Franciade (poem)

Ronsard began writing the poem in the 1540s for Henry II of France, but it was only in 1572 that the poet published, now for Charles IX, the first four books of a planned twenty-four.

The poem claims that Francus (the new name of Astyanax) did not die (as Homer wrote in the Iliad), but that he was saved and awaits a new mission: to found France.

Most of the book thus takes place on the island of Crete, whose representation owes much both to classical sources and contemporary travel narratives.

Jean Braybrook, for one, notes that until recently "critics have tended simply to see the epic as a failure" but that "in so doing, they have overlooked the interest with which it was originally received [...] and the imitations it prompted".

"[10] The edition, published by AMS Press, also includes an extensive introduction to the poem's style, historical context, use of mythology, and other issues.