Royal MS 16 G VII

This manuscript contains 'Les anciennes hystoires romainnes' (The Ancient History of the Romans). The work consists of two separate texts: the Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César (Ancient History until Caesar) and Li Fet des Romains (The Acts of the Romans). The text of the Histoire ancienne comprises sections I-X of the first redaction (see Jung, La Légende (1996), pp 337-40) and has been attributed to a clerk at the court of Roger IV, chatelain of Lille (r. 1208-1230), perhaps to be identified as Wauchier de Denain.

Contents:

ff. 1r-214v: Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César, including a list of contents (ff. 1r-10v); incipit, ‘Quant diex ot fait le ciel et la terre‘ (f. 11r); explicit, ' 'fust grevable par tres tout le monde' (f. 214v).

ff. 215r-390v: Li Fet des Romains or Le Fait Julius Cesar, including a list of contents (ff. 215r-218r); incipit, 'Chascuns homs a qui diex' (f. 219r); explicit, 'don’t il orent occis Cesar' (ff. 390r-v).

Decoration:

1 half-page miniature in 7 panels in colours and gold with scenes of the Creation, with a full bar border with vine leaf extensions, 2 large initials in colours and gold, and animals in the margins (f. 11r). 1 half-page miniature in 4 panels in colours and gold with scenes from the life of Caesar, a full bar border with vine leaf extensions, 2 large initials in colours and gold, and birds in the margin (f. 219r). 54 column miniatures in colours and gold, in quatrefoil frames with foliate or diapered grounds (ff. 20v, 28r, 37v, 46v, 51v, 54r, 67v, 70r, 82r, 95v, 99r, 107v, 121r, 125r, 133 v, 143r, 146r, 151r, 159v, 168r, 173v, 179v, 191v, 202r, 209r, 229r, 234r, 235v, 238v, 243r, 247r, 249r, 251r, 254v, 260r, 272r, 275v, 284v, 295v, 299v, 305v, 307r, 313v, 320r, 326v, 333r, 339r, 343r, 350r, 362r, 366r, 375r, 380r, 389r). Partial bar borders with vine leaf extensions (some with dragons), and initials in colours and gold with vine motifs (ff. 1r, 1v, 20v, 28, 37v, 46v, 51v, 54v, 67v, 70r, 82r, 95v, 99r, 107v, 121r, 125r, 133v, 143r, 146r, 151r, 159v, 168r, 173v, 179v, 191v, 202r, 209r, 215r, 229v, 234r, 235v, 238v, 243r, 247r, 249r, 251r, 254v, 260r, 272r, 275v, 284v, 295v, 299v, 305v, 307r, 313v, 320r, 326r, 333r, 339r, 343r, 350v, 362r, 366r, 375r, 380r, 389r). Large initials in blue with red pen-flourishing and in gold with black pen-flourishing. Small initials in blue with red penwork decoration, or in red or gold with black penwork decoration. Rubrics in red. Line fillers in blue and red. Paraphs in blue or red. Capitals marked in yellow. Instructions for the illuminator (?), almost erased (e.g. f. 173v: lower margin).

The subjects of the miniatures are as follows:

f. 11r: The Creation, in seven compartments, with birds, snails, and dogs hunting a rabbit in the border;

f. 20v: The marriage of Abraham and Sara;

f. 28r: Abraham holds up sword to sacrifice Isaac, and an angel reaches from the clouds to grasp it;

f. 37v: Jacob wrestles with an angel;

f. 46v: Joseph addresses his brothers in Egypt;

f. 51v: Ninus kills the King of Bactria;

f. 54r: A hunting party find Oedipus hanging in a tree;

f. 67v: A battle between soldiers of Athens and Crete;

f. 70r: The Argonauts return with the Golden Fleece;

f. 82r: Aeneas and companions in boats come ashore at Carthage and are welcomed by Dido;

f. 95v: A king receives a letter;

f. 99r: The combat of Brutus and Tarquin;

f. 107v: The three kings of Mede;

f. 121r: King Philip of Macedon receives a letter, and Olympias speaks to the messenger;

f. 125r: The Coronation of Alexander;

f. 133v: Alexander releases wild pigs in a battle against elephants;

f. 143r: Messengers from Tarentum at Rome;

f. 146r: A messenger from Tarentum gives a letter to the King of Carthage;

f. 151r: Hannibal Gisco is murdered by the Carthaginians at sea;

f. 159v: Hannibal Barca besieges Saguntum (‘Saragoce’);

f. 168r: Scipio besieges New Carthage;

f. 173v: King Philip V of Macedon receives a letter;

f. 179v: The destruction of Carthage by the Romans; Hadrubal’s wife throws herself the walls;

f. 191v: The rebuilding of Carthage;

f. 202r: Pompeius besieges Ascalon;

f. 209r: A battle between Archelaus and the Romans under Sulla;

f. 219r: The life of Julius Caesar in four compartments: his caesarian birth, divorce from Pompeia, coronation, and a battle against ?Pompeius; in the border are birds and hybrid creatures;

f. 229v: The defeat of Caitline;

f. 234r: Pompeius enters Jerusalem;

f. 235v: A battle between Caesar and the Gauls;

f. 238v: Caesar defeats the ‘Helvencoiz’ (?Helvetii);

f. 243r: Caesar confronts Arionistus and the Saxons;

f. 247r: Caesar defeats the armies of Vermendois and Artois;

f. 249r: Galba and his army defend the road to Mongieu;

f. 251r: Titurius defeats Viridovix in Normandy;

f. 254v: The Saxon army is destroyed by Caesar’s troops;

f. 260r; Cassibelanus attacks Caesar’s men with arrows;

f. 272r: The armies of Gaul unite under Vercingetorix against Caesar;

f. 275v: Caesar takes the city of Avaricum;

f. 284v: A battle between Caesar and the Gauls;

f. 295v: Caesar crosses the Rubicon in ships;

f. 299v: The women of Rome pray to the gods;

f. 305v: Pompey dreams of Julia’s death in childbirth;

f. 307r: Caesar divides the treasure of Rome;

f. 313v: Afranius and Petreius surrender to Caesar;

f. 320r: The speech of Lentulus;

f. 326v: Pompey is besieged at Dyrrhachium;

f. 333r: Pompey (?) receives a message;

f. 339r: The battle of Pharsalus between Caesar and Pompey;

f. 343r: Pompey is reunited with his wife Cornelia at Mitylene;

f. 350r: Pompey and his troops on ships;

f. 362r: Caesar’s army attacks Alexandria;

f. 366r: Achillas and Pothinus attack Caesar in Alexandria;

f. 375r: The battle between Caesar and Juba, King of Numidia;

f. 380r: The battle of Munda between Caesar and Pompey’s son, Gnaeus Pompeius;

f. 389r: The murder of Julius Caesar.