LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Antikos istorija; Kronikos; Legendos genezė; Lietuvių didikų kilmė; Lietuvių kilmės iš romėnų teorija; Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); Metraščiai; Palemonas; Antique; Chronicle; Genesis of legend; Legend of lihuanian nobility genesis from romans; Orgin of Lithuanian noblemen; Palemonas.
ENThe article considers with the problem of genesis of legend about Lithuanian noblemen’s origin. The author assumes that legend content reflects some real plots of the ancient history. In this connection she touches upon a question about legend’s authorship, as well as the time of creation of the present ethnic myth, its primary variant. At the end author comes to the conclusions that legend’s primary variant dates from 1470s, it’s author was well educated at the ancient history. In particular some peculiarities of vita of the legendary Roman leader Polemon repeat known facts from biography of the Pont king Polemon I. Possibly Italian humanist and diplomat Kalimach, who was a tutor of the polish king Kasimir’s child, could be an author of the present legend. [text from author]