Simon of Kéza

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Simon of Kéza (in Hungarian Kézai Simon) was the most famous Hungarian chronicler in the 13th century. He was a priest in the royal court of king Ladislaus IV of Hungary.

His most important work is Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum, written in Latin around 1282, in which he gives a vivid description on the history of the Huns and the Hungarians (considered relatives), from the legendary beginnings until the contemporary period. As a personal secretary of the king, he worked in the royal archives and collected his material from older chronicles conserved there.

The chronicle was first published in printing in 1782, in Buda. In the 19th century it was translated also in Hungarian and became a popular reading which helped the development of national consciousness.