Deeds of King Stephen
Encyclopedia
Deeds of King Stephen or Acts of Stephen or Gesta Stephani is a mid-12th-century English history by an anonymous author about King Stephen
and his struggles with his cousin Matilda of England, also known as the Empress Maud. It is one of the main sources for this period in the history of England.
Some historians think the author may have been Robert of Bath
, Bishop of Bath from 1136 to 1166.
The Gesta Stephani was first published in Paris in 1619, from a manuscript in the episcopal library at Laon
which was subsequently lost. A fuller manuscript has recently been found, and since published, in the Municipal Library at Valenciennes
, having been transferred from the nearby abbey of Vicoigne. The Latin text tells in 120 chapters of the Anarchy
of King Stephen's reign, and ends with the accession of King Henry II
.
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
and his struggles with his cousin Matilda of England, also known as the Empress Maud. It is one of the main sources for this period in the history of England.
Some historians think the author may have been Robert of Bath
Robert of Bath
Robert or sometimes Robert of Lewes was a medieval English Bishop of Bath.-Life:Robert was a native of England, but his ancestry was Flemish, probably of noble birth. His birthdate and when he became a monk are not known. He was a Cluniac and a monk of Lewes Priory and a protege of Henry of Blois...
, Bishop of Bath from 1136 to 1166.
The Gesta Stephani was first published in Paris in 1619, from a manuscript in the episcopal library at Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
which was subsequently lost. A fuller manuscript has recently been found, and since published, in the Municipal Library at Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
, having been transferred from the nearby abbey of Vicoigne. The Latin text tells in 120 chapters of the Anarchy
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
of King Stephen's reign, and ends with the accession of King Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
.
External links
- Latin Chroniclers from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Centuries: Gesta Stephani from The Cambridge History of English and American LiteratureThe Cambridge History of English and American LiteratureThe Cambridge History of English and American Literature was originally published by Cambridge University Press in 1907–1921. The 18 volumes include 303 chapters and more than 11,000 pages edited and written by a worldwide panel of 171 leading scholars and thinkers of the early twentieth century...
, Volume I, 1907–21.