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The history of the tyrants of Sicily [Enter]
by 'Hugo Falcandus' 1154-69
Translated and annotated by Graham A. Loud and Thomas Wiedemann

The history of the tyrants of Sicily by the so-called Hugo Falcandus is a key source for the history of the medieval kingdom of Sicily. It describes the events of the reign of King William I ‘the Bad’ (1154-66) and the minority of his son, William II ‘the Good’ (1166-89) up to the spring of 1169. These were years of crisis and the 'history' presents a vivid and compelling (though savagely biased) picture of royal tyranny, rebellion and factional dispute at court. The author was both an eye-witness to the events he described and one of the great Latin writers of the Middle Ages.

This book provides the first English translation of the ‘history’ along with a selection of other contemporary evidence for this period. The introduction gives an original interpretation of the twelfth-century kingdom of Sicily which places the ‘history’ in its historical and literary context, and examines the problem of its authorship. The notes to the texts offer a detailed guide to the Siculo-Norman kingdom and its leading figures. This book offers a fascinating insight into a rarely-studied field of medieval history, and makes accessible to scholars, students and the interested general reader one of the most remarkable writers of the period.

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CONTENTS:
List of Abbreviations
Maps
Genealogical tables
Introduction
 The historical background
 The History of the Tyrants of Sicily and the history of Sicily in the years 1154-69
 The authorship of the History
 Classical reconances in the History
 The manuscripts of the History
 The Chronicle of Romuald of Salerno
 The translation
THE HISTORY OF THE TYRANTS OF SICILY
Additional texts
 I Romuald of Salerno, Chronicon sive Annales, 1153-69
 II From Boso's Life of Pope Adrian IV
 III The Treaty of Benevento, 1156
 IV A letter concerning the Sicilian tragedy to Peter, Treasurer of the Church of Palermo
Bibliography

For links to other sources visit the Manchester Medievalportal.