Istoria ca o poveste: Istoria Imperiului Otoman de Cantemir

A part of European culture since the 18th century, the “History of the Ottoman Empire” of Dimitrie Cantemir calls for a new reading, especially since the erudite historian Virgil Cândea discovered its original manuscript, which scholars have long sought. Beyond the historiographical value of the work as documentation and critical wit, its clear and flowing “story-like” writing illustrates the indissoluble link between history and storytelling mentioned by Paul Ricœur. It is easier to understand why, thanks to this condition, it did not pose too complicated problems of translation, easing the effort of translators and offering itself to 18th-century (and later) readers as an instructive and enjoyable read. The criticism came especially from the angle of scholarship with the development of the critical spirit in historiography in the 19th century and the formation of new generations of scholars specializing in Ottoman studies. However, while Cantemir’s history of the Ottomans has given way to other later works as documentation and analysis, it retains the same interest as a narrative discourse, the mark of time contributing no less to its fascination.