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Latin Literatures of Medieval and Early Modern Times in Europe and Beyond: A millennium heritage
Edited by Francesco Stella
[Comparative History of Literatures in European Languages XXXIV] 2024
► pp. 732–744

Chapter 35
Troilus and Briseida in the Western literature

From the Middle Ages to the present

| Universidad de Murcia
| Universidad de Murcia

This chapter analyzes the figure of Troilus and the motif of the love triangle, consisting of him, Briseis, and Diomedes from the De excidio Troiae of Dares Phrygius to contemporary literature. We focus specifically on the medieval works that influenced the representation of these three characters and their relationship. We examine their roles in Dares’ work, in the Roman de Troie of Benoît de Sainte-Maure, in Guido delle Colonne’s Historia destructionis Troiae, in two epics of the XII and XIII centuries (De bello Troiano of Joseph of Exeter and Troilus of Albert of Stade) and in three more familiar pieces, namely Boccaccio’s Il Filostrato, Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, and Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, to end with a quick review of the theme from that moment until the present. The representation of the characters and their triangle was formed in the Roman de Troie following Dares, and each author who developed the story used the tradition but added his own special touches.

Keywords: Troilus, Briseis, Trojan cycle, Trojan war, epic, medieval literature
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • The origins of the love story: Dares Phrygius and Benoît de Sainte-Maure
  • Guido delle Colonne
  • Different treatments after the Roman de Troie: Ylias Daretis Phrygii and Troilus
  • Boccaccio
  • Geoffrey Chaucer
  • William Shakespeare
  • Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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