Rigord (Rigordus) ( 1150 – c. 1209) was a French
chronicler
A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and lo ...
. He was probably born near
Alais in
Languedoc
The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France.
Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...
, and became a physician.
After becoming a monk he entered the monastery of
Argenteuil
Argenteuil () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Argenteuil is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Val-d'Oise Departments of France, ...
, and then that of
Saint-Denis, and described himself as "regis Francorum chronographus".
Rigord wrote the ''Gesta Philippi Augusti'', dealing with the life of the
French king, Philip Augustus, from his coronation in 1179 until 1206. The work, which is very valuable, was abridged and continued by
William the Breton
William the Breton (c. 1165c. 1225), French chronicler and poet, was a contemporary and dependent of French king Philip Augustus for whom he served in diplomatic missions and for whom he wrote a Latin prose chronicle and a Latin epic poem.
Willia ...
. The earlier part of the ''Gesta'' speaks of the king in very laudatory terms, but in the latter part it is much less flattering in its tone.
The ''Gesta'' is published in tome xvii of Dom
Martin Bouquet's ''Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France'' (Paris, 1738–1876); and with introduction by
HF Delaborde (Paris, 1882–85). A French translation of the ''Gesta'' is in tome xi of
Guizot's ''Collection des mémoires relatifs à l'histoire de France'' (Paris, 1825). Rigord also wrote a short chronicle of the kings of France.
References
*
*See
August Potthast
August Potthast (13 August 1824, Höxter, Province of Westphalia13 February 1898, Leobschütz), was a German historian, was born at Höxter, and was educated at Paderborn, Münster and Berlin.
He assisted GH Pertz, the editor of the '' Monu ...
, ''Bibliotheca historica'' (Berlin, 1896); and
Auguste Molinier, ''Les Sources de l'histoire de France'', tome iii. (Paris, 1903).
*A partial English translation by
Paul Hyams
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
* Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
is available http://falcon.arts.cornell.edu/prh3/408/texts/Rigindex.html
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rigord
1150s births
1209 deaths
People from Alès
French chroniclers
12th-century French historians
13th-century French historians
French male non-fiction writers
13th-century Latin writers