@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 from test.support.os_helper import TESTFN, unlink
 from textwrap import dedent
 from unittest import TestCase
-import contextlib
 import inspect
 import os.path
 import re
@@ -264,70 +263,6 @@ def converter_init(self):
         )
         self.expect_failure(raw, err)
 
-    @staticmethod
-    @contextlib.contextmanager
-    def _clinic_version(new_version):
-        """Helper for test_version_*() tests"""
-        _saved = clinic.version
-        clinic.version = new_version
-        try:
-            yield
-        finally:
-            clinic.version = _saved
-
-    def test_version_directive(self):
-        dataset = (
-            # (clinic version, required version)
-            ('3', '2'),          # required version < clinic version
-            ('3.1', '3.0'),      # required version < clinic version
-            ('1.2b0', '1.2a7'),  # required version < clinic version
-            ('5', '5'),          # required version == clinic version
-            ('6.1', '6.1'),      # required version == clinic version
-            ('1.2b3', '1.2b3'),  # required version == clinic version
-        )
-        for clinic_version, required_version in dataset:
-            with self.subTest(clinic_version=clinic_version,
-                              required_version=required_version):
-                with self._clinic_version(clinic_version):
-                    block = dedent(f"""
-                        /*[clinic input]
-                        version {required_version}
-                        [clinic start generated code]*/
-                    """)
-                    self.clinic.parse(block)
-
-    def test_version_directive_insufficient_version(self):
-        with self._clinic_version('4'):
-            err = (
-                "Insufficient Clinic version!\n"
-                "  Version: 4\n"
-                "  Required: 5"
-            )
-            block = """
-                /*[clinic input]
-                version 5
-                [clinic start generated code]*/
-            """
-            self.expect_failure(block, err)
-
-    def test_version_directive_illegal_char(self):
-        err = "Illegal character 'v' in version string 'v5'"
-        block = """
-            /*[clinic input]
-            version v5
-            [clinic start generated code]*/
-        """
-        self.expect_failure(block, err)
-
-    def test_version_directive_unsupported_string(self):
-        err = "Unsupported version string: '.-'"
-        block = """
-            /*[clinic input]
-            version .-
-            [clinic start generated code]*/
-        """
-        self.expect_failure(block, err)
-
     def test_clone_mismatch(self):
         err = "'kind' of function and cloned function don't match!"
         block = """
 
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@
 #         and keyword-only
 #
 
-version = '1'
-
 NO_VARARG = "PY_SSIZE_T_MAX"
 CLINIC_PREFIX = "__clinic_"
 CLINIC_PREFIXED_ARGS = {
@@ -375,49 +373,6 @@ def pprint_words(items: list[str]) -> str:
         return ", ".join(items[:-1]) + " and " + items[-1]
 
 
-def version_splitter(s: str) -> tuple[int, ...]:
-    """Splits a version string into a tuple of integers.
-
-    The following ASCII characters are allowed, and employ
-    the following conversions:
-        a -> -3
-        b -> -2
-        c -> -1
-    (This permits Python-style version strings such as "1.4b3".)
-    """
-    version: list[int] = []
-    accumulator: list[str] = []
-    def flush() -> None:
-        if not accumulator:
-            fail(f'Unsupported version string: {s!r}')
-        version.append(int(''.join(accumulator)))
-        accumulator.clear()
-
-    for c in s:
-        if c.isdigit():
-            accumulator.append(c)
-        elif c == '.':
-            flush()
-        elif c in 'abc':
-            flush()
-            version.append('abc'.index(c) - 3)
-        else:
-            fail(f'Illegal character {c!r} in version string {s!r}')
-    flush()
-    return tuple(version)
-
-def version_comparator(version1: str, version2: str) -> Literal[-1, 0, 1]:
-    iterator = itertools.zip_longest(
-        version_splitter(version1), version_splitter(version2), fillvalue=0
-    )
-    for a, b in iterator:
-        if a < b:
-            return -1
-        if a > b:
-            return 1
-    return 0
-
-
 class CRenderData:
     def __init__(self) -> None:
 
@@ -5262,13 +5217,6 @@ def reset(self) -> None:
         self.critical_section = False
         self.target_critical_section = []
 
-    def directive_version(self, required: str) -> None:
-        global version
-        if version_comparator(version, required) < 0:
-            fail("Insufficient Clinic version!\n"
-                 f"  Version: {version}\n"
-                 f"  Required: {required}")
-
     def directive_module(self, name: str) -> None:
         fields = name.split('.')[:-1]
         module, cls = self.clinic._module_and_class(fields)