Gesta Hungarorum: The Deeds of the Hungarians (Central European Medieval Texts)
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Written between 1282-1285, the Gesta Hungarorum is an ingenious and imaginative historical fiction of prehistory, medieval history and contemporary social history. The author divides Hungarian history into two periods: Hunnish-Hungarian prehistory and Hungarian history, giving a division which persisted in Hungary up to the beginnings of modern historiography.
Simon of Kza provides a vivid retelling of the well known Attila stories, using such lively prose as - "...the battle lasted for 15 days on end, Csaba's army received such a crushing defeat that very few of the Huns or the sons of Attila survived, the river Danube from Sicambria as far as the city of Potentia was swollen with blood and for several days neither men nor animals could drink the water."
The book is also significant because of the author's legal-theoretical framework of corporate self government and constitutional law, inspired by French and Italian sources and practice, which made this chronicle become an integral part of Hungarian historiography.
Part of the Central European Medieval Texts Series' edited by Jnos Bak, Urszula Borkowska, Giles Constable and Gbor Klaniczay. This prestigious new series will consist of bi-lingual volumes containing the Latin narrative sources of the medieval history of Central Europe, together with their English translation. Ten volumes are initially planned and each will be edited and prefaced by distinguished scholars.
Language Notes
Text: Latin, English (translation)
Original Language: Latin
Gesta Hungarorum: The Deeds of the Hungarians (Central European Medieval Texts),Simon Kezai,Laszlo Veszpremy,Frank Schaer,Central European University Press,9639116319,Central Europe - History,Classics,Folklore,History,History: World,Literature - Classics / Criticism,Medieval,Central Europe,Other prose: classical, early & medieval
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