Péter Révay
Encyclopedia
Baron Péter Révay de Szklabina et Blathnicza (used aliases of his name include Révai, Rewa, Réva; 2 February 1568, Sklabiňa
– 4 June 1622, Trenčín
) was a Hungarian
nobleman, Royal Crown Guard for the Holy Crown of Hungary, poet
, state official, soldier
and historian
.
He is the grandson of Ferenc Révay
.
family from the Turóc
region. He is the third child of Mihály Révay and his mother Anna Bakičová. He received education in Bardejov
, Jihlava
, probably also in Vienna
, and between 1589 and 1591 in Strassbourg, where he was awarded the title of a Master of Philosophy. In 1598 he became the hereditary county head (called a főispán
) of the Turóc
Comitatus
. From 1601 he discharged the duties of a Royal Commissary. He became Royal Crown Guard in 1608. In 1610 he became the Royal Courtmaster, from 1615 the Chief Doormaster, and from 1619 a Tablemaster. He had a relatively wide-reaching knowledge of philosophy
and history
, mastered the art of oration, several languages, built a rich library, and thanks to the above became a respected political and cultural personality. He fought in a war with the Ottoman empire
(Esztergom
, Visegrád
, Fiľakovo
, Nógrád
). He also became one of the leading representatives of Lutheran
nobility, supporting sacral literature. He died in Trenčín
, but was buried in Martin
.
historical literature and patriotic works. Révay started producing literature during his studies in Strassbourg. His first work (besides his master thesis) was published in 1592 (article De parricidio(Grand Treason)). As one of the first historian in the territory of Hungary
, he argued for the ancientness of the Slavs
. His works presented Hungary
as a multi-national state. His correspondence with the officials of his county was conducted in a cultivated Slovak
.
Sklabiná
Sklabiná is a village and municipality in the Veľký Krtíš District of the Banská Bystrica Region of southern Slovakia.-External links:*http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html...
– 4 June 1622, Trenčín
Trencín
Trenčín is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 56,000, which makes it the ninth largest municipality of the country and is the seat of the Trenčín Region and the Trenčín District...
) was a Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
nobleman, Royal Crown Guard for the Holy Crown of Hungary, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, state official, soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and historian
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 study of all history in time. If the individual is...
.
He is the grandson of Ferenc Révay
Ferenc Révay
Ferenc Révay of Szklabina and Blatnicza, was a palatine in the Kingdom of Hungary, thus was ranking second to the King.-Biography:...
.
Life
Péter Révay was a member of an old RévayRévay
The Révay Family was a Hungarian noble family, who owned estates in Turóc county, the Kingdom of Hungary until the early 20th century. Their property included i.a...
family from the Turóc
Turiec
Turóc , , /comitatus Thurociensis) is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary...
region. He is the third child of Mihály Révay and his mother Anna Bakičová. He received education in Bardejov
Bardejov
Bardejov is a town in North-Eastern Slovakia. It is situated in the Šariš region and has about 33,000 inhabitants. The spa town, mentioned for the first time in 1241, exhibits numerous cultural monuments in its completely intact medieval town center...
, Jihlava
Jihlava
Jihlava is a city in the Czech Republic. Jihlava is a centre of the Vysočina Region, situated on the Jihlava river on the ancient frontier between Moravia and Bohemia, and is the oldest mining town in the Czech Republic, ca. 50 years older than Kutná Hora.Among the principal buildings are the...
, probably also in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and between 1589 and 1591 in Strassbourg, where he was awarded the title of a Master of Philosophy. In 1598 he became the hereditary county head (called a főispán
Župa
A Župa is a Slavic term, used historically among the Southern and Western branches of the Slavs, originally denoting various territorial and other sub-units, usually a small administrative division, especially a gathering of several villages...
) of the Turóc
Turiec
Turóc , , /comitatus Thurociensis) is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary...
Comitatus
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
. From 1601 he discharged the duties of a Royal Commissary. He became Royal Crown Guard in 1608. In 1610 he became the Royal Courtmaster, from 1615 the Chief Doormaster, and from 1619 a Tablemaster. He had a relatively wide-reaching knowledge of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, mastered the art of oration, several languages, built a rich library, and thanks to the above became a respected political and cultural personality. He fought in a war with the Ottoman empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
(Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
, Visegrád
Visegrád
Visegrád is a small castle town in Pest County, Hungary.Situated north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend, Visegrád has a population 1,654 as of 2001...
, Fiľakovo
Filakovo
Fiľakovo is a town in the Banská Bystrica Region of south-central Slovakia. Historically it was part of the Nógrád region.-Geography:...
, Nógrád
Nógrád
Nógrád is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary.- External links :*...
). He also became one of the leading representatives of Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
nobility, supporting sacral literature. He died in Trenčín
Trencín
Trenčín is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 56,000, which makes it the ninth largest municipality of the country and is the seat of the Trenčín Region and the Trenčín District...
, but was buried in Martin
Martin, Slovakia
Martin is a city in northern Slovakia, situated on the Turiec river, between the Malá Fatra and Veľká Fatra mountains, near the city of Žilina. The population numbers approximately 58,000, which makes it the eighth largest city in Slovakia...
.
Work
His poetry and historical works influenced the later SlovakSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
historical literature and patriotic works. Révay started producing literature during his studies in Strassbourg. His first work (besides his master thesis) was published in 1592 (article De parricidio(Grand Treason)). As one of the first historian in the territory of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, he argued for the ancientness of the Slavs
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
. His works presented Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
as a multi-national state. His correspondence with the officials of his county was conducted in a cultivated Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
.
List of works
- 1591 - De laudibus Ciceronis, a lecture advocating oration
- 1591 - De quattuor virtutibus cardinalibus, a tractate
- 1591 - Disputatio de mutuo materiae
- 1592 - De parricidio, article
- 1613 - De sacra corona regni Hungariae ortu, virtuti, victoria, fortuna… brevis commentarius, A discourse of the Holy Crown of Hungary.
- 1659 - De monarchia et sacra corona regni hungariae centuriae septem a more comprehensive work about the history of the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom of HungaryThe Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
and the Holy Crown of Hungary.
See also
- RévayRévayThe Révay Family was a Hungarian noble family, who owned estates in Turóc county, the Kingdom of Hungary until the early 20th century. Their property included i.a...