Primat of Saint-Denis

rdf:langString Primat of Saint-Denis

rdf:langString Primat (died c. 1277) was a French Benedictine monk and historian of the abbey of Saint-Denis near Paris. He composed two histories of France with a royal focus, one in Latin and the other in Old French. His Latin chronicle covers the years 1248 to 1277 but now survives only in an Old French translation and in excerpts incorporated into the works of others. It contains a detailed account of the reign of Louis IX, making it one of the most important contemporary sources for that reign. His French chronicle, the Roman des rois, covers the entire history of France down to 1223. It was completed around 1274 for Philip III and its presentation copy is extant. It is the earliest version of what would become the Grandes Chroniques de France, the first official history of France. Long regarded as a mere scribe or translator, the 20th-century discovery that he authored a Latin chronicle spurred a reassessment of his role in creating the Grandes Chroniques. Together the influence of these works make him one of the most important authors in 13th-century France.