Stephanius

Stephan Hansen Stephanius, (Danish Stephen Hansson ) ( born July 23, 1599 Copenhagen, † April 22, 1650 ) was a Danish philologist and historian.

Life

His father was Hans Staphensen, a professor at the University of Copenhagen. Since his father in 1608 head of the school and the monastic property in Soro was, he first went to school in Soro, then in Herlufsholm. From there he went in 1615 to the University of Copenhagen. In 1618 he received the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. His main course was the Latin philology and the Patriotic History and Antiquities. 161 he married Anne Jacobsen, the daughter of the doctor Matthis Jacobsen in Aarhus and sister of his friend and fellow student in Leiden Jacob Matthiesen, bishop of Aarhus was. This marriage was short-lived as his wife died in the February 10, 1633. On October 26, 1634 he married Thale Eisenberg, daughter of Elias Eisenberg, first professor in Copenhagen, then provost in Samsø.

Study

At 22 he began to travel. He attended the universities of Rostock and suffering. He was returned home in 1624 rector of the school in Slangerup and 1625 Masters at the University of Copenhagen. The legacy of his father after the Tad 1625 enabled him to continue studies abroad. He got to know Ole Worm, and let yourself be inspired by the archaeological research. Throughout his life, they remained in a learned correspondence. 1626 he enrolled again in the University of Leiden, where he came in connection to famous classical scholar Gerhard Johannes Voss and Daniel Heinsius.

In Leiden he gave in 1627 his first book, " Breves et notae emendationes in Saxonem Grammaticum " out. The joined smaller fonts with sentences on the same subject. With them he was not only positive at Ole Worm, but also in the history interested Chancellor Christian Friis to Kragerup. He also won the Royal Danish Historiografen John Isaksen Pontanus to the friend who was a professor in Harderwijk. This gave him material for a collection for the historical- topographical works and treatises on Denmark, Norway and the duchies, which he published in 1692 under the title " De regno Daniæ etc. tractatus Varii ".

Work

1629 he was appointed professor of rhetoric in the Soro Academy. In the winter of 1630 he returned to Denmark and joined in March 1630 his position. He had heard of Pontanus a letter to the Chancellor Friis, where this praised his erudition and referred to him as suitable, to reissue the work of Saxo Grammaticus. This was also his main task. He also dealt with the language cultivation. In 1631 he became a member of the Commission of Professors in Soro, who took care of the improvement of the school system and the Hersusgabe suitable textbooks. In 1633 he published the textbook " Colloqvia Familiaria " for the younger students " Colloqvia minora ," a very long time authoritative textbook. They were joined in 1634 the dictionary " Nomenclator Latino danicus I ", which consisted of nouns and adjectives, and in 1638 part II was called with the verbs, the " Verba Stephani " and over 100 years in the schools of Denmark, Norway, and even in Sweden was in use. Later he wrote the Latin stylistics " Phraseologia Latino Danica ", but was not published until after his death. She was long in use.

But his lasting importance, he was the national historian by his talent to make ancient sources locate and use. As the professor of history and royal historiographer died in Soro John Meursius 1639, he succeeded him in both positions. He continued his work until the time of Christian III. ( 1550) had progressed to continue. Since the work only to King Christian III. Should be enough death, he was able to devote soon its ultimate purpose, issues and commentary on the Saxo Grammaticus. Well it turned out to be a hindrance, that he did not speak Old Norse, so that he could not interpret the ancient manuscripts, which sent him Ole Worms by the Icelandic scholar. As a kind of introduction to Saxo Grammaticus, he wrote " Svenonis Aggonis filii, qvæ extant, opuscula " (1642 ).

When the Saxo's text was completed, it was found that there is a printer was neither in Denmark nor in Holland, who wanted to transfer the extensive work. No one of his friends was willing to finance the pressure so that the work would have been almost in vain if not Chancellor Christian Thomesen Sehested had procured with government support the required paper. 1645 finally arrived " Saxonis Grammatici Historiæ Danicæ libri 16, notis illustrati uberioribus " out. Hardly less the merit to collect all his sources accessible on Denmark's history and write off, apparently with the intention to create an omnibus edition, but what he was prevented by his death. But this collection was an important preliminary work for the 100 years later work of the Danish historian Jacob Langebek.

His later work was much hampered by the high financial consequences of the unfortunate Kalmar War Christian IV. He never got almost his wages on time, sometimes not. Then there was a disease with severe pain in his last life, he devoted himself particularly to the publication of his history of Christian III. " Historiæ Danicæ libri 2, QVI res memoratu Dignas complectuntur in Dania Gestas, regnante Chr III from a 1550 ad a 1559 ". But the work first came out some time after his death.

He left a very large library and a vast collection of manuscripts. His widow and friends tried to sell the collection to the State against the back pay and a small widow's pension. However, since there was no sufficient interest, the widow sold the estate to Sweden, where some of the manuscripts is still available. This circumstance, it is thanks to them that the copies and excerpts of the ancient sources of the great fire of the University Library in 1728, where they were destroyed, were not affected.

• Philologist
• Historian
• Dane
• Born in 1599
• Died in 1650
• Man