Seven Wise Masters

The seven wise masters is a collection of fifteen novella -like narratives that are embedded in a framework of action, and by the Middle Ages was an enormous spread up into the 19th century.

Tradition

The story originates probably from Persia, was lost there in late antiquity, but was known in translation in the Syrian and Arab countries since the 9th century as " Sindbad - book". Towards the end of the 11th century the fabric was probably translated into Melitene on the Euphrates by Michael Andreopulos in the Greek and in the wake of the Byzantine Empire as the 'Book of Syntipas the philosopher " known. From about 1200 it circulated in Latin translation in the West. From France have demonstrated literary edits since the 13th century since the 15th century German translations found in verse ( for example, Diocletian's life, in 1412, by Hans von Bühel ) and in prose. Here were the prose much more successful than the Versfassungen. In the 16th century the text was known as a popular book; the substance has been handed down to the 19th century. The earliest prose version was probably made around 1450, which is preserved in a manuscript of unknown authorship in the Codices Palatini germanici 149 and 106 ( Historia septem sapientum, see Related links ). Another manuscript version with illustrations by Hans Dirmstein is from 1471.

Framework for action

The Roman emperor Pontianus can remotely educate the home after the death of his wife, his only son of Diocletian seven wise masters. After seven years the son returns. In a vision he has learned that before him stands a cruel death, which he can only escape by seven days does not speak upon arrival in his homeland. Therefore the Son is silent on the father's court. Under the pretext of wanting to make him talk, let him bring his stepmother to her room, where she tries to seduce him. When she fails, she rips his clothes off and pretends that the son had raped her, after which he is condemned by his father to death. The seven wise masters can but again and again to delay the death one day by telling Exempelgeschichten while the Queen in turn tells stories and thereby the death sentence is renewed daily. After seven speeches and speeches are subject to the seven days, the son can speak, now tells of his hand, a story and exposes the falsity of his stepmother. The Emperor recognizes the intrigue and reconciles with his son; from this, the Empress is condemned to be burned and razed the city, her lover is quartered.