Diffusion et réception du Somnium morale pharaonis de Jean de Limoges : pour une meilleure connaissance des pratiques dictaminales

Abstract

This study tries to demonstrate the incredible diffusion of John of Limoges’s manuscript of the Somnium morale pharaonis, diffusion until now widely unknown by the research world. By a systematic study of the manuscript corpus, rich in 86 codices, this article underlines the plurality in practices of John’s work, with a particular focus on the relation that unites the Somnium with the ars dictaminis field. Far from being restricted to a single use, John’s work shines by its typological plasticity, as demonstrated by the study of the textual collections in which it fits. The analysis of the diffusion environment, combined with the codicological clues, also underlines the deep anchorage of the text within university environments.