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Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
,
chronicler A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and lo ...
,
diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
,
soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
. He is considered Poland's first historian.Isayevych, Ya.
Jan Długosz (ДЛУГОШ ЯН)
'. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. 2004


Life

Jan Długosz is best known for his (''Annales seu cronici incliti regni Poloniae'') in 12 volumes and originally written in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, covering events in southeastern Europe, but also in Western Europe, from 965 to 1480, the year he died. Długosz combined features of Medieval chronicles with elements of humanistic historiography. For writing the history of the Kingdom of Poland, Długosz also used Ruthenian (Russian) chronicles including those that did not survive to our times (among which there could have been used the Kyiv collection of chronicles of the 11th century in the Przemysl's edition around 1100 and the Przemysl episcopal collections of 1225–40). His work was first printed in 1701–1703. It was originally printed at the Jan Szeliga printing house in
Dobromyl Dobrómyl’ ( ua, Добро́миль, links=no, pl, Dobromil, links=no) is a city in Sambir Raion, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located some 5 kilometers from the border with Poland. It hosts the administration of Dobromyl urban hromada, one of ...
financed by Jan Szczęsny Herburt. Whenever Jan Długosz bothers to mention himself in the book, he writes of himself in the
third person Third person, or third-person, may refer to: * Third person (grammar), a point of view (in English, ''he'', ''she'', ''it'', and ''they'') ** Illeism, the act of referring to oneself in the third person * Third-person narrative, a perspective in p ...
. He belonged to the Wieniawa
coat-of-arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its w ...
. Długosz was a
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
at
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
, educated at the
University of Krakow The Jagiellonian University ( Polish: ''Uniwersytet Jagielloński'', UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and the 13th oldest university in ...
. He was sent by King
Casimir IV Jagiellon Casimir IV (in full Casimir IV Andrew Jagiellon; pl, Kazimierz IV Andrzej Jagiellończyk ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447, until his death. He was one of the m ...
of Poland on diplomatic missions to the
Papal The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
and
Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...
courts, and was involved in the King's negotiations with the
Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
during the Thirteen Years' War (1454–66) and at the peace negotiations. In 1434, Długosz's uncle, the first pastor at
Kłobuck Kłobuck (german: Klobutzko) is a town in southern Poland, with 12,934 inhabitants (2019). Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, about 15 km northwest of Częstochowa, it is the capital of Kłobuck County. Historically, Kłobuck belongs to ...
, appointed him to take over his position as canon of St. Martin church there. The town was in the
Opole Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ; * Silesian: ** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole'' ** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole'' * Silesian German: ''Uppeln'' * Czech: ''Opolí'' * Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city loc ...
territory of
Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
, but had recently been conquered by
Władysław II Jagiełło Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło ()He is known under a number of names: lt, Jogaila Algirdaitis; pl, Władysław II Jagiełło; be, Jahajła (Ягайла). See also: Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło. w ...
. Długosz stayed until 1452 and while there, founded the canonical monastery. In 1450, Długosz was sent by Queen Sophia of Halshany and King Casimir to conduct peace negotiations between
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (, , , ; 1406 – 11 August 1456) was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of ...
and the
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
n noble Jan Jiskra of Brandýs, and after six days' of talks convinced them to sign a truce. In 1455 in
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
, a fire spread which destroyed much of the city and the castle, but which spared . In 1461 a Polish delegation which included Długosz met with emissaries of
George of Podebrady George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Preside ...
in
Bytom Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', german: Beuthen O.S.) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital ...
,
Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
. After six days of talks, they concluded an alliance between the two factions. In 1466 Długosz was sent to the legate of
Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
, in order to attempt to obtain assurance that the legate was not biased in favor of the
Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
. He was successful, and was in 1467 entrusted with tutoring the king's son. Długosz declined the offer of the Archbishopric of Prague, but shortly before his death was nominated
Archbishop of Lwów The Latin Archdiocese of Lviv ( la, Archidioecesis Leopolitanus Latinorum) was erected on August 28, 1412 in the city of Lwów (today Lviv). It serves as a metropolitan see of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine. The principal patron of the Arch ...
. This nomination was only confirmed by
Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...
on 2 June 1480, two weeks after his death. His work ''Banderia Prutenorum'' of 1448 is his description of the 1410
Battle of Grunwald The Battle of Grunwald, Battle of Žalgiris or First Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respec ...
, which took place between villages of Grunwald and
Stębark Stębark (1945-46 ''Sztymbark'', german: Tannenberg) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Grunwald, within Ostróda County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. The village is chiefly known for two historic battles wh ...
. At some point in his life Długosz loosely translated
Wigand of Marburg Wigand of Marburg (german: Wigand von Marburg)Note that ''von Marburg'' is a purely descriptive title added to his original name of Wigand by later historians, rather than a proper surname. Also the ''von'' should not be confused with a preposition ...
's ''
Chronica nova Prutenica A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and lo ...
'' from
Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. High ...
into
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, however with many mistakes and mixup of names and places.Samples of Jan Dlugosz mistakes and mixups on Pages 431-434
in Scriptorum Rerum Prussicarum


Works

* ''
Liber beneficiorum In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of th ...
dioecesis Cracoviensis'' *''
Annales seu cronicae incliti Regni Poloniae Annals are a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically, year by year. The equivalent word in Latin and French is ''annales'', which is used untranslated in English in various contexts. List of works with titles contai ...
'' (Annals or Chronicles of the Famous Kingdom of Poland) :''Roczniki, czyli kroniki sławnego Królestwa Polskiego'' (new Polish translation of the ''Annals'', 1961–2006) :''The Annals of Jan Dlugosz'' (English translation of key sections of the work, ) *''Historiae Polonicae libri xii'' (Polish Histories, in Twelve Books; written 1455–80; first published 1711–12, in 2 volumes) *''
Banderia Prutenorum The ''Banderia Prutenorum'' is a manuscript of 48 parchment sheets, 18.6 by 29.3 cm (7.3 by 11.5 inches), composed by Jan Długosz and illuminated by Stanisław Durink, listing 56 , or banners, of the Order of the Teutonic Knights. Th ...
'', flag book, completed in or shortly after 1448, when painted the illuminations.


See also

*
Jan Długosz Award The Jan Długosz Award (Polish: ''Nagroda im. Jana Długosza'') is a Polish literary prize which has been presented annually since 1998 during the Kraków Book Fair. It is named in honor of Polish medieval chronicler Jan Długosz (1415–1480) ...
*
History of Poland The history of Poland spans over a thousand years, from medieval tribes, Christianization and monarchy; through Poland's Golden Age, expansionism and becoming one of the largest European powers; to its collapse and partitions, two world wars ...


References


External links

*
Liber beneficiorum ecclesiae Cracoviensis
' ("Book of the Benefices of the Bishopric of Krakow") At the National Digital Library of Poland {{DEFAULTSORT:Dlugosz, Jan 1415 births 1480 deaths 15th-century Latin writers 15th-century Polish historians 15th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Poland Archbishops of Lviv Canons of Kraków People from Pajęczno County Polish chroniclers Polish heraldists Polish male non-fiction writers Jagiellonian University alumni