John Lydgate, Troy Book

Caitlin Brenner (University of Texas at Austin)

Ed. by Sebastian Sobecki, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1412

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

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Recommended Reading

John Lydgate’s

Troy Book

[1412-1420] is an expansive look at the story of ancient Troy from its founding through its fall at the hand of the Greeks. In 30,117 lines of ten-syllable heroic couplets, Lydgate weaves together and translates disparate sources to tell one of the most comprehensive versions of the story. He expands on his various sources, adding rich detail and considering the moral situations that his characters find themselves in, situations that would have resonated with Lydgate’s fifteenth-century audience. The

Troy Book

survives in 23 manuscripts, attesting to the work’s popularity during its own time and during the early modern period.

Historical Context

Historical Context

Born in Lydgate (or Lidgate) in Suffolk, John Lydgate (c. 1370-c. 1451) spent much of life as monk

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3070 words

Citation: Brenner, Caitlin. "Troy Book". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 May 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8477, accessed 24 April 2024.]

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