Poem of Almería facts for kids
The Poem of Almería (Spanish: Poema de Almería) is an old Latin poem from the Middle Ages. It's a type of story-telling poem called an epic poem. This poem was added to the end of another historical record called the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris. This record tells the story of Alfonso VII of León and Castile's time as emperor.
The poem itself describes a big military event: the successful capture of the city of Almería in 1147. Almería was an important port city. The poem, as we have it today, isn't finished. It stops suddenly in the middle of a line, before it even gets to the actual siege of Almería. A large part of the poem (293 lines) is a "stirring roll-call" of the main leaders and groups in the army. This is like a list of all the important people and their soldiers who joined the fight.
Scholars and historians find the Poem of Almería very interesting. It helps them understand how epic poems, especially those in local languages (called cantares de gesta), started and grew. It also gives clues about the customs of noble families and soldiers in Spain during that time. People have called it a "treasure" for understanding the culture of the 12th century. They also say it's a "splendid reflection of its time" and valuable as literature. The way the poem is written is similar to the style of the Hebrew Bible and the famous Roman writers Virgil and Ovid.
See also
In Spanish: Poema de Almería para niños
