The ''Romuléon'' is a fifteenth-century French text by

Jean Miélot Jean Miélot, also Jehan, (born Gueschard, Picardy, died 1472) was an author, translator, manuscript illuminator, scribe and priest, who served as secretary to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy from 1449 to Philip's death in 1467, and then to his ...

, telling the history of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

from its legendary foundation by

Romulus and Remus In Roman mythology, Romulus and (, ) are twins in mythology, twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the Founding of Rome, founding of the History of Rome, city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his frat ...

up to the emperor

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...

.McKendrick 1994, pp. 151, 156

Origins

The ''Romuléon'' was translated into French beginning in 1460 by Jean Miélot, an author in the service of

Philip the Good Philip III the Good (; ; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) ruled as Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death in 1467. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonged. During his reign, ...

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...

. Miélot was assigned the role ‘de translater, escrier et historier les livres de Monseigneur’ (‘to translate, write out and "historiate" (either to narrate or adorn) the books of my Lord,’ i.e., the duke).Cast 1974, p. 166 His Latin source was a work, also called the ''Romuleon'', compiled in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

between 1361 and 1364, by

Benvenuto da Imola Benvenuto Rambaldi da Imola, or simply and perhaps more accurately Benvenuto da Imola (; 1330 – 1388), was an Italian scholar and historian, a lecturer at Bologna. He is now best known for his commentary on Dante's ''Divine Comedy.'' Life ' ...

.McKendrick 1994, p. 151 The preface of this

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

work states that the compilation was taken up at the request of Gomez Albornoz, the governor of

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

. This source in turn was based on a number of classical texts, including Livy's ''Ab Urbe Condita'' and the ''Lives'' of

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is ''De vita Caesarum'', common ...

. Miélot's translation should not be confused with a second French ''Romuléon'' translation, undertaken by

Sébastien Mamerot Sébastien Mamerot (between and 1440 – 1490) was a French clergyman, scholar, novelist, and translator. Biography Originally from Soissons, Mamerot served as clergyman and secretary to Louis de Laval, governor of Dauphiné (1448–1458), Cham ...

in 1466.Duval 2000, p. xiii

Manuscripts

The ''Romuléon'' is extant in seven manuscripts (one incomplete), all of them illuminated:Chart is based on McKendrick 1994, pp. 167-68 *Besançon, Bibliothèque Municipale, MS 850: Owned by Philip the Good, who purchased it in 1467.McKendrick 1994, p. 153 *Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale, MS 9055: Owned by Anthony of Burgundy, the illegitimate son of Philip the Good, the manuscript was produced by the scribe

David Aubert David Aubert (before 1413 – working 1449–79) was a French calligrapher who transcribed and adapted courtly Medieval romance, romances and chronicles for the court of the Duke of Burgundy. In addition to finely presented works, illuminated at ...

in 1468.McKendrick 1994, pp. 157, 163 *Brussels, Bibliothèque Royal, MSS 10173-4: Owned by

Jean de Wavrin Jean de Waurin or Wavrin (c. 1400c. 1474) was a medieval French chronicler and compiler, also a soldier and politician. He belonged to a noble family of Artois, and witnessed the Battle of Agincourt from the French side, but later fought on the ...

. *Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, MSS Med. Pal. 1561, 1562: Dated 1464, the scribe is David Aubert, and the manuscript's illustrations have been attributed to Loyset LiédetMcKendrick 1994, pp. 152, 153 It was likely owned by Philip the Good.McKendrick 1994, p. 154
London, British Library, Royal MS 19. E. v
Commissioned for

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

. While the hand is very similar to that of David Aubert, it was not written by him.McKendrick 1994, p. 159 *Niort, Bibliothèque Municipale, Rés. G 2 F (''olim'' MS 25): Incomplete; many of its miniatures have been detached and are held in other collections.McKendrick 1994, p. 152 *Turin, Biblioteca nazionale Universitaria, MSS L.I.41, L.I.42: Owned by Louis, Seigneur de Gruuthuyse (Louis de Bruges). The largest interest in the Miélot ''Romuléon'' was in the circle that had first prompted its translation, surrounding Philip the Good in the 1460s and early 1470s, and five out of the six remaining complete copies originate in this circle.McKendrick 1994, p. 157 The copy made for Edward IV (London, BL Royal 19. E. v) is therefore an outlier, being produced a decade later. It is part of a larger acquisition of manuscripts from the Netherlands that Edward made at this time, over the course of only a very few years, c. 1479–1480.McKendrick 1994, p. 161 Edward may have become interested in owning a copy of ''Romuléon'' as part of a program of imitation of Louis de Gruuthuse, whom he visited in 1470.Kekewich 1971, p. 482 Indeed, we know that Louis owned a copy, since it is one of those now extant, presently residing in Turin. Edward's acquisition of the ''Romuléon'' was, furthermore, part of a wider interest in texts on history and, in particular, Roman history.McKendrick 1994, p. 165

Notes

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Romuleon (Mielot) 1460 books 15th-century history books Medieval French literature Edward IV History books about ancient Rome