Liber ad honorem Augusti
Encyclopedia
The Liber ad honorem Augusti sive de rebus Siculis ("Book in honour of the Emperor, or on Sicilian affairs"; also called Carmen de motibus Siculis, "Poem on the Sicilian revolt") is an illustrated narrative epic in Latin elegiac couplets, written in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
in 1196 by Peter of Eboli
Peter of Eboli
Peter of Eboli or Petrus de Ebulo was a didactic versifier and chronicler who wrote in Latin.A monk from Eboli , Peter became a court poet to Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily...
(in Latin, Petrus de Ebulo). The presentation copy, ordered by chancellor Konrad of Querfurt, is now MS. 120 II of the Berne Municipal Library.
It tells the story of Tancred of Lecce's attempt to take control of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, an attempt thwarted by the successful military campaign of Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
. Composed in honour of Henry VI and intended for presentation to him, the poem, distributed into three books, the last one being an encomiom of Henry VI, and 52 continuously numbered particulae, is written in a mannered and sophisticated style. It is often mocking and extremely biased (see for example part. 4; 7-9; 25f. and the illustrations), but, once allowance has been made for this, is a useful and detailed historical source. It contains much information about Constanze of Sicily
Constanze of Sicily
Constance of Sicily was the Queen consort of Conrad II of Italy.-Family:She was a daughter of Roger I of Sicily and Eremburga of Mortain. Her maternal grandfather was "William, Count of Mortain" ....
, the wife of Henry VI (part. 20ff.), and the birth of her son Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
(part. 43).
At every page opening a column of Latin text is faced by a full page illustration with brief captions. This beautiful volume gives a rich picture of 12th century life in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Sicily; it may be compared with the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry
Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth—not an actual tapestry—nearly long, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings...
. The fierce caricatures of Tancred, who is depicted as almost ape-like in stature and features, match the propagandistic bias of the text.