The Song of Roland

Anonymous

An Old French epic depicting Emperor Charlemagne's Spanish campaign and the tragic rearguard action at Rencesvals, where his nephew Roland and the twelve peers fall to betrayal by the knight Ganelon. The poem explores themes of honor, feudal loyalty, and divine justice through Roland's heroic last stand and Ganelon's subsequent trial and execution.

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Divisions

Section I
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Charles the King has conquered Spain for seven years except Sarraguce; King Marsile seeks peace.
Sections II-V
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Marsile's court debates; Blancandrin advises sending tributes and hostages to deceive Charles into leaving Spain.
Sections VI-XII
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Marsile sends messengers with peace offers; Charles's council debates whether to accept or continue war.
Sections XIII-XX
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Roland opposes peace; Ganelon volunteers to deliver Charles's reply to Marsile as his good-father's messenger.
Sections XXI-XXXII
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Ganelon journeys to Sarraguce and plots with Marsile to betray Roland and the rearguard in battle.
Sections XXXIII-LIV
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Ganelon delivers Charles's ultimatum; Marsile sends tributes; Ganelon advises attacking Roland in the mountain pass.
Sections LV-LXIII
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Charles departs Spain; Roland is appointed to command the rearguard with twenty thousand Franks.
Sections LXIV-LXXXVIII
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Roland and his companions see vast pagan armies approaching; Oliver urges sounding the horn for aid but Roland refuses.
Sections LXXXIX-CIV
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Archbishop Turpin absolves the Franks; battle begins with single champions striking down pagan leaders.
Sections CV-CXXXII
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Heavy fighting ensues; many Franks and pagans fall; Oliver urges Roland to sound the horn but is refused.
Sections CXXXIII-CXLII
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Roland finally sounds the horn; Charles hears it and turns back; Roland continues fighting the overwhelming pagan forces.
Sections CXLIII-CL
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The alcaliph's fresh troops arrive; Oliver is mortally wounded; Roland grieves his dying companion.
Sections CLI-CLXII
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Roland recovers from swoon; Archbishop Turpin falls; Roland gathers the dead peers for burial.
Sections CLXIII-CLXXVI
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Roland attempts to destroy Durendal; mortally wounded, he sounds the horn once more and dies by a cliff.
Sections CLXXVII-CLXXXII
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Charles reaches Rencesvals and discovers the slain rearguard; grieves deeply for Roland and the peers.
Sections CLXXXIII-CLXXXIX
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Charles prepares for further war; Marsile's ally Baligant the admiral arrives with reinforcements to aid Marsile.
Sections CXC-CCXVI
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Baligant organizes his vast armies in thirty columns to march against Charles and continue the war in Spain.
Sections CCXVII-CCLXII
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Charles marshals his forces in ten columns; armies clash in extended battle; Charles kills Baligant in single combat.
Sections CCLXIII-CCLXVII
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Pagans flee; Sarraguce falls; Charles orders conversion to Christianity; returns to Aix with prisoners and relics.
Sections CCLXVIII-CCXCI
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Roland's betrothed Alde dies of grief; Ganelon is tried, judged guilty, and executed by drawing; Bramimunde converts.