Raphael Regius
Encyclopedia
Raphael Regius (ca 1440 – 1520) was a Venetian humanist
, who was active first in Padua
, where he made a reputation as one of the outstanding Classical scholars, then in Venice
, where he moved in the periphery of an elite group composed of a handful of publicly-sanctioned scholars, salaried lecturers employed by the Serenissima
itself: on the fringes of this elite world also moved the scholar-printer Aldus Manutius
(Lowry 1979). The most famous achievement of Regius is his demonstration that the Rhetorica ad C. Herennium, or Rhetorica secunda, was not written by Cicero
, a milestone in the development of textual criticism
. His bitter rivalry with other scholars and scorn for the "semidocti" reflect familiar competitive strains in the sometimes vituperative temper of Renaissance humanism
.
Regio, or Regius as he signed himself, was doubtless a pupil of Benedetto Brugnolo, a central figure among Venetian humanists, who headed the Scuola di San Marco
and delivered daily lectures at the foot of the Campanile
from 1466 until he died in 1502, "universally lamented and aged over ninety" (Lowry).
In his edition of Quintilian
's Institutiones Oratoria ("Institutes of Oratory") Regius was the first to attempt corrections of the numerous errors ("depravationes") in Quintilian's text. In his treatise on the text of Quintilian, the Problemata (probably 1492), he laid out his methods in textual criticism, which offer "insights that are still valid and useful for the modern textual critic," though Regius depends more on his own rationalization ("ratio") for resolution of textual difficulties than on an appreciation of the relationships among manuscripts, for which a modern scholar would strive. Regius recognized how gloss
es could creep into a text and corrupt it.
Regius published commentary ("enarrationes") on Ovid
's Metamorphoses
(Venice, ca. 1518), which became the most frequently printed edition of Ovid's Latin poem in the sixteenth century.
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, who was active first in Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, where he made a reputation as one of the outstanding Classical scholars, then in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, where he moved in the periphery of an elite group composed of a handful of publicly-sanctioned scholars, salaried lecturers employed by the Serenissima
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
itself: on the fringes of this elite world also moved the scholar-printer Aldus Manutius
Aldus Manutius
Aldus Pius Manutius , the Latinised name of Aldo Manuzio —sometimes called Aldus Manutius, the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Aldus Manutius, the Younger—was an Italian humanist who became a printer and publisher when he founded the Aldine Press at Venice.His publishing legacy includes...
(Lowry 1979). The most famous achievement of Regius is his demonstration that the Rhetorica ad C. Herennium, or Rhetorica secunda, was not written by Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, a milestone in the development of textual criticism
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
. His bitter rivalry with other scholars and scorn for the "semidocti" reflect familiar competitive strains in the sometimes vituperative temper of Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
.
Regio, or Regius as he signed himself, was doubtless a pupil of Benedetto Brugnolo, a central figure among Venetian humanists, who headed the Scuola di San Marco
Scuola Grande di San Marco
The Scuola Grande di San Marco is a building in Venice, Italy. It originally was the home to one of the six major sodalities or Scuole Grandi of Venice. It faces the Campo San Giovanni e Paolo, one of the largest squares in the city....
and delivered daily lectures at the foot of the Campanile
Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco , is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as "the Piazza". All other urban spaces in the city are called "campi"...
from 1466 until he died in 1502, "universally lamented and aged over ninety" (Lowry).
In his edition of Quintilian
Quintilian
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus was a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing...
's Institutiones Oratoria ("Institutes of Oratory") Regius was the first to attempt corrections of the numerous errors ("depravationes") in Quintilian's text. In his treatise on the text of Quintilian, the Problemata (probably 1492), he laid out his methods in textual criticism, which offer "insights that are still valid and useful for the modern textual critic," though Regius depends more on his own rationalization ("ratio") for resolution of textual difficulties than on an appreciation of the relationships among manuscripts, for which a modern scholar would strive. Regius recognized how gloss
Gloss
A gloss is a brief notation of the meaning of a word or wording in a text. It may be in the language of the text, or in the reader's language if that is different....
es could creep into a text and corrupt it.
Regius published commentary ("enarrationes") on Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Metamorphoses
Metamorphoses (poem)
Metamorphoses is a Latin narrative poem in fifteen books by the Roman poet Ovid describing the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar within a loose mythico-historical framework. Completed in AD 8, it is recognized as a masterpiece of Golden Age Latin literature...
(Venice, ca. 1518), which became the most frequently printed edition of Ovid's Latin poem in the sixteenth century.
Further reading
- M. Winterbottom, 1999. "In praise of Raphael Regius" in Siegmar Döpp (editor), Antike Rhetorik und ihre Rezeption. Symposion zu Ehren von Professor Dr. Carl Joachim Classen... (Stuttgart: Steiner)
- J. J. Murphy and M. Winterbottom, "Raffaele Regio's Quaestio Doubting Cicero's Authorship of the Rhetorica ad Herennium: Introduction and Text", in Rhetorica 17 (1999), pp 77–87.
- Pierre Maréchaux, « L’arrière-fable : la préface de Marot à la Métamorphose et les commentaire latins d’Ovide ». Clément Marot « Prince des poëtes françois » 1496-1996. Actes du Colloque international de Cahors en Quercy 21-15 mai 1996 réunis et présentés par Gérard Defaux et Michel Simonin. Paris, Champion, 1997, pp. 77-92 [on Marot and Regius].
- Pierre Maréchaux, « Regius (Regio Raffaele) (1440-1520). Centuriae latinae. Cent une figures humanistes de la Renaissance aux Lumières offertes à Jacques Chomarat. Genève, Droz, 1997, pp. 657-665.
- Pierre Maréchaux, « D’un sens à l’autre : Continuité et rupture à travers les commentaires des Métamorphoses d’Ovide du XIVe siècle au XVIe siècle ». Thèmes et figures mythiques, l’Héritage classique, Cahiers TEXTUEL n°33, septembre 1997, pp. 19-31.