Karl Otfried Müller ( la, Carolus Mullerus; 28 August 1797 – 1 August 1840) was a German scholar and
Philodorian, or admirer of ancient
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referr ...
, who introduced the modern study of
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...
.
Biography
He was born at Brieg (modern
Brzeg) in
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. S ...
, then in the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
. His father was a chaplain in the
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
n army,
and he was raised in the atmosphere of Protestant
Pietism
Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy an ...
. He attended the
gymnasium of his town. His university education was partly in Breslau (now
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, r ...
) and partly in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
. In Berlin, he was spurred towards the study of
Greek literature, art and history by the influence of
Philipp August Böckh. In 1817, after the publication of his first work, ''Aegineticorum liber'', on the
Aeginetans, he received an appointment at the Magdaleneum in Breslau, and in 1819 he was made adjunct professor of ancient literature at the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
, his subject being the
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsc ...
and history of ancient art. He deepened his understanding of Greek art by travelling in the summer of 1822 to the Netherlands, England and France.
Turning away from the
Enlightenment conception of Greek myth as a reflection of a universal religion in its infancy, Müller placed the study squarely as the outcome of an encounter between the
particular character of a people and a specific historical setting, where, in the broadest sense it has remained, though his convictions that the core of each culture is uniquely its own led him to deny the influence of Egyptian art on Greek art, already being recognised at the time.
Müller's position at Göttingen was made difficult by the political troubles which followed the accession of
Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover
Ernest Augustus (german: Ernst August; 5 June 177118 November 1851) was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death in 1851. As the fifth son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Hanover, he initially seemed unlikely to become a ...
, in 1837, and he applied for permission to travel, leaving Germany in 1839. In April of the following year he reached
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
, having spent the winter in Italy. He investigated the remains of ancient
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...
, visited numerous places in
Peloponnesus
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge wh ...
, and finally went to
Delphi
Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The orac ...
, where he began excavations. He was attacked by intermittent fever, of which he died at Athens. His grave is on the
Colonus hilltop in Athens next to that of
Charles Lenormant
Charles Lenormant (1 June 1802, Paris – 22 November 1859, Athens) was a French archaeologist.
Biography
After pursuing his studies at the Lycée Charlemagne and the Lycée Napoléon, he took up law, but a visit to Italy and Sicily (182 ...
. In 1841 a medal was struck in his honor.
Works
His aim was to form a vivid conception of Greek life as a whole.
[ Undoubtedly he wished to concentrate the results of his whole life of scholarly activity in his '' magnum opus'', ''Geschichten hellenischen Stämme und Städte''. However, he only managed to complete two volumes: ''Orchomenos und die Minyer'' (1820) and ''Die Dorier'' (1824). The latter includes the essay ''Über die Makedonier'', on the settlements, origin and early history of the ]Macedon
Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled ...
ians. He introduced a new standard of accuracy in the cartography
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an i ...
of ancient Greece. In 1828 he published ''Die Etrusker'', a treatise on Etruscan antiquities.
His ''Prolegomena zu einer wissenschaftlichen Mythologie'' (1825), in which he avoided the views of G. F. Creuzer and Christian August Lobeck, prepared the way for the scientific investigation of myths. Working without the benefit of modern understanding of psychology
Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...
, he offered steps towards the "internal idea" of myth and presented techniques for determining the age of a ''mythus'' from the mentions of it in literary sources and a notable chapter on how to separate the ''mythus'' from the modifications of poets and prose writers, and examined the relations that Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
and Hesiod
Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...
bore to their traditions, all of this before the supportive contributions of modern archaeology, philological analysis, or the understanding of oral transmission of myth, a remarkable achievement.
The study of ancient art was promoted by his ''Handbuch der Archäologie der Kunst'' (1830; 3d ed. by Welcker, 1848; English trans. by J. Leitch, London, 1847) and ''Denkmäler der alten Kunst'' (1832), which he wrote in association with Carl Oesterley. In the former work, he coined the term "pornography". The latter work was continued and completed by Friedrich Wieseler (1846–56).
In the last years of his life, he undertook to prepare for the English Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK) was founded in London in 1826, mainly at the instigation of Whig MP Henry Brougham, with the object of publishing information to people who were unable to obtain formal teaching or who pr ...
, a history of Greek literature, which in 1841 appeared posthumously as ''Geschichte der griechischen Litteratur bis auf das Zeitalter Alexanders'' (4th ed., revised and continued by Heitz, 1882–84). It was translated into English from the author's manuscript as ''History of the Literature of Ancient Greece'' and published the previous year in London. Chapters i.-xxii. were translated by Sir George Cornewall Lewis; chapters xxiii.-xxxvi. by J. W. Donaldson, who carried the work down to the taking of Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
by the Turks. It remained one of the best books on the subject for many years.
Müller also published an admirable translation of the ''Eumenides'' of Aeschylus
Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Gree ...
with introductory essays (1833). This was the object of a profound controversy in which Gottfried Hermann
Johann Gottfried Jakob Hermann (28 November 1772 – 31 December 1848) was a German classical scholar and philologist. He published his works under the name Gottfried Hermann or its Latin equivalent .
Biography
He was born in Leipzig. Entering ...
and his followers attacked him with great bitterness. Müller published new editions of Varro, ''De Lingua Latina'' (Leipzig, 1833) and Festus, ''De Significatione Verborum'' (Leipzig, 1839).
Quotes
*"A democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose g ...
likes a large mass and hates all divisions."[''The History and Antiquities of the Doric Race'', Vol II, 1830, p. 396]
Family
His brothers were Julius Müller (1801–1878), a theologian, and Eduard Müller (1804–1875), a philologist.
Notes
References
*
*Calder, W.M., H. Flashar and R. Schlesirt, eds. ''K.O. Müller Reconsidered'', (Urbana) 1995.
* This work in turn cites:
**Memoir of his life by his brother Eduard, prefixed to the posthumous edition of Müller's ''Kleine deutsche Schriften'' (1847), the starting-point of all biographical essays
** Gottfried Christian Friedrich Lücke, ''Erinnerungen an Karl Otfried Müller'' (Göttingen, 1841)
** Karl Ferdinand Ranke, ''Karl Otfried Müller, ein Lebensbild'' (Berlin, 1870)
**Conrad Bursian
Conrad Bursian (; 14 November 1830 – 21 September 1883) was a German philologist and archaeologist.
Biography
He was born at Mutzschen in Saxony. When his parents moved to Leipzig, he received his early education at Thomasschule zu Leipzig ...
, ''Geschichte der klassischen Philologie in Deutschland'' (1883), ii. 1007-1028
** Karl Dilthey, ''Otfried Müller'' (Göttingen, 1898)
** E. Curtius, ''Altertum und Gegenwart''
** J. W. Donaldson, “On the Life and Writings of Karl Otfried Müller” in ''History of the Literature of Ancient Greece'', vol. i.
**O. and Else Kern, ''K. O. Müller, Lebensbild in Briefen an seine Eltern'' (1908), a biography composed from his letters to his parents
**J. E. Sandys
Sir John Edwin Sandys ( "Sands"; 19 May 1844 – 6 July 1922) was an English classical scholar.
Life
Born in Leicester, England on 19 May 1844, Sandys was the 4th son of Rev. Timothy Sandys (1803–1871) and Rebecca Swain (1800–1853). Livi ...
, ''History of Classical Scholarship,'' iii. (1908), 213–216.
*
;Attribution
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mueller, Karl Otfried
1797 births
1840 deaths
People from Brzeg
People from the Province of Silesia
German archaeologists
German classical scholars
Ancient Aegina
Mythographers