Author of Erec et Enide,Cligès, Le Chevalier de la charette (Lancelot), Perceval (incomplete). Other works like Guillaume d'Angleterre and Philomena are disputed. Chrétien says in Cligès that he also wrote and translated many other things (see below). These have not survived. He names himself 'Chrétien de Troyes' in Erec; elsewhere just as 'Chrétien'.

Birth and death dates unknown. Between 1160 and 1172 lived at Troyes in the entourage of Marie, comtesse de Champagne (daughter of Louis VII and Eleanor d'Aquitaine, married in 1164 Henri, comte de Champagne), possibly as herald-at-arms, wrote Le Chevalier de la charette at her command. He says he found his sources for Cligès at the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre, Beauvais. Cligès shows knowledge of the Roman d'Énéas (c. 1160-1165) and the Tristan of Thomas (c, 1170-1175), and of the marriage contract between the daughter of Manuel of Constantinople and the daughter of Frederick Barbarossa, and of the wars between Frederick and Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony (whose wife Mathilda was Marie de Champagne's half-sister--daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England. Mathilda was also a noted patron of literature, introducing French themes into Germany, as in the Ruolanteslied). These events took place between 1170 and 1176. Chrétien wrote Lancelot and Yvain before the death of Henri le libéral in 1181. Mention of Crusaders in Lancelot may refer to Comte Henri's departure on crusade in 1177-78. Wrote Perceval c. 1175 for Philippe, comte de Flandre (d. 1191 in the Holy Land), to whose entourage he had probably moved by then. For dates of c. 1184-86 for Erec and c. 1185-87 for Cligès on the basis of references to platonic theories about nature, see the debate between Claude Luttrell and Tony Hunt in Bulletin bibliographique de la Société internationale arthurienne (BBSIA) 30, 1978, 209-37, and 32, 1980, 250-75.

Texts from Classiques français du moyen âge, translations by Alison Stones
 

Erec et Enide (lines 1-13) Li vilains dit an son respit  que tel chose a l'an an despit  qui molt valt mialz que l'an ne cuide por ce fet bien qui son estuide atorn a sens quel que il l'ait car qui son estuide antrelait tost i puet tel chose teisir qui molt vandroit puis a pleisir Por ce dist Crestiens de Troies que reisons est que totevoies doit chascuns panser et antandre a bien dire et bien aprandre...	The peasant's proverb says  that a thing is often despised which is worth far more than was thought. For this reason one does well to make the most of whatever intelligence one has. For the one who neglets this concern may well be silent about something which would otherwise give great pleasure. This is why Chrétien de Troyes says that it is right for each always to think and understand  how to speak and learn well ..
Cligès (lines 1-10, 18-21) Cil qui fist d'Erec et d'Enide Et les comandemanz d'Ovide Et l'art d'amours an romans mist Et le mors de l'espaule fist Del roi Marc et d'Ysalt la blonde Et de la hupe et de l'aronde Et del rossignol la muance Un novel conte rancomance D'un vaslet qui an Grece fu Del ligage le roi Artu... Ceste estoire trovons escrite Que conter vos vuel et retraire En un des livres de l'aumaire Mon seignor saint Pere a Biauvez...	He who wrote of Erec and Enide And the Commandments of Ovid And translated the Art of Love into French And wrote of the Bite on the Shoulder Of King Mark and Yseut the fair And of the metamorphoses of the hoopoe and the swallow And of the nightingale Is now beginning another story About a youth who lived in Greece One of King Arthur's lineage... We found this story in a book Which we will tell and relate to you It was in a book in the treasury Of my lord St Peter at Beauvais (i.e. Beauvais Cathedral, dedicated to St Peter)
Lancelot (lines 1-3, 24-29)  Puis que ma dame de Champaigne  vialt que romans a feire anpraigne je l'anprendrai molt volentiers... Del Chevalier de la charette comance Crestiens son livre matiere et san li done et livre la contesse et il s'antremet  fors sa painne et s'antancion...	Since my lady of Champagne wants me to undertake the writing of a romance I will gladly begin one... Here Chrétien begins his book  About the Knight of the Cart The countess gives him the subject and its meaning and he adds to that his labour and good intentions (cf. Comfort tr. : he is simply trying to carry out her concern and intention)

Perceval (lines 1, 7-14) Ki petit semme petit quelt... Crestiens semme et fait semence D'un romans que il encomence Et si le seme en si bon leu Quil ne puet [estre] granz sanz grant preu Quil le fait por le plus preudome Qui soit en l'empire de Rome C'est li quens Phelipes de Flandres Qui valt mix ne fist Alixandres...

He who sows little will reap little... Chrétien sows and harvests A romance which he is beginning And he sows it thus on such good ground That it cannot fail to lack great worth For he writes it for the most worthy man There is in the Roman Empire That is, Count Philip of Flanders A man more worthy than Alexander...