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Lucas Holstenius, born Lukas Holste, sometimes called Holstein (1596 – 2 February 1661), was a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...
,
geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...
,
historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
, and
librarian A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...
.


Life

Born at
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
in 1596, he studied at the gymnasium of Hamburg, and later at
Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...
, where he was closely acquainted with some of the most famous scholars of the age, including
Johannes Meursius Johannes Meursius (van Meurs) (9 February 1579 – 20 September 1639) was a Dutch classical scholar and antiquary. Biography Meursius was born Johannes van Meurs at Loosduinen, near The Hague. He was extremely precocious, and at the age of s ...
,
Daniel Heinsius Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
and Philip Cluverius, whom in 1618 he accompanied on his travels in Italy and Sicily, thus giving him a taste for the study of geography. Disappointed at his failure on his return to obtain a post in the gymnasium of his native Hamburg, he left Germany for good. Having spent two years from 1622 in England, at
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, gathering materials for his ''Geographi Minores'', he then proceeded to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. At Paris in 1624, he became librarian to the President de Mesmes, the friend of the scholarly brothers Dupuy, and the correspondent of N. Peiresc. At this time he was converted to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. He was probably led to take this step from reading the writings on mystical theology of the Greek and Latin Fathers. In 1627 he went to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, and through the influence of Peiresc was admitted to the household of Cardinal Francesco Barberini, former papal
nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international or ...
and the possessor of the most important private library in Rome. In 1636 he became the cardinal's librarian. Much of Holstenius' collection was deposited in the
Biblioteca Angelica The Biblioteca Angelica ( en, Angelica Library) is a public library located in Rome, Italy. In front of the ''Piazza Sant'Agostino'' square, adjacent to the church of Sant'Agostino, not far from Piazza Navona. The library holds about over 130,00 ...
in Rome. Finally, under
Innocent X Pope Innocent X ( la, Innocentius X; it, Innocenzo X; 6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death in January ...
, he was placed in charge of the
Vatican Library The Vatican Apostolic Library ( la, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, it, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City. Formally es ...
. The popes sent him on various honorable missions, such as bearing the cardinal's hat to the nuncio at Warsaw in 1629, and
Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, an ...
sent him to
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
to receive the formal abjuration of
Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
from Christina, former Queen of Sweden. He also acted as intermediary in the conversion of the Danish nobleman, Friedrich, Landgrave of Hessen-Darmstadt and of Christoph, Graf von Rantzau. Mostly, however, he was occupied with his studies. Holstenius formed great projects. He was a man of unwearied industry and immense learning, but he lacked the persistency to carry out the vast literary schemes he had planned. Among them, he desired to correct
Philipp Clüver Philipp Clüver (also Klüwer, Cluwer, or Cluvier, Latinized as Philippus Cluverius and Philippi Cluverii) (1580 – 31 December 1622) was an Early Modern German geographer and historian. Life Clüver was born in Danzig (Gdańsk), in Royal ...
's errors and complete his work; to edit, translate and comment the works of the
Neoplatonists Neoplatonism is a strand 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 chain of thinkers. But there are some ide ...
; to form a collection of the unedited homilies of the
Greek Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...
; to collect inscriptions; to write a critical commentary on the Greek text of the Bible; to form a collection of all the monuments and acts of the history of the popes. These diverse undertakings consumed his energies and filled his notebooks, but without profit to scholarship. His notes and collations have been used by various editors. Holstenius died on 2 February 1661 in Rome.


Works

The principal works that Holstenius actually published are notes on Cluvier's ''Italia antiqua'' (1624); an edition of portions of Porphyry (1630), with a dissertation on his life and writings; notes on ''
Eusebius Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian ...
Against Hierocles'' (1628), on the ''Sayings of the later
Pythagoreans Pythagoreanism originated in the 6th century BC, based on and around the teachings and beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans. Pythagoras established the first Pythagorean community in the ancient Greek colony of Kroton, ...
'' (1638), and the ''De diis et mundo'' of the neo-Platonist
Sallustius The names Sallustius/Saloustios and their vernacular variants Sallust(e) have been borne by many people: * Sallust or Gaius Sallustius Crispus, historian of the 1st century BC **Gardens of Sallust * Gaius Sallustius Passienus Crispus, 1st-century A ...
(1638); an edition of
Arrian Arrian of Nicomedia (; Greek: ''Arrianos''; la, Lucius Flavius Arrianus; ) was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander and philosopher of the Roman period. ''The Anabasis of Alexander'' by Arrian is considered the best ...
's treatise on the Chase (1644), and the ''Codex regularum monasticarum'', a collection of monastic rules (1661). This last included in an appendix the first printing of the '' De admonitio ad filium spiritualem''. He also rediscovered and edited for the first time the '' Liber Diurnus Romanorum Pontificum'', a collection of ancient Roman chancery formulae used in the administration of the Roman Church (1660), but this edition, however, was immediately suppressed by
Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, an ...
. Holstenius is also important as the first to locate Horace's ''fanum Vacunae'' (the shrine of Vacuna, mentioned in Epistles 1.10.49) as that of
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
in
Roccagiovine Roccagiovine ( Romanesco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about northeast of Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder ...
following the discovery there of an inscription commemorating Vespasian's restoration of the shrine of Victoria.Annotationes in Geographiam sacram Caroli a S. Paulo, Italiam antiquam Cluuerii, et Thesaurum geographicum Ortelii: quibus accedit Dissertatio duplex de sacramento confirmationis apud graecos (Rome 1666) 106. After his death there were published from his papers collections of synods and ecclesiastical monuments, the ''Collectio romana bipartita'' (1662), also the acts of the martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas;
Boniface Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
;
Tarachus, Probus and Andronicus Andronicus, Probus (Provos), and Tarachus (Tharacus, Tarachos) were martyrs of the Diocletian persecution (about 304 AD). According to tradition, Tarachus was beaten with stones. Probus was thrashed with whips, his back and sides were pierced wi ...
(1663); ''Notae et castigationes in Stephan Byzantini ethnica'' (1684).


References

*Holstenius's correspondence (''Epistolae ad diversos'', ed. J.F. Boissonade, 1817), a valuable source of information on the literary history of his time * Nicolaus Wilckens, ''Leben des gelehrten Lucae Holstenii'' (Hamburg, 1723) * Johann Möller, ''Cimbria literata'', iii. (1744). * Alfonso Mirto, ''Lucas Holstenius e la corte medicea. Carteggio (1629-1660)'', Firenze, Leo S. Olschki, 1999 ;Specific ;Attribution * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holstenius, Lucas 1596 births 1661 deaths Converts to Roman Catholicism German Renaissance humanists 17th-century German Catholic theologians Leiden University alumni Writers from Hamburg German male non-fiction writers German librarians 17th-century German writers 17th-century German male writers