Conservée dans quatre langues différentes, la Chronique de Morée relate la naissance et le premier siècle d’existence de la principauté française d'Achaïe ou de Morée – territoire correspondant à la presqu'île du Péloponnèse –, l’une des réalisations durables (1205-1460) ayant suivi l’occupation de Constantinople et des provinces byzantines au cours de la quatrième croisade. La thèse vise à produire une nouvelle édition de la version française de la chronique selon le manuscrit conservé à Bruxelles (Bibliothèque Royale 15702, env. 1400), unique témoin en français. Le nouveau texte critique, offert dans une approche plus sensible aux problèmes de la philologie matérielle par rapport à la précédente édition (Jean Longnon, 1911), est accompagné d'une étude linguistique, un glossaire, une description codicologique, un commentaire au texte et des index, ainsi que d’une introduction qui présente le status quaestionis sur la datation et la langue du prototype à l’origine des quatre versions conservées. / The Chronicle of Morea, preserved in four different languages, tells of the foundation and the first century in the history of the French principality of Achaia or Morea, a territory corresponding to the Peloponnese peninsula. This was one of the longest lasting French dominions (1205-1417), established in the wake of the occupation of Constantinople and the Byzantine provinces during the Fourth Crusade. The thesis consists of a new critical edition of the French version of the chronicle based on the manuscript preserved in Brussels (Bibliothèque Royale 15702, approx. 1400), the only witness in French. Compared to the previous edition (Jean Longnon, 1911), the new critical text is informed by an increased awareness of issues raised by material philology. It includes a linguistic study, a glossary, a codicological description, a commentary to the text and indexes and an introduction which presents the status quaestionis on the dating and the language of the prototype at the origin of the four extant versions.

The county of Tripoli (Lebanon) was one of four “crusader states” established in the Levant after the First Crusade (1095-99). Compared to the other states, the county of Tripoli has suffered from a disproportionate level of historiographical neglect. What has been produced has taken an institutional and Eurocentric approach to the subject and its sources. The present thesis jettisons this in favour of a post-institutional methodology, approaching the county from the perspectives of geography and demographics, which together ensure that it is treated within its proper Syro-Lebanese context. Chapter one looks at the role of local geography in shaping the political frontiers of the county of Tripoli and its neighbours, arguing that topography was more important than the agency of the European settlers. Chapter two continues to challenge traditional assumptions regarding European influence, arguing that the specifically southern French origins of many of the county’s settlers were of little significance. Chapter three analyses the use of Arabic by the Frankish government of the county, informed by an awareness of diglossia. It argues that the Franks were more likely to know spoken Arabic than written, but remained reliant upon local intermediaries when ruling over Arabophones. Chapter four looks at popular religion, arguing that the cross-fertilisation of religious beliefs and practices was widespread but poorly understood by the contemporary intelligentsia, upon whose sources historians rely. As a whole, the thesis argues that the county’s inhabitants lacked a distinctive culture, identity, religion or language. The sole justification for viewing the county as an integrated unit is geographical.

L’Estoire d’Outremer, vaste fresque historique constituée de la traduction française de l’Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum de Guillaume de Tyr prolongée par la compilation de diverses chroniques, retrace l’histoire du royaume latin de Jérusalem jusqu’en 1277 et représente l’une des principales sources franques de l’histoire des croisades. Relevant autant du genre didactique que de la littérature aristocratique, l’Estoire d’Outremer est également un des tous premiers monuments de l’historiographie en prose de langue française et manifeste l’émergence, de la fin du XIIe siècle à la fin du XIIIe siècle d’un nouveau public, lettré mais non savant, avide de découvrir son passé. Le manuscrit Pluteus LXI. 10 de la bibliothèque laurentienne de Florence dont nous présentons ici l’édition, dans sa partie de la Continuation copiée outremer et couvrant les années 1185-1247, prend place dans un ensemble complexe et hétérogène de plus de cinquante manuscrits et constitue à bien des titres un témoin particulièrement précieux. Copié dans le français d’Outremer, dialecte d’oïl formé en Terre sainte, il est le dernier manuscrit fabriqué à Saint-Jean d’Acre avant la chute de la ville et du royaume, couronnement de toute une tradition historiographique. Complet, luxueux et richement décoré, il témoigne des pratiques propres aux ateliers ultramarins et du savoir-faire de ses ornemanistes, et nous présente les œuvres les plus abouties de l’artiste nommé maître de Paris et d’Acre. L’édition que nous en donnons comprend un apparat critique complet, une présentation littéraire, des études codicologiques, linguistiques et paléographiques, un glossaire, un index et une chronologie. / The Estoire d’outremer is a sweeping historical account that represents one of the main Frankish sources for the history of the crusades. It contains the French translation of William of Tyre’s Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum, to which is added a compilation of several chronicles retracing the history of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem until 1277. The Estoire d’outremer is rooted in the didactic genre as well as in aristocratic literature, and represents one of the first testaments of prose hagiography in the French language. It is evidence of the well read, although not scholarly public which emerged during the 12th and the 13th centuries, and which was keen to uncover its past. We present here the edition of the Pluteus LXI.10 manuscript at the Laurentian Library in Florence, from the f. 274 to the f. 336 (the period 1185-1247). It is part of a complex and heterogeneous ensemble of more than fifty manuscripts, and is a particularly precious testimony on several counts. Copied in Outremer French – an oïl dialect shaped in the Holy Land – it was the last manuscript to have been completed at St.-Jean d’Acre before the fall of the city and kingdom, and was the crowning achievement of a long historiographical tradition. The manuscript is complete, sumptuous and richly decorated, showcasing the particular practice of ultramarine workshops and the mastery of their ornementists. Its pages display the most consummate works produced by the Paris-Acre Master. Our text edition is presented with a comprehensive critical apparatus, a literary presentation, some codicological, linguistic and paleographical studies, a glossary, an index and a chronology.