Abigail Provan

Project title:  

The Text and Transmission of Giles of Rome’s De regimine principum

Project Summary:  

De regimine principum (On the Governance of Princes), written by the Augustinian friar Giles of Rome between 1277 and 1279 at the request of Philip III of France, became one of the most widely read secular texts in late medieval Europe. Structured in three books, it applies Aristotle’s moral and political philosophy to the education of rulers, addressing, in turn, the virtues of a ruler, the management of the household, and the governance of the state. The text provided a clear exposition of Aristotelian ethical and political thought and circulated widely among both clerical and lay readers, serving as both a university textbook and a practical guide to governance. Its enduring influence across Europe is evidenced by the survival of approximately 350 Latin manuscripts and its translation into numerous vernaculars.

Despite the influence of this text, it has received no critical edition, which limits our understanding of its content and history. My project will begin addressing this gap by researching the Latin manuscript tradition. This work will contribute significantly to the study of De regimine principum by providing a clearer understanding of its transmission and a basis for a future critical edition, as well as providing a comprehensive overview of what the manuscripts can reveal about the reception of this text across Europe. More broadly, I hope to engage with the ongoing conversation on the role of digital tools in textual criticism, while ensuring that the principles of traditional textual scholarship remain central to the study of the transmission of medieval texts.