Stephan Bergler
Encyclopedia
Stephan Bergler was a Transylvanian Saxon
classical scholar
and antiquarian
.
(Transylvania
), he studied at the University of Leipzig
, after which he went to Amsterdam
, where he edited the works of Homer
and the Onomasticon of Julius Pollux
. Subsequently, in Hamburg
, he assisted the major bibliographer
Johann Albert Fabricius
in the production of his Bibliotheca Graeca and his edition of Sextus Empiricus
.
He found a permanent post in Bucharest
as secretary to the Prince of Wallachia
, Nicholas Mavrocordato, whose work (De Officiis) he had previously translated for Fritzsch, a Leipzig
bookseller, by whom he had been employed as proofreader and literary hack
. In Mavrocordatos' library, Bergler discovered the introduction and the first three chapters of Eusebius's Demonstratio Evangelica.
He died in Bucharest, and was buried at his patron's expense. According to another account, Bergler, finding himself without means, left for Istanbul
, and died there ca. 1740. He is said to have become a convert
to Islam
— this report was probably a mistake for the undisputed fact that he embraced Roman Catholicism.
Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.) characterizes Bergler's life as “irregular,” and says he made enemies due to his allegedly cynical manners.
In addition to writing numerous articles for the Leipzig Acta Eruditorum
, Bergler edited the editio princeps
of the Byzantine
historiographer Genesius
(1733), and the letters of Alciphron
(1715), which contained 75 letters published for the first time.
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
classical scholar
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
and antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
.
Biography
Born in KronstadtBrasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
(Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
), he studied at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, after which he went to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, where he edited the works of Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
and the Onomasticon of Julius Pollux
Julius Pollux
Julius Pollux was a Greek or Egyptian grammarian and sophist from Alexandria who taught at Athens, where he was appointed professor of rhetoric at the Academy by the emperor Commodus — on account of his melodious voice, according to Philostratus' Lives of the Sophists. Nothing of his...
. Subsequently, in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, he assisted the major bibliographer
Bibliography
Bibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
Johann Albert Fabricius
Johann Albert Fabricius
Johann Albert Fabricius was a German classical scholar and bibliographer.-Biography:Fabricius was born at Leipzig, son of Werner Fabricius, director of music in the church of St. Paul at Leipzig, who was the author of several works, the most important being Deliciae Harmonicae...
in the production of his Bibliotheca Graeca and his edition of Sextus Empiricus
Sextus Empiricus
Sextus Empiricus , was a physician and philosopher, and has been variously reported to have lived in Alexandria, Rome, or Athens. His philosophical work is the most complete surviving account of ancient Greek and Roman skepticism....
.
He found a permanent post in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
as secretary to the Prince of Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, Nicholas Mavrocordato, whose work (De Officiis) he had previously translated for Fritzsch, a Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
bookseller, by whom he had been employed as proofreader and literary hack
Hack writer
Hack writer is a colloquial and usually pejorative term used to refer to a writer who is paid to write low-quality, rushed articles or books "to order", often with a short deadline. In a fiction-writing context, the term is used to describe writers who are paid to churn out sensational,...
. In Mavrocordatos' library, Bergler discovered the introduction and the first three chapters of Eusebius's Demonstratio Evangelica.
He died in Bucharest, and was buried at his patron's expense. According to another account, Bergler, finding himself without means, left for Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, and died there ca. 1740. He is said to have become a convert
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
— this report was probably a mistake for the undisputed fact that he embraced Roman Catholicism.
Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.) characterizes Bergler's life as “irregular,” and says he made enemies due to his allegedly cynical manners.
In addition to writing numerous articles for the Leipzig Acta Eruditorum
Acta Eruditorum
Acta Eruditorum was the first scientific journal of the German lands, published from 1682 to 1782....
, Bergler edited the editio princeps
Editio princeps
In classical scholarship, editio princeps is a term of art. It means, roughly, the first printed edition of a work that previously had existed only in manuscripts, which could be circulated only after being copied by hand....
of the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
historiographer Genesius
Genesius
Genesius may refer to:*Any of several Saints Genesius*Joseph Genesius, tenth-century Byzantine historian*Genesius Theatre in Reading, Pennsylvania...
(1733), and the letters of Alciphron
Alciphron
Alciphron was an ancient Greek sophist, and the most eminent among the Greek epistolographers. Regarding his life or the age in which he lived we possess no direct information whatsoever.-Works:...
(1715), which contained 75 letters published for the first time.