Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
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 deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
,
chronicler,
diplomat
A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...
,
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer.
Etymology
The wo ...
, and secretary to Bishop
Zbigniew Oleśnicki of
Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
. 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 languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, covering events throughout southeastern and 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 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 financed by Jan Szczęsny Herburt.][ Whenever Jan Długosz bothers to mention himself in the book, he writes of himself in the third person. He belonged to the Wieniawa coat-of-arms.
Długosz was a canon at ]Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, where he lived in the Długosz House, and was educated at the University of Krakow. He was sent by King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland on diplomatic missions to the Papal and Imperial courts, and was involved in the King's negotiations with the Teutonic Knights during the Thirteen Years' War (1454–66) and at the peace negotiations.
When scholar Sandivogius of Czechel left Krakow, Długosz as his friend kept him in touch with the university.
In 1434, Długosz's uncle, the first pastor at Kłobuck, appointed him to take over his position as canon of St. Martin church there. The town was in the Opole territory of Silesia, but had recently been conquered by Władysław II Jagiełło
Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło (),Other names include (; ) (see also Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło) was Grand Duke of Lithuania beginning in 1377 and starting in 1386, becoming King of Poland as well. ...
. 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 and the Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
n noble Jan Jiskra of Brandýs, and after six days' of talks convinced them to sign a truce.
In 1455 in Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, a fire spread which destroyed much of the city and the castle, but which spared Długosz's House.
In 1461 a Polish delegation which included Długosz met with emissaries of George of Podebrady in Bytom, Silesia. After six days of talks, they concluded an alliance between the two factions. In 1466 Długosz was sent to the legate of Wrocław
Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
, in order to attempt to obtain assurance that the legate was not biased in favor of the Teutonic Knights. 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. This nomination was only confirmed by Pope Sixtus IV on 2 June 1480, two weeks after his death.
His work ''Banderia Prutenorum'' of 1448 is his description of the 1410 Battle of Grunwald, which took place between villages of Grunwald and Stębark.
At some point in his life Długosz loosely translated Wigand of Marburg's '' Chronica nova Prutenica'' from Middle High German
Middle High German (MHG; or ; , shortened as ''Mhdt.'' or ''Mhd.'') is the term for the form of High German, High German language, German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High ...
into Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, 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 dioecesis Cracoviensis''
*'' Annales seu cronicae incliti Regni Poloniae'' (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'', flag book, completed in or shortly after 1448, when painted the illuminations.
See also
* Jan Długosz Award
* History of Poland
* Długosz House in Sandomierz
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 writers in Latin
15th-century Polish historians
15th-century Polish clergy
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