Veszprémy, László

 

  • Veszprémy, László-Schaer, Frank: GESTA Hungarorum. The Deeds of the Hungarians by Simon of Kéza (XI. century)
    • Translated by: Veszprémy, László
    • Publishing House: CEU Press
    • Year of Publication: 1999
    • Number of Pages: 236
    • Language: English
    • Introduction by Jenő Szűcs
    • 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 and 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 beginning of modern historiography. Simon Kéza provides a vivid retelling of the well known Atilla 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 water."

 

 

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