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Marsile (variously spelledMarsilie,Marsilius,Marsilio,Marsilion,Marsiglio,Marcilie,Marsille,Marsilies,Marsilun, orMarsiluns) is a character in the Frenchheroic poemThe Song of Roland. He is the Muslim king of Arabs, conqueringSaracens and ofSaragossa. He first appears in Stanza 1, asking his barons for counsel because he is losing the war againstCharlemagne. He readily acceptsBlancandrin's proposal of surrender (Stanzas 1–6), and agrees toGanelon's scheme after testing his worth and persuasion from his wifeBramimonde and his nobility (32–52). He takes part in theBattle of Roncevaux Pass, kills Bevon, Lord of Beaune and Dijon, Yvoire, Yvon and Gerald of Roussillon, beforeRoland cuts off Marsile's right hand and the head of his son, Jurfaleu the Blond, and Marsile is forced to flee (142) to Saragossa (187). Bound to his bed with his injuries, he summons help fromBaligant (189), places Spain in Baligant's care (202), and later dies of his wounds, his army having been destroyed. According to theHistoria Caroli Magni, Charlemagne had him hanged on the same tree whereJudas hanged himself.[1]
There is no historical evidence for King Marsile's existence. He is possibly only a petty king but said to be the last of the Arabs in Al Andalus to make a stand against the Franks. The battle of Roncevaux appears in very few historical records.[2]
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