The
Chronicle of the Morea () is a long 14th-century history text, of which four versions are extant: in
French,
Greek (in verse),
Italian and
Aragonese. More than 9,000 lines long, the
Chronicle narrates events of the
Franks' establishment of
feudalism in mainland
Greece. West European Crusaders settled in the
Peloponnese (called
Morea at the time) following the
Fourth Crusade. The period covered in the
Chronicle was 1204 to 1292 (or later, depending on the version). It gives significant details on the civic organization of the
Principality of Achaia.
The extant texts of the Chronicle of the Morea
The Greek text is the only text written in verse. The French, Italian and Aragonese texts are written in prose.Jean-Claude Polet,
Patrimoine littéraire européen, De Boeck Université, 1995, ISBN 2-8041-2077-5
Greek text
The verses of the Greek text are written in a 15-syllable
political verse. The verses are accented but not rhymed.William Smith,
A History of Greece, R. B. Collins, 1855, p. 579 It is written in the spoken Greek of the time, with the inclusion of several French words.
There are two parallel Greek texts, as well as three copies:
- Ms Havniensis 57 (14th–15th century, in Copenhagen) 9219 verses
- Ms Taurinensis B.II.I, library of Turin, closely related to the Copenhagen text
- Ms Parisinus graecus 2898 (15th–16th century, at the Bibliothèque......
...
...
Read More