliothèque Patrimoniale Réserve Précieuse MS 1629 Old French Metz, Bibliothèque Patrimoniale 1200 - 1300 Montpellier Bibliothèque interuniversitaire, Section Médecine H 436 Old French Montpellier, Bibliothèque Interuniversitaire 1250 - 1299 Mühlhausen (Thüringen) Stadtarchiv Ms. 16 Latin Mühlhausen (Thüringen), Stadtarchiv ca. 1400 Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Cod. Lat. 3619 Latin Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France 1453 Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 1450 Old French Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France 1225 - 1250 Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 24301 Old French Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France 1266 - 1300 Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouvelles acquisitions françaises, 934 Old French Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France 1300 - 1400 Prague Knihovna metropolitní kapituli Ms. G 42 Latin Prague, Knihovna pražské metropolitní kapituly 1340/1450 Prague Národní knihovna České republiky Ms. XII. B. 20 Latin Prague, Národní knihovna České republiky 1410 Wien Österreichische Nationalbibliothek cod. 4739 Latin Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek 1459/1460

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Notes and Commentary
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Pattern of embedded stories in this version

Has Short Title Has Sequence Number Has Narrator Has Name Variation Canis – The Faithful Dog 1 First Master   Gaza – The Treasure 2 Second Master   Senes 3 Third Master   Creditor 4 Fourth Master   Viduae Filius 5 Fifth Master   Latronis Filii 6 Sixth Master   Polyphemus 7 Sixth Master   Striges – The Bandit and the Demons 8 Sixth Master   Cygni 9 Seventh Master   Copy Embedded Stories Copy Embedded Stories × Select Target Page: Close Process

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