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Laurentius Corvinus (; ; 1465–1527) was a
Works by Laurentius Corvinus
in digital library Polona {{DEFAULTSORT:Corvinus, Laurentius 1465 births 1527 deaths 16th-century writers in Latin Christian scholars Academic staff of Jagiellonian University People from Silesia People from Åšroda ÅšlÄ…ska Polish Renaissance humanists 16th-century Polish writers 16th-century male writers 15th-century Polish writers 15th-century writers in Latin 15th-century Polish philosophers 16th-century Polish philosophers 16th-century Polish male writers 16th-century Polish poets
Laurentius Corvinus (; ; 1465–1527) was a Silesia
Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
n scholar who lectured as an "extraordinary" (''i.e.'' untenured) professor at the University of Krakow
The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the wor ...
when Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a mathematical model, model of Celestial spheres#Renaissance, the universe that placed heliocentrism, the Sun rather than Earth at its cen ...
began to study there. He also attracted a reputation as one of the finest Silesian poets of the early Renaissance and as an important agent for cultural and religious change in his adopted home of Breslau (now Wrocław
Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
).
Laurentius Corvinus was born as Laurentius Rabe in Neumarkt (now Åšroda ÅšlÄ…ska) in Lower Silesia, about 30 km east of Legnica
Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...
west of Vrotzuav, son of Barthel Rabe, a furrier and member of the local council. As a student at Kraków, he Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
ized his name, possibly under the influence of Conrad Celtis, and became known as ''Corvinus'' (a Latin translation of his German name ''Rabe'', or raven
A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
). After receiving his M.A. at the University of Kraków, Corvinus lectured on "De ente et essentia" (1492) and Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
's ''Libri Posteriorum'' (1493); the young Nicolaus Copernicus was probably one of his students during this time. Corvinus later helped to publish Copernicus' Latin translation of the ''Letters'' of the Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
Greek poet Theophylactus Simocatta by sending Copernicus's translation to the printer Johann Haller in Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
to be published in 1509. He also supplied the printed edition of Copernicus' translation with two poems, one of which describes the journey of Corvinus and his wife Anna back to Breslau, and also makes reference to Copernicus' interest in astronomy. It is not entirely clear whether or not Corvinus' poem actually refers to Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a mathematical model, model of Celestial spheres#Renaissance, the universe that placed heliocentrism, the Sun rather than Earth at its cen ...
' heliostatic theory, but in any case it is important as a very early witness for Copernicus' involvement in astronomical speculation.
Corvinus was also close friend to another Silesian, Johannes Sommerfeld, who also taught at Kraków while Copernicus was there. He was influenced by Conrad Celtis and Copernicus befriended the group of humanists. As a student and later magister at the University of Krakow he was acquainted with astronomy; as magister he lectured at the faculty for several years, including the first years of Copernicus’ studies in Kraków.
After leaving Kraków, Corvinus worked as school rector and then city secretary (''Stadtschreiber'') at Schweidnitz' (now Świdnica
Åšwidnica (; ; ) is a city on the Bystrzyca (Oder), Bystrzyca River in south-western Poland in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. As of 2021, it has a population of 55,413 inhabitants. It is the seat of Åšwidnica County, and also of the smaller dis ...
) (1494–1497). He then moved to Breslau to work as rector of St Elisabeth's school (1497–1503) and then as one of the senior city secretaries (1503–1506), before moving to a position as city secretary of Toruń
Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...
(1506–1508). He and his wife then moved back to Breslau in 1508, where he resumed his position as senior city secretary; they remained in Breslau, living in a house near the ''Siebenradmühle'' (near the present site of the university library), for the rest of their lives.
Corvinus published humanistic writings and poems, many of them religious and philosophical in nature. He was greatly influenced by the Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
spirituality of St Bonaventure
Bonaventure ( ; ; ; born Giovanni di Fidanza; 1221 – 15 July 1274) was an Italian Catholic Franciscan bishop, Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal, Scholasticism, scholastic theologian and philosopher.
The seventh Minister General ( ...
and the Neoplatonism
Neoplatonism is a version of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a series of thinkers. Among the common id ...
of Marsilio Ficino
Marsilio Ficino (; Latin name: ; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was an astrologer, a reviver of Neo ...
. In the spirit of Italian and German humanists he described his adopted home of Breslau in terms borrowed from classical mythology as the new home of the Muses
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...
. He was also involved in the introduction of the Lutheran Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
to Breslau, and personally took part in Johann Heß's disputation in 1524, where he declaimed a poem celebrating Martin Luther
Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
as a hero of religion.Grantley McDonald, ‘Laurentius Corvinus and the Epicurean Luthe''r’, Lutheran Quarterly'' 22 (2008): 161-76. He was also involved in an epistolary exchange on religious matters with Stanisław Byliński, canon at Przemyśl
Przemyśl () is a city in southeastern Poland with 56,466 inhabitants, as of December 2023. Data for territorial unit 1862000. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship. It was previously the capital of Prz ...
, published by Byliński in 1531.
Writings
(Only first editions of printed works noted. Works in manuscript not noted) *''Cosmographia dans manuductionem in tabulas Claudii Ptolomei'', edited by Heinrich Bebel (Basel: eßler 1496) *''Carminum structura'' ( eipzig Landsberg, 496 *''Latinum ydeoma'' ( eipzig achelofen or Lotter . 1498–1500 *''Carmen €¦de Nympharum conquestione super hyemis rigiditate ' (Leipzig: Thanner, 1500) *''Hortulus elegantiarum'' (Kraków, 1502 ed. recorded by Panzer; earliest extant edition is Breslau: Baumgart, 1503) *''Carmen elegiacum €¦de Apolline et novem musis'' (Breslau: Baumgart, 1503) *''Epicedium, in Serenissimum ac Gloriosissimum Principem Alexandrum, Poloniæ Regem'' (Kraków: Haller, 1506, lost) *''Dialogus carmine et soluta oratione conflatus de Mentis saluberrima persuasione ad honesta ingenuarum artium studia'' (Leipzig: Schumann, 1516) *''Epithalamium. Laurenti Corvini. In nuptiis sacræ regiæ Maiestatis. Poloniæ €¦' (Kraków: Hieronymus Vietor, 1518) *''Cursus sancti Bonaventuræ de passione domini'' (Breslau: Dyon, 1521)References
External links
Works by Laurentius Corvinus
in digital library Polona {{DEFAULTSORT:Corvinus, Laurentius 1465 births 1527 deaths 16th-century writers in Latin Christian scholars Academic staff of Jagiellonian University People from Silesia People from Åšroda ÅšlÄ…ska Polish Renaissance humanists 16th-century Polish writers 16th-century male writers 15th-century Polish writers 15th-century writers in Latin 15th-century Polish philosophers 16th-century Polish philosophers 16th-century Polish male writers 16th-century Polish poets