Epistolæ Obscurorum Virorum

The Letters of Obscure Men ( Epistolae obscurorum virorum ) was a common intention with satirical series of fake Latin letters from the year 1515, attracted scholasticism into the ridiculous with the German humanists. This time was still widespread in the universities.

Background

The occasion was the strife of the Cologne Dominicans with the Hebrew scholar Johannes Reuchlin to the question of whether Jewish writings, especially the Talmud, should be burned or not. For ban and combustion primarily Johannes Pfefferkorn began, a Jew converted to Christianity, while Reuchlin argued for the preservation of the Scriptures. The dispute between Pfefferkorn and Reuchlin began in 1511 and took place largely in the form of writings and counter- writings; on Pfefferkorns Handtspiegel responded Reuchlin with his ophthalmoscope. The dispute escalated by the fact that large parts of the former educational elite in Germany and beyond Germany taken for one of the two sides of the party, said on pages Pfefferkorns esp. the Dominicans and scholastic theologians were, including Ortwin Gratius, the inquisitor Jakob van Hoogstraten and the University of Paris; Reuchlin, however, was supported by some of the most famous humanists of Germany, led by Ulrich von Hutten, Crotus Rubeanus, Mutianus Rufus, Helius Eobanus Hessus and others, from among whom came a few letters published Reuchlin 1514 as Epistolae clarorum virorum ( letters from famous men). ( The Latin word clarus means both " light " and " excellent, famous ". )

On this item the Epistolae obscurorum Virorum knüpften ( Letters of Obscure Men ) that beginning in October 1515 and were published anonymously in an extended version in 1516, printed by Heinrich Gran in Haguenau. They contained in Volume 41 letters, which in an annex 7 more letters were attached ( 2nd edition 1516); a second collection of 62 letters followed 1517. As the main author of the first part applies to the Erfurt humanists circle around Mutianus Rufus belonging Crotus Rubeanus. The second part is mainly attributed to Ulrich von Hutten, to a lesser extent also Hermann von dem Busche in Leipzig.

Content

The work contains fake letters supposedly write a series of Dominicans, including from Erfurt, Leipzig and other German cities mainly Gratius and ask him some advice, partly to assure him their solidarity on the matter with Reuchlin. The letters in the form and content are designed so that they are intended to act as a self-exposure of the participants. So there is still a fault- studded kitchen Latin and scholastic manner abstruse etymologies are troubled Latin terms. " The late scholastic clerics are portrayed as ignorant, lazy thinking, orthodox and zealous, as philistine - saturated and intent on sensual pleasure; their method mainly consists Quote ( Bible, Aristotle, textbooks and manuals, as well as Significantly Ovid Ars Amatoria ). "

Compared with Reuchlin and his followers, whom there lacked in the necessary theological qualification, you give yourself justice. To attack the clergy, also detail love adventure and revelry are discussed. The Bakkalaureaten show themselves to the religious superior compared with very humble and zealous, at the same time one pursues concerned the further course of Reuchlin affair that does not really progressing to the satisfaction of the Dominicans; but they console themselves with the fact that, if even the Pope should decide for Reuchlin, one could counter it if necessary with a council.

The University of Vienna appears as humanistic stronghold: " there are so many Reuchlinists at any other university"; then Joachim Vadian, the then rector (in winter semester 1516/17 ), Georg Tannstetter, John Cuspinian and others are enumerated.

Reception

Pope Leo X in 1520 forbade the further spread of the " Letters of Obscure Men ". Some of the parodied Dominicans did not recognize the satirical character of the work and instead concurred in the positions shown exaggerated. More moderate humanists such as Erasmus and Thomas More, praised the clever wit of the work, but took not the aggravated particularly by Hutten text portions polarization of the parties. Martin Luther, which was concerned with the preservation of the seriousness of the anti-Roman criticism of satire was little abgewinnen and called the unknown author of a " buffoon ". As the author himself first Reuchlin, Erasmus and Ulrich von Hutten was suspected at first, and Hutten, Reuchlin, the authorship but denied early. Since Franz Wilhelm Kamp Schulte (1862 ) and David Friedrich Strauss applies Crotus Rubeanus as the main author of the Letters of Obscure Men. 1875 appeared a first translation into German.

Expenditure

• [lat ] [Volume I] Epistolae obscvrorvm virorvm ad venerabi | lem virum Magistrum Ortuinum Gratium Dauentriensem | Coloniae Agrippinae Bonas Litteras docentem: | varijs et locis et Temporibus missae: | ac demum in volume | coactae. | Add Uenetia Contacts in impressoria Aldi Minutij: Anno quo su = | pra cauisatum etiam est vt in alijs / ne quis audeat post | nos impressare per decennium by illustris = | simum principem TSOWs | tianorum. | [ Imprint faked; i.e. Haguenau: Heinrich Gran, just before the October 19, 1515; First, anonymous ].
• [lat ] [Volume II] Epistole obscurorum virorum ad Magistrum Ortuinum | Gratium Dauentriensem Colonie latinas Litteras pro | fitentem non illae quidem veteres et prius visae: sed et nouae et illis prioribus | Elegantia argutijs lepore ac venustate longe the superior. | Ad Lectorem. | Risum Heraclitae est: vasti ridere parati | Arida mutarunt pectora Stoiciae | Da mihi dreary animum: fetal obijce luctus | Dispeream nisi omnia mox Risus ERUNT. | Exerce pulmonem. | Imprint Romanae Curie. | [ Imprint faked; i.e. Cologne: Heinrich von Neuss, no later than the spring of 1517 ( before 27 April); First, anonymous ].
• [lat ] Epistolae obscurorum virorum. Dialogus ex obscurorum virorum salibus cribratus. Adversariorum scripta. Defensio contra Ioannis Pepericorni famosas et Criminales obscurorum virorum epistolas. Ortuini Gratii Lamentationes obscurorum virorum. Uno volumine Comprehensa [ Editio minor]. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner 1869 ( iv, 448; 373, 32 pp. )
• [lat ] Aloys Bomer (ed.): Epistolae obscurorum Virorum (Series: sting writings Older series, 1 - 2 vols, Vol I:. Einmführung, Vol II: text). R. Weiss Bach: Heidelberg 1924 reprint: Scientia. Aalen, 1978 ( 2 volumes in 1 vol ) - Applicable edition of the Letters.
• [lat - engl. ] Epistolae obscurorum virorum [Letters I, 1; II, 9; II, 26]. In: Hedwig Heger (ed.): Late Middle Ages, Humanism, Reformation. Texts and testimonies, Part 2 Band: Golden Age of Humanism and Reformation, CH Beck: Munich 1978 ( = The German literature, texts and references, 2 ), pp. 156-174.
• [lat, with student comm. ] Franz Wachinger: prose and poetry of the Renaissance ( Ratio. learning objective related Latin texts, Vol 39/1-2 ). C. C. Buchner: Bamberg 2001; Text Band: pp. 14-17: Epist. I, 21 (shortened), Epist. II, 48; to comment tape: p 15-19. - 3-7661-5869-4 3-7661-5889-9 &

Translations

• Translations with professional scientific and philological orientation: . [lat - engl: Letters I, 1; II, 9; II, 26]. In: Hedwig Heger (ed.): Late Middle Ages, Humanism, Reformation (see above).
• [Letters I, 4; II, 53; II 0.58-60 ] Letters of Obscure Men. In: Winfried Trillitzsch ( Hg / Übers. . ): The German Renaissance humanism. Demolition and selection ( Loeb Classical Library 900). Reclam: Leipzig 1981, p 441-449.
• Karl Riha ( ed.), Letters of Obscure Men. At Master Ortuin Gratius from Deventer (island Paperback 1297 ). Island: Frankfurt q.s. 1991 - ISBN 3-458-32997-8.

• Wilhelm Binder ( Hg / Übers. . ): Letters of Obscure Men. Subtitles: On Master Ortuin Gratius from Deventer, professor of fine arts at Cologne. Rübling; Stuttgart 1876; again Paul Stötzner: Gera 1898; back Seifert, Koestritz 1904 ( claims: " For the first time translated into German ").
• Complete edition. Translated by Wilhelm Binder. Revised, annotate and afterword by Peter Amelung. Winkler: Munich 1964.