Truth, plausibility, and the virtues of narrative at the millennium
Justin Lake
While it is widely understood that medieval historiographers employed the techniques of rhetorical invention in their work, less attention has been paid to way which standard plausibility, upon was premised, could be reconciled with historian's traditional obligation tell truth. This paper examines ways doctrine narratio probabilis and put into practice by three authors active around turn millennium: Richer Saint-Remi, Dudo Saint-Quentin, Adalbero Laon. All had trained schools northern Francia late tenth century all reveal a sophisticated understanding doctrines Ciceronian rhetoric, according plausible inventions were not seen incompatible historical
Journal of Medieval History