The 106 Famous Women biographies are of mythological and historical women, as well as some of Boccaccio’s Renaissance contemporaries. The only sources that Boccaccio specifically admits he used are Saint Paul (no. 42), the Bible (no. 43) and Jerome (no. 86). These brief life stories follow the same general exemplary literature patterns used in various versions of De viris illustribus. The biography pattern starts with the name of the person, then the parents or ancestors, then their rank or social position, and last the general reason for their notoriety or fame with associated details, occasionally interjected with a philosophical or inspirational lesson at the end.
There are over 100 surviving manuscripts, demonstrating that it was one of the most popular works in the last age of the manuscript book. Boccaccio worked on this as a labour of love with several versions, editions and rearrangements in the last twenty years of his life, as studies have identified at least nine stages in its composition. The invention of the printing press brought the first Latin version done by Johan Zainer in Ulm about 1473. The only complete sixteenth century printed Latin version to survive is from a Mathias Apiarus, completed in 1539.
Please note: Parker’s text is only a partial translation of De Mulieribus Claris, offering 46 of the 106 biographies.
A page from a fifteenth century manuscript
CONTENTS
DE CLARIS MULIERIBUS
Of Eue, oure fyrste mother.
Of Semiramis, the Quene of the Assyryens.
Of Opis, the wyfe to Saturne.
Of Juno, the goddesse.
Of Seres, the goddesse of corne and Quene of Sicill.
Of Minerua.
Of Venus, Quene of Ciprys.
Of Isidis, Quene and goddesse of the Egyptiens.
Of Europa, Quene of Crete.
Of Libia, the Quene of Libia.
Off Marpesia and Lampedon, quenes.
Off Thisbe, the uirgyne of Babylone.
Off Ipermystra, Quene of the Argyuys.
Off Nyobe, Quene of Thebes.
Off Ysiphile, Quene of Leumi.
Off Medea, Quene of Colchos.
Off Aragne, a woman of Colophone.
Off Orithia and Anthiobe, Quenes of the Amozanes.
Off Erithrea Sibilla.
Off Medusa, the doughter of Phorci.
Off Yole, the doughter of the Kynge of Ethioll.
Off Dianira, Hercules wife.
Of Yocasta, the Quene of Thebes.
Of Almachea Sibilla.
Of Nycostrata, or otherwyse Carmenta, doughter to Kynge Yonius.
Of Procrys, the wyfe to Zephalus.
Of Argia, the wyfe of Polinices, and doughter of the Kynge Adrastus.
Of Mantone, the doughter of Terisia.
Of the wyffes of Mennon.
Of Panthasilea, the Quene of the Amozenes.
Of Polixene, Kynge Priamus doughter.
Of Heccuba, the Quene of the Troyanes.
Of Cassandra, the doughter of Pryamus, Kynge of Troye.
Of Clytemestra, the wyfe to the Kynge Agamenon.
Of Helene, the wyfe of Kynge Menelaus.
Of Circes, the doughter of the sonne.
Of Camylla, the Quene of the Volscus.
Of Penolepe, Vlixes wyfe.
Of Lauina, the Quene of Laurentum.
Of Dido, or otherwyse Elissa, the Quene of Cartage.
Of Nicaula, the Quene of Ethyope.
Of Pamphile, the doughter to Platre.
Of Rehea Ilia, a virgyne of Vesta.
Of Gaya Cirylla, the wyfe to Kynge Tarquinus Priscus.
Of Sapho, a mayden of Lesbia, and a poete.
Of Lucres, the wyfe to Collatyne.
A miniature depicting a queen with four musicians from a c. 1440 illuminated version of the ‘De Claris Mulieribus’, British Museum
DE CLARIS MULIERIBUS
TO THE MOSTE hygh, moste puysaunte, moste exellent and moste Chrysten Kynge, my moste redoubtede souereygne lorde Henry th’Eighte, by the grace of Gode, of Englonde, Fraunce and Irelonde Kynge, Defender of the Feythe, and in erthe, vndre Gode, suppreme heede of the Churche of Englonde and Irelonde, your moste humble subiecte Henry Parcare, knyght, Lorde Morley, desyreth thys Newe Yere, with infynyte of yeres to your imperiall Maieste, helthe, honoure and vyctory.
IN the tyme the hoole worlde was obediente to the Romaynes, moste victoriouse and graciouse souereigne lorde, not onely by armes they were renoumede aboue all other naciones, but also in eloquens and goode lernynge, as it apperethe by thyes oratours and poetes in the greate Augustus days; that is to saye, Varro, Tullius Cicero, Virgill, Orace and Ouyde, with diuers others. And all thoughe that those that ensuyde frome oone emperoure to another were exellently lernede, as bothe the Plynys, Marciall, Quyntilian and Claudian and suche other, yet why it was so that they coulde neuer attayne to thes afore rehersyde, neither in prose nor yet in verse, is to me a greate wonder. For asmuche as they sawe the workes of the other, whiche, as my reasone geuythe me, shulde haue rather causede theym to haue bene in science aboue theym then inferiours to theym. For why? If one that gothe aboute to buylde a palace, if he se another whiche lykethe hym well, it shalbe noo greate mastrie, if he spye a faulte in his examplar, to amende it in hys worke. And why thys shulde not be, truely, I can geue noo reasone to the contrary. For soo it was, that euere as the greate empyre of Rome decayde in deedes of armes, so dyd it in learenynge. In somuche that, whether it were by the straynge nationes that they were mynglede with all, or otherwyse, at the laste theimselfes (that accomptyde all other nationes barbarouse, oonely the Greakes excepte) by the space of sex or seuene hundrithe yeres were as barbarouse as the best, thys contynuynge so longe a tyme, that in processe aboute the yere of our Lorde God, a thousand foure hundrith, in the tyme of the flowre and honour of prynces, Kynge Edwarde, the thyrde of that name, holdynge by ryghte the septre of thys imperiall realme, as your Grace nowe dothe, there sprange in Italy three excellente clerkes. The fyrst was Dante, for hys greate leamynge in hys mother tunge sumamyde dyuyne Dante. Surely, not withoute cause. For it is manyfest that it was true, whiche was grauen on hys tumbe, that hys maternall eloquens touchede so nyghe the prycke that it semyde a myracle of nature. And forbecause that one shuldnot thynke I do feyne, I shall sett the wordes in the Italiane tunge, whiche is thys:
Dante Alighieri son, Minerua oscura
D’intelligenza e d’arte, nel cui ingegno
L’eleganza materna aggiunse al segno
Che si tien gran miracol di natura.
The next vnto thys Dante was Frauncis Petrak, that not onely in the Latyne tunge, but also in swete ryme, is so extemyde that vnto thys present tyme vnnethe is ther any noble prynce in Italy, nor gentle man, withoute hauynge in hys handes hys sonnetes and hys ‘Tryhumphes’ or hys other rymes. And he wrote also in the Latyne tunge certeyn eglogges in versys and another booke namede ‘Affrica’ and ‘Of the Remedyes of bothe Fortunes’, with dyuers epistles and other wourkes whiche I ouer passe.
The last of thies three, moste gratiouse souereigne lorde, was John Bocas of Certaldo, whiche in lyke wyse as the tother twayne, Dante and Petracha, wer moste exellent in the vulgare ryme, so thys Bocas was aboue all others in prose, as it apperythe by his hundrith tayles and many other notable workes. Nor he was noo lesse elegaunte in the prose of his oune tunge then he was in the Latyne tunge, wherin, as Petrak dyd wryte clerkly certeyn volumes in the Latyne tunge, so dyd thys clerke. And fyrst ‘Of the Fall of Prynces’, ‘Of the Geonelogye of the Goddes’, and emonge other thys booke namede ‘De preclaris mulieribus’, that is, of the ryght renomyde ladies. Whiche sayde booke, as in the ende he wrytethe, he dyd dedicate the same to Quene Jane, in hys tyme Quene of Naples, a pryncesse enduede with all vertues, wysdome and goodenes. And for asmuche as that I thoughte howe that your Hyghnes, of youre accustomede mekenes and pryncely herte, woldenot disdayn it, so dyd I imagyne that if by chaunce it shulde cum to the handes of the ryght renomyde and moste honorable ladyes of your Highnes moste tryhumphaunte courte, that it shu
lde be well acceptyde to theym to se and reede the meruelouse vertue of theyr oune sexe, to the laude perpetuall of theym. And albeit, as Bocas wrytethe in hys proheme, he menglyssheth sum not verey chaste emongste the goode, yet hys honeste excuse declarethe that he dyd it to a goode entent, that all ladyes and gentlewomen, seynge the glorye of the goode, may be steryde to folowe theym, and seynge the vyce of sum, to flee theym. Whiche saide worke, my moste noble and gratiouse souereygne lorde, as farr as it gothe, I haue drawne in to our maternall tonge, to presente the same vnto your imperiall dignyte thys Newe Yeres Day, praynge to Chryste Jhesu to teche that right Christen hande of yours to batell agaynste youre auncyente ennemyes, that they may knowe that He whiche is the way and the truethe, helpythe your Exellencye in your truethe, so that they may fall and youe to ryse in honour, victory and fame, aboue all kynges that is, hathe bene, or shalbe. Amen.
THE preface of th’exellent clerc, John Bocasse, of his booke, intitlede in the Latyne tunge ‘De preclaris mulieribus’, that is to say in Englysshe, of the ryghte renoumyde ladyes, wherin he dothe excuse hymself why, emongste theym that were moste vertuouse and honorable women, he dothe often put in theym that were vicyouse.
Incipit Prologus Iohannis Bocacij in librum de Claris mulieribus.
THere be of the olde auncyent wryters, and also of late, of right famous clerkes that haue breuely wrytten the lyffes of the illustriouse noble men. Emonge others, the ryght exellent poete Frauncys Petrark, my maister, hathe endytyd and gathrede theyre actes in a compendiouse volume, and well worthy. For, to th’entent that they myghte be aboue others by theyr notable and hardy actes, they not oonely put to theyr study, but also their substaunce and their bloode, when the oportunyte of tyme semyde theim so for to do, to noone other entente, but to deserue therby of theyr posteryte a name and fame for euer. Surely, I haue not a litle meruelyde of theym that haue thus wrytten, why they haue not sumwhat touchede the gloriouse actes of women, when it is euydente that dyuers and sundry of theym haue doone ryghte notable thynges. And if men by theyr strength and other worthy ways haue desemede to haue suche prayse and commendation, how muche more ought those women to be praysede, because that they be naturally weike and feble, and theyr wyttes not so quycke as mens wyttes be, if they haue doone suche famouse actes, which shulde be harde for men to do. And for that entente they shulde not be defraudyde therof, it came into my mynde that of those that haue deseruyde prayse to put theym in oone volume — not oonely theym that by vertue haue deseruede it, but also those that by expresse ande knowne euyll doynge be spoken of vnto thys day. Nor I wyllnot that the reder shall thynke it congruente that I do compare Medea and Sempronia with Lucres and Sulpicia. All thoughe I haue mynglede theym with thies moste chastyste wyfes, my mynde is nothynge that ways. Nor agayne not so strayte that I wolde touche noone other but suche, and in a larger sense, with the patiens of the gentle reder, to put theym with the other. For why? Emonge the Scipions and the Catons and the Fabryciens, moste noble, vertuouse men, is numbrede wyle and crafty Hanyball, false and trayterouse Jugurta, the blody and tyrawnouse Scilla and Marryus, and the couetouse Crassus, and other whiche I do well call to mynde that I haue redde of. But I haue thus sett theim to gether, to thys entente that, in lokynge and redynge of the goode, it may stere the reders to goodenes, and to theym that be euyll to gyue theym a bytte, whereby they may withdrawe theymselffes frome so euyll condiciones and ways. And I haue so ratyde this my worke that it semythe I haue sumwhat hydde of the euyll of theym, and emonge the hystoryes and in sum place put in sum thynges ioyouse and pleasaunte, not withoute geuynge sum sharpe prycke to theym, to counseill theim to flye frome vyce, so that I doo hoope that with thys cowmyxtion sum vtylyte and profyte shall cum of the same. And for because that men shulde not ymagyne that I shulde but touche suche to breuely, for theym that knowe not well the hystoryes I haue drawne theyr lyfes oute in a lengthe, nott doubtynge but to please aswell the men as the women therby. I wyllnot also forgete to tell youe that emonge all thies women, whiche were but panymes, our fyrste mother Eue sett asyde, I ...
Of Eue, oure fyrste mother.
The fyrst Chapitre.
HAUYNGE INTENCION TO wryte the exellent glory that the noble women in tyme passyd haue obteyned, it semethe to me that it is not incongruente to begynne at the commune mother of vs all. Eue, than, that moste auncyent mother, as she was the fyrst of all women, so is she decorate with woundres exellent praysys. For she was not, as other be, brought forthe into this lacnmable vale of mysery, in whiche we be borne in to labour and to payne, nor so formyd, nor as we shulde say, shapyn, with that hammar, nor cryinge and bewaylynge hyr cummynge into the worlde, as the maner of al that be borne is, but after that sorte that neuer syns happned any to be so creatyd as she was. For when that moste wisest and best worke maister had creatyd Adam of the slyme of the earth with his propre hande, and in the felde, whiche after was callede Damascene, had translatyd hym into the gardyn of delycys, brywgynge hym vnto a pleasaunte and soft slepe, the craft onely to hym knowne, of hym that slept he brought hyr forth rype of age, as well gladde of that mery place she was in, as also of the sight of hyr husbonde, immortall, and lady and quene of all thynges, and of hyr wakynge husbonde felowe and make, and by hym namede Eue. What more bryghtnes happned to any that euer was borne? And besydes this, we may right well imagyne that of beauty she was incomporable. And albeit this gyft exellent of beautie by age or by sum sodeyn feuer in mydle age gothe soone away, yett for asmuche as emongste women this is accomptyd for a moste exellent gyft, and many of theim emongste women haue therby by theyr vnwyse iudgement obteyned fame euerlastynge, as in those that folowe shall to youe appere, yett thys woman, aswell by this beauty as by hyr wondrefull begynnynge, passid theim all. And thus, shee made cytezyn of Paradyse, whyle she ther had with hyr husbonde Adam the fruicyon of that pleasaunt place, the vngracyouse ennemy to mankynde, enuyouse of hyr ioye, persuadyd hyr that in brekynge one thynge to hyre forboden she shulde soone assende to hygher felicyte and glorye. To whiche persuasione, when shee, by greate lyghtnës more then behouyde hyr for vs, gaue credyte vnto itt, with hyr swete, flatterynge suggestion she drew hyr husbonde to folowe hyr way. And thus they bothe tastynge of the tree of the knowledge of goode and euyll and eatynge of the fructe forboden, they not onely theim self but all theyr posteryte depryuyde frome reste, quyetnes and eternyte into labour and myserable deathe, and frome that delectable country into this dolorouse worlde, full of brears, brembles and thornes. For when that bryght light in whiche they went in was goone frome theym, and they clothyde was departyde from theyr maker, and frome the place of delyte as outelaws expulsed into the vale of Ebron, it folowede that this exellent woman with thies offenses knowne ouer all was the fyrst, as it is thought, that with hyr husbonde founde the ways to dygge and eare the earth, and beynge after experte of the paynes of berynge of children and of the sorowes for the death of hyr children and neuows, sufferynge as well heate as colde, and ordeyned at last to dye with thies inconueniencys, lyuyde vnto an extreme age.
Of Semiramis, the Quene of the Assyryens.
The ijde Chapitre.
THE FAMOUSE SEMIRAMIS was the aunsyent Quene of the Assiryens, but of what kynred she cam of the longe tyme hathe put it in obliuione. But besydes those olde, faynede tales, the aunsyent historyens wryteth hyr to be the doughter of Neptunus, whiche was the sonne of Saturne, and by the errour of the gentyles accompted to be god of the see. And all thoughe it be not cowuenyent to be beleuyde, yet it is an argument that she was procreate of noble parenttes. This saide lady was maryede to the ryghte noble Ninus, Kynge of the Assiryens, and of hym conceyuyde a sonne callede Nynus. Nowe this Nynus, hauynge conquerede all Asya, ande at the laste the countrye of Bacherys addyd to his domynyone, with the shote of an arrowe was slayne, leuynge behynde hym hys wyfe but verey yonge and his onely sonne Nynus afore expressyd. Thynkynge it vnmeate to put the gouemauns of the hoole Oryent to soo yonge and tendre a chylde of age, she was of so highe and noble a hert that those countreys, that hyr ferse husbounde
by armes hadde subdued and coartyd to seme, to take vpon hyr to rule and goueme theym all, for as it were with a wyse, subtyle womans craft, she reteyned to hyr the greate hoste of hyr greate husbonde. Now she was not muche vnlyke to hyr yonge sonne, neither of face, nor yet of stature, and, to this, theyr speche was not vnlyke the one of the tother. Whiche beynge a greate forderynge to brynge to passe hyr pwrpose, she adowraynge aswell hyr oune heede as hyr sones with a bonet, as it were muche lyke to those that the greate prynces weere in theyr solemme tryhumphes, the Assyryens not beynge acustomyde with suche maner of bonettes, she so wroughte, to th’entent the nouelte therof shuldnot be noo meruell, that all the Assyriens shuld were bonettes after that sorte. And thus the wyfe of the sumtyme noble Nynus, faynynge hyr bothe his wyfe and his chylde, with a memelouse diligence maynteyned the kyngly dignyte and the khyghtly cheualry, and faynynge a contrarye sexe, eschewyde many noble ande wonderfull actes that many a stronge man couldenot haue brought to passe. And thus, nother lettynge for labour, trauell nor payne, nor what enuyouse men saide or dyd agaynste hyr, at last she declared planely what she was, and that all though she were a woman, it was not the kynde, but the noble mynde, that was worthy to rule an empyre, and that the more the people woundred at hyr, the more it gaue the occasion to theym to prayse hyr. Thus, as I haue reherside, this lady, takynge to hyr mans hert, not onely defendyd and kept the greate empyre of hyr husbonde deade and goone, but further, in assautynge of other countreys allways victoriouse in bat elles, she encreascyd on all sydes hyr countrye. For she entred emongste the Indiens, whiche vnnethe noo man afore hyr dyd, and Babilon, the olde, auncyent cyte of Nemrots, whiche he began in the feeldes of Sewnaar, by age decayde, she instoryde agayne and compassyd it with walles of bryke, of hight and greatenes and compas meraelows to se. And breuely, emonge all hir notable and renomede actes, one is moste worthy to be had in remewbraunce, whiche is thys. Thys noble woman, beynge in hyr citie, quyete emonge hyr lor des and gentlewomen, as the facyone was of theym to brayde their heer, she beynge aboute so to do, it was declared vnto hyr that the cytizens of Babilon were of assent to haue geuen vp the towne to the Prynce of the Medys, hyr vnkle. The whiche thynge she toke so greuously that, castynge a way hyr combe, leuynge womens dressynge a parte, enflammed with ire, she toke to hyr hyr armour, and gatheryng together hyr men of warre, she besegyde the stronge towne and neuer drest hyr heede tyll that the towne was rendred to hyr agayne, and by fyne force constrayned theym to obey hyr cowmaundement. Whiche notable acte was suche that in remembraunce of that same was rasyde vp in Babilone a greate pyllar of coper with hyr picture, the toone syde of hir heire braydyd and the other not, that longe and many a day was a testimony of the same. To this, she buylded many townes and cities and dyd many other notable actes, whiche the deuourynge tyme hath now put in obliuyon. Thies actes declarede here tofore, in a man had been meruelouse, but in a worn aw more then meruelouse, wherby she had deserued euerlastynge prayse, but that oone vyse muche blottyde and defacyde all this, in vsynge hirself moste vnhappely in fleshly lustes. It is saide that she was concubyne to many and vsede hirself more beastly then womanly in the company of corrupte bawdes, and emongst other sparede not hyr oune sonne, a yonge prynce of singler beautie and personage. O, shamefull and abhomynable fylthe, whiche, vsed emongeste the wery courtes of prynces, aswell in peace as in warre, aswell in laughynge as in wepynge, this pestilence tryhumphes, ande lytle and litle occupiynge their vnwytty myndes, drauthe theym headlynge not onely to shame, but therunto racyse and defacys frome theym all honowr and glory away! With this fowll vyce, than, this lady thus shamefully polluted, the better to clooke hyr vngraciousnes, she made a lawe that aboute venerall delightes hir subiectes of bothe sex myght do what they wolde. And ferynge leste that by other of hir women she myght be defrauded frome hir fleshly pleasure, she ordeyned for theim a place separate, wher hir courtyers myght goo to theym who wolde, clothynge theym with longe garments, whiche emonge the Egyptyens and the Assyryens and the Affricans, as it is saide, is vsyde to thys day. Sum wryteth that when she fell in the desyre of hyr sonne and had reigned with hym xxxti yeres, that hyr oune sonne slewe hyr, because she mouede hym to that mater; and other wryteth that those whiche she prouokede to vse with hyr, after the dede doone, because she woldenot the party shulde tell itt, cruelly she made hym to be put to death. And she, to this, when itt happened hyr to conceyue, to excuse hyr faulte she made that same detestable lawe afore rehercyde. But for all hyr craft, she couldenot so hyr offences cloke nor hyde, but that she fell in indignacion of hyr sonne, and ferynge by hyr to be expulsed from his empyr and ashamed to se his mother so vyly to vse hyrself, at the last he toke frome hyr hyre lyfe.
Collected Works of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 439
