Mirrors for princes

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Mirrors for princes was a genre of political writing during the Early Middle Ages, Middle Ages and the Renaissance. They were either textbooks, directly instructing kings on how to behave, or histories or literary works aimed at creating images of kings for imitation or avoidance. They were often composed at the accession of a new king, when a young and inexperienced ruler was about to come to power. They could be viewed as a species of self-help book.

Examples include:

  • The Prince (c. 1513) - probably the most famous "mirror"
  • Qabus nama (1082) - a Persian example of the genre
  • The III Consideracions Right Necesserye to the Good Governaunce of a Prince (c. 1350) - advice to King John II of France.

Such texts were also present during the early Middle Ages.

Notable examples of textbooks include:

  • Hincmar's De Ordine Palatinii which sets out the moral duties of a king and includes an account of the organisation of the palace
  • Jonas of Orleans' De Institutione Regia, apparently on the basis of a council at Orleans

Examples of histories or biographies include:

[edit] See also