Augustinus Rotundus

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Augustinus Rotundus (

nobilitation to the szlachta, Rotundus adopted surname Mieleski, or Milewski.[1]

Biography

Rola coat of arms
Church of Saint John's - the Baptist and Evangelist

Rotundus was born in

Latin
: Rotundus), who was a rich furrier in the city of Wieluń.

Rotundus studied in

Execution movement
.

He arrived in

Crown's law. Assigned as vogt of Vilnius in 1552 (most probably suggested by city inhabitants), he became loyal citizen of Lithuania, and wrote several works on Lithuania's history and political polemic works defending Lithuania's rights. In 1558 he was appointed as elder of Stakliškės.[3]

He was married to Sofia Montanówna,

Sejm held in Grodno. He was awarded Rola coat of arms
.

Augustinus Rotundus died on 20 March 1582 and was buried in the church of Saint John's - the Baptist and Evangelist, in Vilnius.

Ideas and works

Rotundus supported Lithuanian statehood against claims of the Polish Crown. He was progenitor of mythical deductions and his passion were noble families. Rotundus contributed to the second and the third Statutes of Lithuania. He collaborated on these acts together with Peter Roisius, Ostafi Wołłowicz and Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł. He personally translated the Second Statute into Latin and added his own study Epitome principum Lituaniae (Lithuanian Dukes Epitome) as a foreword. In this study Rotundus promoted the idea, that Lithuanians together with their Dukes have roots in the ancient Roman Empire, from the mythical house of Palemonids. Similar theories were raised by Jan Długosz, but both were lacking evidences to support this theory.

Rotundus was probably contributing to the second edition of the

Latin: Clemens Ianicius), after the latter died, both published Ianicius artworks.[6]

In 1564 on personal request by Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł Rotundus wrote Rozmowy Polaka z Litwinem (Conversations of Pole with Lithuanian) – a polemic work, where he defended Lithuania's dignity against insults by Polish author Stanisław Orzechowski in Quincunx (1554), "...against disgraceful and mistaken Stanisławs Orzechowski writing, which innocent famous Lithuanian Duchy insulted...". Although it is recognized as Rotundus personal work, after thorough analysis of the work Lithuanian historian Ingė Lukšaitė suggested that it was a collective work by several authors.[7]

Bibliography

  • Rozmowa Polaka z Litwinem 1564 (Conversation of a Pole with a Lithuanian)
  • Epitome principum Lituaniae 1566 (Lithuanian Dukes Epitome)
  • De dignitate ordinis ecclesiastici Regni Poloniae Kraków 1582[8]

References

  1. ^ (in Polish) Zdzisław Czeszejko-Sochacki: Słownik biograficzny adwokatów polskich
  2. ISBN 9986-9435-8-2
    , p. 77
  3. ^ Jovaišas, p.79
  4. ^ Raimonda Ragauskienė and Aivas Ragauskas: Did Augustyn Rotundus Mieleski Have One Or Two Wives? Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ The Other Prussia: Royal Prussia, Poland and Liberty
  6. ^ M1 Renaissance Culture in Poland: The Rise of Humanism
  7. ^ (in Lithuanian) Lukšaitė, Ingė, Andrius Volanas XVI-XVIIa. Lietuvos visuomeninės pertvarkos kryžkelėse (Andrius Volanas in the crossroads of 16th-17th century Lithuania's society reformation), in: A. Volanas Rinktiniai raštai, ed: M. Ročka and I.Lukšaitė, Vilnius, 1996.
  8. ^ (in Polish) Eugeniusz Jarra: Historia Polskiej Filozofii Politycznej, 966-1795

Further reading

  • (in Lithuanian) Poleminiai ir istoriografiniai Augustino Rotundo raštai (Polemic and historigraphic writings by Augustinus Rotundus), articles and translations by various authors in "Šešioliktojo amžiaus raštija, Series: Senoji Lietuvos lteratūra vol.5, Vilnius 2000.
    ISBN 9986-9435-8-2
    p. 75-44.
  • (in Polish) Rozmowa Polaka z Litwinem ( Digitalized book, java required)
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