Commynes, Philippe de

Commynes, Philippe de
born с 1447, Comines, Flanders
died Oct. 18, 1511, Argenton-Château, Fr.

Statesman and chronicler.

Brought up in the Burgundian court, he was counselor to Charles the Bold (1467–72) and then to Charles's former enemy Louis XI. He was implicated in the "Mad War" between Anne of Beaujeu, regent of France, and the duke of Orleans (later Louis XII). He was briefly imprisoned but restored to favour in 1489 by Charles VIII and later helped formulate Louis's Italian policy. His Mémoires (1524) is an eyewitness account of events that reveals much about the era and its political intrigues.

* * *

▪ French statesman
Commynes also spelled  Comines 
born c. 1447, Comines, Flanders [now on the Belgian-French border]
died October 18, 1511, Argenton-Château, France
 statesman and chronicler whose Mémoires establish him as one of the greatest historians of the Middle Ages.

      Commynes was the son of a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and was the godson of Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy. He was brought up at the Burgundian court and in 1464 became squire to Philip's son Charles of Charolais (Charles the Bold). He took part in a war against Louis XI of France in 1465 and accompanied Charles the Bold on his first expedition against Liège (1466–67). When Charles succeeded to the duchy of Burgundy in 1467, he appointed Commynes his counselor and sent him as ambassador on missions to England, Brittany, and Spain. In 1468 he was present at the famous meeting at Péronne, when Charles virtually held Louis XI as prisoner, and was able to negotiate an agreement between them.

      Recognizing Commynes's abilities as a diplomat, Louis persuaded him in 1472 to desert Charles the Bold and enter his service as a chamberlain and confidential adviser; Commynes was rewarded handsomely for his move. After Louis's death in 1483, Commynes was at first one of the counselors of the regent, Anne of Beaujeu, but he intrigued against the government with the duke d'Orléans (the future Louis XII of France) and was implicated in the “Mad War” between the two. As a consequence, he was imprisoned for several months but was eventually restored to favour at the end of 1489 by Charles VIII, who used him as a negotiator and later as ambassador to Venice at the beginning of the expedition to Italy (1494–95). He was not in the government during the early years of Louis XII's reign but later helped formulate Louis's Italian policy.

      Commynes's Mémoires, composed 1489–98, were posthumously published in three segments (1524–28). The memoirs reveal him as a writer of considerable talent, remarkable for his psychological perceptiveness, his sense of the picturesque, and his vivid narrative. Despite his sympathy for Louis XI, he succeeded in achieving impartiality, but his work contains many errors of fact and omission.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Philippe de Comines — Philippe de Commynes Philippe de Commynes. Philippe de Commynes ou Philippe de Commines, né en 1445 ou 1447 ? et mort en 1511, est un homme politique, chroniqueur et mémorialiste français d origine flamande …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Philippe de commines — Philippe de Commynes Philippe de Commynes. Philippe de Commynes ou Philippe de Commines, né en 1445 ou 1447 ? et mort en 1511, est un homme politique, chroniqueur et mémorialiste français d origine flamande …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Philippe de Commines — Philippe de Commynes (* um 1447 in Flandern; † 18. Oktober 1511 auf Schloss Argenton) war ein französischer Diplomat und Historiker sowie ein Vertrauter von Ludwig XI. und Karl VIII.. Er gilt als einer der Vorläufer der modernen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Commynes — Philippe de Commines Philippe de Commynes (* um 1447 in Flandern; † 18. Oktober 1511 auf Schloss Argenton) war ein französischer Diplomat und Historiker sowie ein Vertrauter von Ludwig XI. und Karl VIII.. Er gilt als einer der Vorläufer der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Philippe — (as used in expressions) Bunau Varilla Philippe Jean Champaigne Philippe de Commynes Philippe de Dubuffet Jean Philippe Arthur Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor Louis Philippe Orléans Louis Philippe Joseph duke d Philippe Égalité Pétain Henri… …   Universalium

  • Philippe — (as used in expressions) Bunau Varilla, Philippe (Jean) Champaigne, Philippe de Commynes, Philippe de Dubuffet, Jean (Philippe Arthur) Philippe de Valois Leclerc, Jacques Philippe Philippe Marie, vizconde de Hauteclocque Léopold Louis Philippe… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Philippe de Commines — Philippe de Commynes Coat of arms of Philippe de Commines. Born 1447 Renescure, Flanders Died c. 1511 …   Wikipedia

  • Philippe de Commynes — Philippe de Commines Philippe de Commynes (* um 1447 in Flandern; † 18. Oktober 1511 auf Schloss Argenton) war ein französischer Diplomat und Historiker sowie ein Berater der Könige Ludwig XI. und Karl VIII.. Er gilt als einer der Vorläufer der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Philippe de Commines — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Philippe de Commines. Philippe de Commines (o de Commynes o Philippe de Comines , en latín: Philippus Cominaeus; n. 1447 c. 1511) fue un escritor francés de origen flamenco y diplomático en la corte de …   Wikipedia Español

  • COMMYNES (P. de) — COMMYNES, COMMINES ou COMINES PHILIPPE DE (1447 1511) Noble flamand; filleul de Philippe le Bon, chambellan de Charles le Téméraire, Philippe de Commynes fut à ses côtés pendant la Ligue du bien public et lors de l’entrevue du Téméraire et de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”