On This Day

Jodocus Badius Ascensius publishes Christiern Pedersen's Latin version of Saxo's "Gesta Danorum" (Deeds of the Danes), i

Jodocus Badius Ascensius publishes Christiern Pedersen's Latin version of Saxo's "Gesta Danorum" (Deeds of the Danes), in Paris

Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history. It is also one of the oldest known written documents about the history of Estonia and Latvia.

Consisting of sixteen books written in Latin on the invitation of Archbishop Absalon, Gesta Danorum describes Danish history and to some degree Scandinavian history in general, from prehistory to the late 12th century.

Historical Significance

Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian").

Events Before

  1. Spaniard Juan Ponce de León and his expedition first sight Florida

    Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513.

  2. Explorer Juan Ponce de León claims Florida for Spain as the first known European to reach it

    Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513.

  3. Battle of the Spurs at Guinegate (now Enguinegatte): King Henry VIII of England and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I defe

    Battle of the Spurs at Guinegate (now Enguinegatte): King Henry VIII of England and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I defeat French forces, capturing the town and routing the French cavalry

  4. Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama, becoming the first European to see the Pacific Oce

    Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama, becoming the first European to see the Pacific Ocean

  5. Battle of Novara, the War of the League of Cambrai: the Swiss Confederacy defeat the French

    The Battle of Novara was a battle of the War of the League of Cambrai fought on 6 June 1513, near Novara, in Northern Italy. A French attacking force was routed by allied Milanese–Swiss troops.

Events After

  1. Louis XII dies

    Louis XII dies

  2. First Congress of Vienna settles issues between Poland and the Holy Roman Empire, demonstrating the Habsburgs' growing i

    First Congress of Vienna settles issues between Poland and the Holy Roman Empire, demonstrating the Habsburgs' growing influence

  3. Double wedding as agreed in the First Congress of Vienna weds Anna of Bohemia (11) to Ferdinand of Austria (11) and gran

    Double wedding as agreed in the First Congress of Vienna weds Anna of Bohemia (11) to Ferdinand of Austria (11) and granddaughter of Maximilian I Mary (9) marrys Louis (9) son of the King of Hungary

  4. Marriage of King Christian II of Denmark to Isabella of Austria, granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I is rat

    Marriage of King Christian II of Denmark to Isabella of Austria, granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I is ratified at Copenhagen Castle (married by proxy 1514)

  5. Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founds Havana in modern-day Cuba on the southern coast of the island; it is move

    Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founds Havana in modern-day Cuba on the southern coast of the island; it is moved to its current location in 1519

More from the 1510s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 15, 1514?
Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history. It is also one of the oldest known written documents about the history of Estonia and Latvia.
Why is Jodocus Badius Ascensius publishes Christiern Pedersen's Latin version of Sax... significant?
Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian").

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