Puer Adoptatus
A rich French gentleman named Archelaus was childless for many years, and at last he and his wife decide to adopt a boy to carry their name. They adopt a child named Philemon, the child of one of his relatives. He grows up clever and beloved by all, and joins his adopted father in his business affairs. Eventually, Archelaus's wife sickens and dies, and Archelaus is inconsolable with grief. He retires to his estate in the country, and leaves the management of his affairs to Philemon.
Philemon takes advantage of his newfound wealth and freedom, and although he is careful not to let word get back to Archelaus, he lives a disolute life. So when Archelaus begins to talk about finding a wife for Philemon, he balks, protesting that a wife would interrupt his studies (but privately fearing she would intrude upon his freedoms). So Archelaus instead decides to be remarried, thinking such an announcement might change Philemon's mind, but it does not - and instead, Archelaus proceeds to court and wed Euphrosena, a lovely, virtuous, and clever damsel from a good family.
Archelaus instructs Euphrosena to involve herself in the family's business, and soon their subjects begin to come to her with complaints about Philemon's violence and disorderly conduct. She admonishes Philemon in private to change his ways and he promises to do so, but does not alter his behaviour. She threatens to tell his father; he makes no change. She informs Archelaus, who is shocked and reproves him; Philemon apologises and begs his forgiveness.
Shortly thereafter, Philemon abducts a gentleman's daughter, and carries her away; Archelaus orders him to be seized and thrown into the dungeon of a nearby castle. Philemon eventually befriends the lord of that castle, who knows his prisoner may someday inherit. Eventually Philemon confides in the lord that he has been targetted by his mother-in-law, Euphrosena, and that if the lord will help him be revenged upon her, he will make the lord's daughter his wife in due course. The lord agrees, and entreats Archelaus to come visit on urgent business. Once Archelaus is there, the lord spins a tale of Euphrosena's villainy, claiming she attempted to convince the lord to assassinate Archelaus. He then produces a letter to that effect, carefully forged by Philemon, and called forth seven of his men who confessed to being in Euphrosena's employ and having conspired againt Archelaus, and all beg his forgiveness. Heartbroken, Archelaus cannot argue with the lord's evidence, and upon his suggestion, Euphrosena is summoned, and immediately beheaded by the lord's guards. The lord then told Archelaus that her dying confession was that she ahd fabricated all accusations against Philemon; he therefore ordered his adoptive son released and restored to his position.
Soon, Philemon wishes to be rid of his father as well, and conspires with the same lord to have Archelaus ambushed and strangled, so that his death appears to be an accident. He eventually marries the lord's daughter and rewards the murderous guards.
Eventually, his subjects and his neighbours cannot tolerate his rule any longer, and he is taken by his enemies and killed.
[Adapted from Wikeley (1983) by Ava Byrne; expanded from the English Erasto by Jane Bonsall].
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This story is unique to the I (Versio Italico) texts, and their translations into other languages, although Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben sees similarities in the middle Dutch drama Esmoreit. Nishimura notes that this text fits the pattern of tale-type TMI S22.1.1: Adopted son plots death of parents. Usurps the throne. |
| Critical Literature |
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| Hoffman von Fallersleben (1838), Nishimura (2001) |
| Puer Adoptatus appears in the following versions and secondary versions |
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| Puer Adoptatus is narrated in the following occurrences | ||||
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| Puer Adoptatus appears in the following manuscripts |
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| This inset story appears in no manuscripts of the database |