Francus

Francus is a legendary eponymous king of France, a descendant of the Trojans, founder of the Merovingian dynasty and forefather of Charlemagne. In the Renaissance, Francus was generally considered to be another name for the Trojan Astyanax (son of Hector) saved from the destruction of Troy. He is not considered to be historical, but in fact an attempt by medieval and Renaissance chroniclers to model the founding of France upon the same illustrious tradition as that used by Virgil in his "Aeneid" (which had Rome founded by the Trojan Aeneas). [Jerry C. Nash. Review of "National Myths in Renaissance France: Francus, Samothes and the Druids" The French Review, Vol. 69, No. 6 (May, 1996), pp. 1043-1044.]

The 7th century "Chronicle of Fredegar" contains the oldest mention of a medieval legend linking the Franks to the Trojans. [fr icon Geneviève Hasenohr and Michel Zink, eds. "Dictionnaire des lettres françaises: Le Moyen Age". Collection: La Pochothèque. Paris: Fayard, 1992. pp. 472. ISBN 2-2530-5662-6] The tradition continued to be elaborated throughout the Middle Ages.

The 8th century Nennius' "Historia Brittonum" makes mention of Francus as one of the four sons of Hisicion (Francus, Romanus, Alamanus, and Brutus), grandsons of Alanus, the first man to live in Europe. ["History Of The Britons (Historia Brittonum) by Nennius", translated by J. A. Giles [http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/medieval/nenius.htm] ]

The "Grandes Chroniques de France" (13th - 15th centuries), a vast compilation of historic material, make reference of the Trojan origins of the French dynasty. [fr icon Geneviève Hasenohr and Michel Zink, eds. "Dictionnaire des lettres françaises: Le Moyen Age". Collection: La Pochothèque. Paris: Fayard, 1992. p. 296. ISBN 2-2530-5662-6]

Johannes Trithemius' "De origine gentis Francorum compendium" (1514) describes the Franks as originally Trojans (called "Sicambers" or "Sicambrians") after the fall of Troy who came into Gaul after being forced out of the area around the mouth of the Danube by the Goths in 439 B.C. (section 1, p, 33). He also details the reigns of each of these kings -- including Francus (section 43, p.76) from whom the Franks are named -- and their battles with the Gauls, Goths, Saxons, etc. [Johannes Trithemius, "De origine gentis Francorum compendium: an abridged history of the Franks", translated by Martin Kuelbs, Robert P. Sonkowsky (AQ-Verlag, 1987). [http://books.google.com/books?id=x0O-ybHNqw4C Google Books] ]

Annio da Viterbo also describes the arrival of Trojans into Gaul. [Malcolm C. Smith. Review of "National Myths in Renaissance France: Francus, Samothes and the Druids" The Modern Language Review, Vol. 90, No. 1 (Jan., 1995), p. 182.]

Based on the medieval legend, Jean Lemaire de Belges's "Illustrations de Gaule et Singularités de Troie" (1510-12) has Astyanax survive the fall of Troy and arrive in Western Europe. He changes his name to Francus and becomes king of Celtic Gaul (while, at the same time, Bavo, cousin of Priam, comes to the city of Trier) and founds the dynasty leading to Pepin and Charlemagne. [fr icon Michel Simonin, ed. "Dictionnaire des lettres françaises - Le XVIe siècle." Paris: Fayard, 2001, p.726. ISBN 2-253-05663-4] He is said to have founded and named the city of Paris in honor of his uncle Paris.

Gilles Corrozet's "La Fleur des antiquitez... de Paris" (1532) describes Francis I as the 64th descendant of Hector of Troy. [Jerry C. Nash, "op. cit.]

Lemaire de Belges' work inspired Pierre de Ronsard's epic poem "La Franciade" (1572). In this poem, Jupiter saves Astyanax (renamed Francus). The young hero arrives in Crete and falls in love with the princess Hyanthe with whom he is destined to found the royal dynasty of France.

ee also

In the tradition of "translatio imperii", many medieval authors established Greek or Roman genealogies for European dynasties:
* Brutus of Troy - the legendary founder of Britain
* Benoît de Saint-Maure, in his "Chronique des ducs de Normandie", linked the Plantagenet family to Aeneas. [David Coward, "A History of French Literature" (Blackwell, 2002), p.13. ISBN 1-4051-1736-2]

References

Bibliography

* R.E. Asher. "National Myths in Renaissance France: Francus, Samothes and the Druids" (Edinburgh Univ Press, 1993) ISBN 978-0748604074