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Secondary sourceBook13th century

Flores Historiarum

Roger of Wendover · 13th century

A medieval Latin chronicle, begun at St Albans Abbey, that narrates the baronial rebellion and the making of Magna Carta at Runnymede.

This near-contemporary chronicle narrates the baronial rebellion against King John and the making of Magna Carta.

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Illuminated manuscript page with a painted miniature of a crowned, bearded king seated on a throne, raising one hand, flanked by two mitred bishops in robes on the left and right. Red and black Latin text runs across the top and bottom, with a red heading reading 'Coronacio Arthuri'.
Flores Historiarum, 13th century manuscript. Associated with St Albans Abbey.

About this source

What it is

Flores Historiarum ("Flowers of History") is the name of two related Latin chronicles from thirteenth-century England, associated with St Albans Abbey. The first was written by Roger of Wendover, carrying events up to 1235 and including a lively account of King John's conflict with the barons and the Magna Carta agreement at Runnymede. It survives in manuscripts including ones at the Bodleian Library and British Library.

Why it matters

Because Roger of Wendover was writing close to the events, his chronicle is one of the earliest narrative accounts of why the barons rebelled and how Magna Carta came about. It shows how monks at St Albans recorded contemporary politics, and later writers such as Matthew Paris reused and adapted this material, shaping how later generations understood King John's reign.

Look closer

  • Why might a monk's account of a king's conflict with his barons be useful, but also biased?
  • How does writing an event down soon after it happens change how we understand it today?
  • What does the decorated page shown here suggest about how monks presented history?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Magna Carta on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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