AMIS ET AMILES, the title of an old French romance. In its earlier and simpler form it is the story of two friends, one of whom, Amis, was smitten with leprosy because he had com mitted perjury to save his friend. A vision informed him that he could only be cured by bathing in the blood of Amiles' children. When Amiles learnt this he killed the children, who were, however, miraculously restored to life of ter the cure of Amis. The tale was probably of Oriental origin, and was eventually attached to the Carolingian cycle as a 12th-century chanson de geste, written in decasyllabic assonanced verse, each stanza being terminated by a short line. Amis has married Lubias and become count of Blaives (Blaye), while Amiles has become seneschal at the court of Charlemagne, and is seduced by the emperor's daughter, Belli sant. The lovers are betrayed, and Amiles, fearing to fight in a false cause, goes in search of Amis, who personates him in the ordeal by combat. He thus saves his friend, but in so doing per jures himself. Then follows the leprosy of Amis, and, after a lapse of years, his discovery of Amiles and cure. The legend of Amis and Amiles occurs in many forms with slight variations.
See L. Gautier, Bibl. des chansons de geste (1897) ; also the essay by W. Pater in The Renaissance (1893) . The tale is published in good modern translations.