Roman de Thebes

The Roman de Thebes is an Old French romance composed around 1150. It is an adaptation of the late Latin epic Thebaïs by Statius. This work is considered one of the three romans d'antiquité (romances of antiquity) that emerged in the 12th century, alongside the Roman d'Enéas and the Roman de Troie.

The Roman de Thebes draws on classical antiquity, particularly through the lens of Latin literature. Its style is characterized by elaborate descriptions and a focus on love, influenced by poets like Ovid. The romance explores themes of love, chivalry, and adventure, often set against lavish backdrops with detailed descriptions of architecture and marvels. This approach to storytelling, combining systematic development of subject matter with rhetorical devices to explore characters' feelings, was a significant innovation in medieval literature.12