Albertanus of Brescia
Encyclopedia
Albertanus of Brescia author of Latin
social treatises and sermons.
, in northern Italy, but little is known of his early life. He had three sons Vincent, Stephen, and John (who was a surgeon). He was a notary
and causidici (professional legal counselor).
He first appears in the historical record in 1226 as a judge renewing the Lombard League
. In 1238 he was named captain to defend the town of Gavardo
against the forces of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
. Defeated, he was imprisoned for a few months at Cremona
, where he found the time to start a writing career.
His first work was De amore et dilectione Dei et proximi et aliarum rerum et de forma vitae ("On love and delight in God and in neighbor and other matters concerning the rule of life"; 1238), a treatise on Christian conceptions of life under religious rule which quotes frequently from Seneca the Younger
's Epistulae morales ad Lucilium
(64 AD). In 1245 he wrote the treatise De doctrina dicendia et tacendi ("On teaching about speech and silence"), which discussed the place of notaries in public life, and more generally explored the newly emerging role of the professional in public life.
Albertanus' best known work is Liber consolationis et consilii ("The book of consolation and council"). Written in 1246, it dramatically investigates the causes of human violence by examining the urban vendetta
. Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Tale of Melibee
" is a close translation of Renaud de Louens' Livre de Melibee et de Dame Prudence (1336) which is itself a translation of Albertanus' Liber consolationis et consilii.
His last work is from 1250 and is a series of four sermons presented to his fellow causidici at Brescia, in which he explained the meaning of their rule.
In total he was the author of three major treatises and five ‘sermons’, public addresses to his fellow causidici at their professional meetings.
A central goal from the start for Albertanus was to present a rule of life that would lay the foundation for a good society. He believed in the importance of moral restraint based on voluntary participation in a community.
, Cicero
, St. Augustine
, the Wisdom literature
of the Old Testament
and some 12th century authors.
Albertanus was very influential, his works were known and used by: Brunetto Latini
, John Gower
, Peter Idle, Erhart Gross, Geoffrey Chaucer
, Renaut de Louens, Dirc Potter, Heinrich Schlüsselfelder, Antonio de Torquemada
, Jan van Boendale, archbishop Pedro Gomez Barroso of Seville, Bono Giamboni, Raimund of Béziers, Zucchero Bencivenni, the author of the Fiore di virtù, the author of the Cavallero Zifar, Guilhelm Molinier, Christine de Pizan
, Jacobus von Jüterbog, Aegidius Albertinus and Fernando de Rojas
.
There were many translations of his works into French, German, Tuscan, Venetian, Spanish, Catalan and Dutch with wide circulation well into the 15th and early 16th centuries, a testament to his broader influence on society. The Tuscan version was made by Andrea of Grosseto, who was considered one of the first writers in Italian language.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
social treatises and sermons.
Biography
Albertanus was from BresciaBrescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
, in northern Italy, but little is known of his early life. He had three sons Vincent, Stephen, and John (who was a surgeon). He was a notary
Civil law notary
Civil-law notaries, or Latin notaries, are lawyers of noncontentious private civil law who draft, take, and record legal instruments for private parties, provide legal advice and give attendance in person, and are vested as public officers with the authentication power of the State...
and causidici (professional legal counselor).
He first appears in the historical record in 1226 as a judge renewing the Lombard League
Lombard League
The Lombard League was an alliance formed around 1167, which at its apex included most of the cities of northern Italy , including, among others, Crema, Cremona, Mantua, Piacenza, Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, Genoa, Bologna, Padua, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Treviso, Venice, Vercelli, Vicenza, Verona,...
. In 1238 he was named captain to defend the town of Gavardo
Gavardo
Gavardo is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy.As of 2007 Gavardo had an estimated population of 11,337....
against the forces of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
. Defeated, he was imprisoned for a few months at Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
, where he found the time to start a writing career.
His first work was De amore et dilectione Dei et proximi et aliarum rerum et de forma vitae ("On love and delight in God and in neighbor and other matters concerning the rule of life"; 1238), a treatise on Christian conceptions of life under religious rule which quotes frequently from Seneca the Younger
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
's Epistulae morales ad Lucilium
Epistulae morales ad Lucilium
The Epistulae morales ad Lucilium is a bundle of 124 letters which were written by Seneca the Younger at the end of his life. These letters all start with the phrase "Seneca Lucilio suo salutem" and end with the word "Vale" . In these letters, Seneca gives Lucilius tips on how to become a more...
(64 AD). In 1245 he wrote the treatise De doctrina dicendia et tacendi ("On teaching about speech and silence"), which discussed the place of notaries in public life, and more generally explored the newly emerging role of the professional in public life.
Albertanus' best known work is Liber consolationis et consilii ("The book of consolation and council"). Written in 1246, it dramatically investigates the causes of human violence by examining the urban vendetta
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
. Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Tale of Melibee
The Tale of Melibee
The Tale of Melibee is one of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.This is the second tale told by Chaucer himself as a character within the tales...
" is a close translation of Renaud de Louens' Livre de Melibee et de Dame Prudence (1336) which is itself a translation of Albertanus' Liber consolationis et consilii.
His last work is from 1250 and is a series of four sermons presented to his fellow causidici at Brescia, in which he explained the meaning of their rule.
In total he was the author of three major treatises and five ‘sermons’, public addresses to his fellow causidici at their professional meetings.
A central goal from the start for Albertanus was to present a rule of life that would lay the foundation for a good society. He believed in the importance of moral restraint based on voluntary participation in a community.
Influences
Albertanus read and was influenced by Seneca the YoungerSeneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
, Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, St. Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
, the Wisdom literature
Wisdom literature
Wisdom literature is the genre of literature common in the Ancient Near East. This genre is characterized by sayings of wisdom intended to teach about divinity and about virtue...
of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and some 12th century authors.
Albertanus was very influential, his works were known and used by: Brunetto Latini
Brunetto Latini
Brunetto Latini was an Italian philosopher, scholar and statesman.-Life:...
, John Gower
John Gower
John Gower was an English poet, a contemporary of William Langland and a personal friend of Geoffrey Chaucer. He is remembered primarily for three major works, the Mirroir de l'Omme, Vox Clamantis, and Confessio Amantis, three long poems written in French, Latin, and English respectively, which...
, Peter Idle, Erhart Gross, Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
, Renaut de Louens, Dirc Potter, Heinrich Schlüsselfelder, Antonio de Torquemada
Antonio de Torquemada
For other people with this surname, see TorquemadaAntonio de Torquemada , was a Spanish writer of the Renaissance....
, Jan van Boendale, archbishop Pedro Gomez Barroso of Seville, Bono Giamboni, Raimund of Béziers, Zucchero Bencivenni, the author of the Fiore di virtù, the author of the Cavallero Zifar, Guilhelm Molinier, Christine de Pizan
Christine de Pizan
Christine de Pizan was a Venetian-born late medieval author who challenged misogyny and stereotypes prevalent in the male-dominated medieval culture. As a poet, she was well known and highly regarded in her own day; she completed 41 works during her 30 year career , and can be regarded as...
, Jacobus von Jüterbog, Aegidius Albertinus and Fernando de Rojas
Fernando de Rojas
Fernando de Rojas was a Spanish author about whom little information is known. He possibly attended the University of Salamanca. Although his family was of Jewish ancestry, they were conversos, or Jews who had converted to Christianity under pressure from the Spanish crown...
.
There were many translations of his works into French, German, Tuscan, Venetian, Spanish, Catalan and Dutch with wide circulation well into the 15th and early 16th centuries, a testament to his broader influence on society. The Tuscan version was made by Andrea of Grosseto, who was considered one of the first writers in Italian language.
External links
- Albertano of Brescia: Resource Site, by Angus Graham. Includes full works in Latin and/or English.