Cosmas of Prague

The Chronicle of the Czechs
ISBN: 
978-963-386-300-8
cloth
$121.00 / €102.00 / £87.00
Latin-English bilingual
Publication date: 
2020
564 pages

This LatinEnglish bilingual volume presents the text of The Chronicle of the Czechs by Cosmas of Prague. Cosmas was born around 1045, educated in Liège, upon his return to Bohemia, he got married as well as became a priest. In 1086 he was appointed prebendary, a senior member of clergy in Prague. He completed the first book of the Chronicle in 1119, starting with the creation of the world and the earliest deeds of the Czechs up to Saint Adalbert. In the second and third books Cosmas presents the preceding century in the history of Bohemia, and succeeds in reporting about events up to 1125, the year when he died.

The English translation was done by Petra Mutlova and Martyn Rady with the cooperation of Libor Švanda. The introduction and the explanatory notes were written by Jan Hasil with the cooperation of Irene van Renswoude.

General Editors' Preface
Abbreviations
List of tables and illustrations
Introduction
COSMAE PRAGENSIS CHRONICA BOHEMORUM
COSMAS OF PRAGUE, THE CHRONICLE OF THE CZECHS
Appendix: The Foundation of the monastery of Sazava
Bibliography
Gazetteer of place names
Index of names

"Stredoeurópska univerzita nepoľavuje vo vydávaní kritických bilingválnych edícii. Čitateľom najnovšie ponúka zásadný prameň pre staršie dejiny strednej Európy, najmä však pre české pomery – Kosmovu kroniku Čechov. Keďže toto kronikárske dielo predstavuje základný prameň pre stredoveké české dejiny, bola mu už pochopiteľne venovaná značná pozornosť predovšetkým českých historikov. Hoci Kosmova kronika predstavuje priam notoricky známy a mnohokrát rozoberaný prameň, predložená edícia dobre poukazuje na rozsah výskumu ako aj na niektoré stále nezodpovedané otázky. Editori výstižne upozorňujú na podstatné momenty přemyslovskej politickej imaginácie a taktiež na spletitú hagiografickú problematiku."
"The translation is clear, and the English text is very readable. It is also updated with the latest literature on the history of Bohemia. The introduction is very rich in details. Cosmas’s biography is not presented descriptively but, rather, analytically, which involves considering sociopolitical aspects. Age, ecclesiastical career, and family ties are not ignored but carefully analyzed and placed in the historical context of the time. Readers can also find relevant details about the continuators of the chronicle of Cosmas from the twelfth century onward. Overall, the translation is a useful tool for Anglophone researchers."
"Se trata de un volumen excepcional por el número de colaboradores que han intervenido y, porque, pese a no ser la primera traducción al inglés, el formato bilingüe y las notas la convierten en un texto de enorme interés. En suma, se trata de un excelente libro tanto para el especialista como para todos aquellos lectores que deseen acceder a la historia de los primeros siglos de los checos."
"Sich die englische Übersetzung sehr gut liest, der Anmerkungsapparat sich als äußerst nützlich erweist und die Forschungsliteratur zur Geschichte Böhmens sich auf dem neuesten Stand bewegt. Diese kritische Ausgabe der Chronica Bohemorum avanciert dadurch zu einem weiteren wertvollen Hilfsmittel sowohl für Mittelalter-Spezialisten als auch für interessierte Laien, die sich mit Böhmen im Speziellen und Osteuropa im Allgemeinen befassen wollen. Auch ist die kritische Edition für all diejenigen geeignet, die einen lebendigen und aufschlussreichen Text über das politische Leben im Mittelalter suchen."