William the Breton

William the Breton or William Brito (franz: Guillaume le Breton, lat: Guillelmus Armoricus; * 1165, † 1226 ), was a French chronicler of the early 13th century.

Brito came from Brittany and was of humble origin. At the age of twelve he began his ecclesiastical career and studied in Nantes, and later in Paris. After he had found in his home no job, he returned to Paris, where he obtained a post in the royal court orchestra. In the following years he worked his way up as a diplomat to King Philip II Augustus. Brito was in 1200 in Rome by the king in whose separation affair with Ingeborg of Denmark with Pope Innocent III. mediate. 1204 he was at the siege of Château- Gaillard there. Finally, he was appointed chaplain to the king, and with the training of the king's son Peter Karlotus, who later became Bishop of Noyon, in charge. In 1214 he was an eyewitness to the Battle of Bouvines.

Brito began immediately after the battle with the transcript of the Verschronik Philippidos (franz: La Philippide ), which served the glorification of King Philip II Augustus. The work, written in Latin based on Virgil's Aeneid and was first completed in 1217 in ten songs. Brito soon revised his work and finally completed it in 1224 in twelve cantos and almost 10,000 verses. It was translated in 1274 by the monks of the Abbey of Saint- Denis in the French prose. At the same time Brito led to actions begun by Rigord report Gesta Philippi Augusti on. This work was included in the Grandes Chroniques de France and has been edited with the Philippidos RF Delaborde in two volumes ( Oeuvres de Rigord et de Guillaume le Breton in 1882 /95).

Works

  • Gesta Philippi Augusti, ed. Léopold Delisle in: Recueil des Historiens the Gauls et de la France 17 (1878 ), pp. 62-116
  • Philippidos, ed. Léopold Delisle in: Recueil des Historiens the Gauls et de la France 17 (1878 ), pp. 117-287
  • Biblia: Cum postillis Nicolai de Lyra et expositionibus Guillelmi Britonis in omnes ProLogos S. Hieronymi et additionibus Pauli Burgensis replicisque Matthiae Doering. - Nuremberg. Anton Koberger, 1485 Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf
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