Carlo Ottavio, Count Castiglione
Encyclopedia
Count Carlo Ottavio Castiglione (1784-1849) was an Italian
philologist and numismatist, born of an ancient family at Milan
, Italy
, in 1784. He was descended from Baldassare Castiglione
, the author of Il Cortegiano. Early in life he displayed a great aptitude for languages and numismatics and quickly acquired a mastery of almost all the Indo-European
and Semitic
languages. In 1819 he published a description of the Kufic
coins in the Gabinetto of Brera at Milan
, under the title, Monete cufiche del museo di Milano (Milan, 1819).
His principal work was done in connection with the Arabic
and other Oriental languages, but he also performed good service in several other departments.
His principal work in Oriental literature is entitled Mémoire géographique et numismatique sur la partie orientale de la Barbarie appelée Afrikia par les Arabes, suivi de recherches sur les Berbères atlantiques (Milan, 1826). In this work, which established his reputation, he endeavours to ascertain the origin and the history of the towns in Barbary whose names are found on Arabic coins.
Outside of Italy he is perhaps best known by his edition, begun in 1819, of some fragments of the Gothic
translation of the Bible
by Ulfilas
, which had been discovered in 1817 by Cardinal Mai
among the palimpsest
s of the Ambrosian Library. At first Castiglione brought out some specimens in conjunction with the cardinal, but later at various times he published by himself a number of fragments of the Epistles of St. Paul
.
In 1829 he published by himself the Gothic version of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians
; and this was followed by the Gothic version of the Epistle to the Romans
, the First Epistle to the Corinthians
, and the Epistle to the Ephesians
in 1834, by Epistle to the Galatians
, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians in 1835, and by 2 Thessalonians in 1839. Besides these he wrote numerous unpublished works on linguistics.
He died at Genoa on the 10th of April 1849. His Life, by Biondelli, appeared at Milan in 1856.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
philologist and numismatist, born of an ancient family at Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in 1784. He was descended from Baldassare Castiglione
Baldassare Castiglione
Baldassare Castiglione, count of was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissance author.-Biography:Castiglione was born into an illustrious Lombard family at Casatico, near Mantua, where his family had constructed an impressive palazzo...
, the author of Il Cortegiano. Early in life he displayed a great aptitude for languages and numismatics and quickly acquired a mastery of almost all the Indo-European
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
and Semitic
Semitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
languages. In 1819 he published a description of the Kufic
Kufic
Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa, Iraq, although it was known in Mesopotamia at least 100 years before the foundation of Kufa. At the time of the emergence of...
coins in the Gabinetto of Brera at Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, under the title, Monete cufiche del museo di Milano (Milan, 1819).
His principal work was done in connection with the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and other Oriental languages, but he also performed good service in several other departments.
His principal work in Oriental literature is entitled Mémoire géographique et numismatique sur la partie orientale de la Barbarie appelée Afrikia par les Arabes, suivi de recherches sur les Berbères atlantiques (Milan, 1826). In this work, which established his reputation, he endeavours to ascertain the origin and the history of the towns in Barbary whose names are found on Arabic coins.
Outside of Italy he is perhaps best known by his edition, begun in 1819, of some fragments of the Gothic
Gothic language
Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. It is known primarily from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century copy of a 4th-century Bible translation, and is the only East Germanic language with a sizable Text corpus...
translation of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
by Ulfilas
Ulfilas
Ulfilas, or Gothic Wulfila , bishop, missionary, and Bible translator, was a Goth or half-Goth and half-Greek from Cappadocia who had spent time inside the Roman Empire at the peak of the Arian controversy. Ulfilas was ordained a bishop by Eusebius of Nicomedia and returned to his people to work...
, which had been discovered in 1817 by Cardinal Mai
Angelo Mai
Angelo Mai was an Italian Cardinal and philologist. He won a European reputation for publishing for the first time a series of previously unknown ancient texts. These he was able to discover and publish, first while in charge of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan and then in the same role at the...
among the palimpsest
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
s of the Ambrosian Library. At first Castiglione brought out some specimens in conjunction with the cardinal, but later at various times he published by himself a number of fragments of the Epistles of St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
.
In 1829 he published by himself the Gothic version of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Second Epistle to the Corinthians
The second epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as Second Corinthians , is the eighth book of the New Testament of the Bible...
; and this was followed by the Gothic version of the Epistle to the Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
, the First Epistle to the Corinthians
First Epistle to the Corinthians
The first epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as First Corinthians , is the seventh book of the New Testament of the Bible...
, and the Epistle to the Ephesians
Epistle to the Ephesians
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, often shortened to Ephesians, is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been credited to Paul, but it is considered by some scholars to be "deutero-Pauline," that is, written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by...
in 1834, by Epistle to the Galatians
Epistle to the Galatians
The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, often shortened to Galatians, is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of Early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia...
, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians in 1835, and by 2 Thessalonians in 1839. Besides these he wrote numerous unpublished works on linguistics.
He died at Genoa on the 10th of April 1849. His Life, by Biondelli, appeared at Milan in 1856.