« Le singe chez les ânes ». L’instrumentalisation des dédicaces dans L’Histoire de Thucydide Athenien (1527)
Guillaume Budé once portrayed himself as an “ape” surrounded by “asses” to describe his situation at Francis I’s Court. Many humanists expressed similar contempt for the French nobility who, in their view, were too ignorant. This paper considers the publication of the first French edition of Thucydi...
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Institut du Monde Anglophone
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Etudes Epistémè |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/12248 |
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| author | Lionel Piettre |
| author_facet | Lionel Piettre |
| author_sort | Lionel Piettre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Guillaume Budé once portrayed himself as an “ape” surrounded by “asses” to describe his situation at Francis I’s Court. Many humanists expressed similar contempt for the French nobility who, in their view, were too ignorant. This paper considers the publication of the first French edition of Thucydides’ History by Jacques Colin in 1527. It analyses the dedications written on that occasion by Colin and Marot, and highlights the political dimension of this editorial enterprise. Marot and Colin appear as agents of the king’s will, but they also promote their own agendas, advocating the political usefulness of history and encouraging the nobility to learn how to manage political affairs by reading history. The two dedications highlight the new approach to history adopted by the French monarchy after the defeat of Pavia (1525), the hopes of the humanists, and the uncomfortable position of the French nobility, who are urged to learn prudence. The texts herald new historiographical endeavours, as well as the rejection, from the 1530s-1540s onwards, of the topical opposition between sword and pen. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ee918e52090844bf94c86f72320eb080 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1634-0450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Institut du Monde Anglophone |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Etudes Epistémè |
| spelling | doaj-art-ee918e52090844bf94c86f72320eb0802025-08-20T02:32:53ZengInstitut du Monde AnglophoneEtudes Epistémè1634-04502021-05-013910.4000/episteme.12248« Le singe chez les ânes ». L’instrumentalisation des dédicaces dans L’Histoire de Thucydide Athenien (1527)Lionel PiettreGuillaume Budé once portrayed himself as an “ape” surrounded by “asses” to describe his situation at Francis I’s Court. Many humanists expressed similar contempt for the French nobility who, in their view, were too ignorant. This paper considers the publication of the first French edition of Thucydides’ History by Jacques Colin in 1527. It analyses the dedications written on that occasion by Colin and Marot, and highlights the political dimension of this editorial enterprise. Marot and Colin appear as agents of the king’s will, but they also promote their own agendas, advocating the political usefulness of history and encouraging the nobility to learn how to manage political affairs by reading history. The two dedications highlight the new approach to history adopted by the French monarchy after the defeat of Pavia (1525), the hopes of the humanists, and the uncomfortable position of the French nobility, who are urged to learn prudence. The texts herald new historiographical endeavours, as well as the rejection, from the 1530s-1540s onwards, of the topical opposition between sword and pen.https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/12248historiographynobilityThucydidesJacques ColinMarotBudé |
| spellingShingle | Lionel Piettre « Le singe chez les ânes ». L’instrumentalisation des dédicaces dans L’Histoire de Thucydide Athenien (1527) Etudes Epistémè historiography nobility Thucydides Jacques Colin Marot Budé |
| title | « Le singe chez les ânes ». L’instrumentalisation des dédicaces dans L’Histoire de Thucydide Athenien (1527) |
| title_full | « Le singe chez les ânes ». L’instrumentalisation des dédicaces dans L’Histoire de Thucydide Athenien (1527) |
| title_fullStr | « Le singe chez les ânes ». L’instrumentalisation des dédicaces dans L’Histoire de Thucydide Athenien (1527) |
| title_full_unstemmed | « Le singe chez les ânes ». L’instrumentalisation des dédicaces dans L’Histoire de Thucydide Athenien (1527) |
| title_short | « Le singe chez les ânes ». L’instrumentalisation des dédicaces dans L’Histoire de Thucydide Athenien (1527) |
| title_sort | le singe chez les anes l instrumentalisation des dedicaces dans l histoire de thucydide athenien 1527 |
| topic | historiography nobility Thucydides Jacques Colin Marot Budé |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/12248 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lionelpiettre lesingechezlesaneslinstrumentalisationdesdedicacesdanslhistoiredethucydideathenien1527 |