Central European Medieval Texts. Gesta Hungarorum : : The Deeds of the Hungarians / / Simon Kézai; ed. by László Veszprémy.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Central European University Press eBook-Package 2013-1998
• VerfasserIn: Kézai, Simon,
• MitwirkendeR: Kéza, Simonis De,; Schaer, Frank,
• HerausgeberIn: Veszprémy, László,
• Place / Publishing House: Budapest ;, New York : : Central European University Press, , [1999]; ©1999
• Year of Publication: 1999
• Language: English
• Series: Central European Medieval Texts
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (343 p.)

Simon of Kéza was a court cleric of the Hungarian King, Ladislas IV (1272-1290). He travelled extensively in Italy, France and Germany and culled the epic and poetic material from a broad range of readings.Written between 1282-1285, the Gesta Hungarorum is an ingenious and imaginative historical fiction of prehistory, medieval history and contemporary social history. The author divides Hungarian history into two periods: Hunnish-Hungarian prehistory and Hungarian history, giving a division which persisted in Hungary up to the beginnings of modern historiography. Simon of Kéza provides a vivid retelling of the well known Attila stories, using such lively prose as - ".the battle lasted for 15 days on end, Csaba's army received such a crushing defeat that very few of the Huns or the sons of Attila survived, the river Danube from Sicambria as far as the city of Potentia was swollen with blood and for several days neither men nor animals could drink the water." The book is also significant because of the author's legal-theoretical framework of corporate self government and constitutional law, inspired by French and Italian sources and practice, which made this chronicle become an integral part of Hungarian historiography.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- GENERAL EDITORS' PREFACE -- ABBREVIATIONS -- LIST OF MAPS, FIGURES AND TABLES -- INTRODUCTION -- J . SZŰCS: THEORETICAL ELEMENTS IN MASTER SIMON OF KÉZA'S GESTA HUNGARORUM (1282-1285) -- GESTA HUNGARORUM / THE DEEDS OF THE HUNGARIANS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- GAZETTEER OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES -- INDEX OF PROPER NAMES -- INDEX OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES