Guido delle Colonne
Who was Guido delle Colonne?
Italian poet (1210–1287)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Guido delle Colonne (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Guido delle Colonne (c. 1210–1287) was an Italian judge, poet, and prose writer who lived and worked in Messina, Sicily, during the 13th century. Born in Rome, he became one of the notable literary figures of medieval Italy, contributing significantly to both Latin prose literature and vernacular Italian poetry. His most celebrated work, Historia destructionis Troiae (History of the Destruction of Troy), completed in 1287, became one of the most widely read accounts of the Trojan War throughout medieval Europe.
As a legal professional, Guido served as a judge in Messina, which was then part of the Kingdom of Sicily under various rulers including the Hohenstaufen dynasty and later the Angevins. His legal background provided him with the scholarly training and Latin literary skills that would prove essential for his later literary endeavors. The combination of his juridical career and literary pursuits was typical of educated professionals of his era, when legal training often included extensive study of classical literature and rhetoric.
Guido's Historia destructionis Troiae drew primarily from two ancient sources: De excidio Trojae historia by Dares Phrygius and Ephemeridos belli Trojani by Dictys Cretensis. These purported eyewitness accounts of the Trojan War, though actually late classical fabrications, were widely accepted as authentic during the medieval period. Guido's prose adaptation transformed these sources into a coherent narrative that became the standard medieval version of the Troy story, influencing countless later works including Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde.
Beyond his Latin prose work, Guido also composed poetry in the Italian vernacular. Dante Alighieri acknowledged him in De vulgari eloquentia as one of the notable vernacular poets, and five of his Italian poems survive today. These canzoni demonstrate his skill in the sophisticated poetic forms that were developing in 13th-century Italy, placing him among the literary figures who helped establish Italian as a serious literary language alongside Latin.
Before Fame
Guido delle Colonne was born in Rome around 1210, during a period when the Italian peninsula was fragmented into various competing political entities. His early education likely followed the typical pattern for sons of the urban elite, beginning with basic Latin grammar and rhetoric before advancing to legal studies. The legal profession offered one of the primary paths to social advancement and intellectual respectability in medieval Italy.
His eventual position as a judge in Messina placed him in one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the Mediterranean world. Sicily under Frederick II and his successors was a center of learning where Arabic, Greek, and Latin intellectual traditions intersected. This multicultural environment, combined with the island's strategic importance as a crossroads of trade and diplomacy, provided Guido with access to diverse literary traditions and classical texts that would later inform his major works.
Key Achievements
- Authored Historia destructionis Troiae, the most influential medieval account of the Trojan War
- Served as a judge in Messina during the politically turbulent 13th century
- Composed vernacular Italian poetry recognized by Dante as literarily significant
- Created a Latin prose narrative that became the standard European version of the Troy story for centuries
- Successfully bridged classical sources with medieval literary sensibilities in his historical writing
Did You Know?
- 01.His Historia destructionis Troiae was translated into numerous vernacular languages and became more widely read than Homer's Iliad throughout medieval Europe
- 02.Despite being based on fraudulent ancient sources claiming to be eyewitness accounts, his Troy narrative was accepted as historically accurate for centuries
- 03.Dante specifically praised him in De vulgari eloquentia alongside other notable vernacular poets, helping establish his literary reputation
- 04.His work influenced major English literature, serving as a primary source for medieval English Troy narratives and ultimately affecting Chaucer's poetry
- 05.He completed his masterwork Historia destructionis Troiae in 1287, the same year he died, making it essentially his literary testament