3-041-211 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Philip, A False Claimant to the Throne of Macedonia; Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes, about 1413-1415. Additional Info: Despite the crown and rich costume worn by the prisoner in this image, the man is not of royal lineage. A serf named Andriscus, he succeeded in passing himself off as Philip, the deceased king of Macedonia, resurrected from the dead. While occupying the throne, he assembled an army and waged war against the Romans. Only after multiple campaigns did the Roman consul Metellus defeat and capture him. The false king was then taken to Rome and ridiculed in a triumphal procession, the probable subject of this miniature. The text explains that Andriscus was raised from a base state to that of royalty by a turn of fortune but ended by falling to a state even lower than his humble origins.