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The Bright and Dark Sides of the life of Renaissance Poet George Sabinus
Abstract
George Sabinus (real name: Georg Schuler; born April 23, 1508 in Brandenburg - died December 2, 1560 in Frankfurt/Oder) was a diplomat, a poet, a recognized expert in Greek and Roman literatures, a translator, editor and commentator, and the first rector of the University in Königsberg (The Albertina). Sabinus' poetry is full of descriptions of various turning points in his life, the most important of which are: the studies at the University of Wittenberg, the friendship with his teacher: Philip Melanchthon, the marriage to Anna Melanchthon, a trip to Italy - an important place for every humanist, becoming rector of the newly founded University of Königsberg and moving in to Königsberg , the death of his wife, leaving Königsberg and then returning to the city, conducting diplomatic missions.
Sabinus was educated at the University of Wittenberg, where he met Philip Melanchthon, and in 1536 married his daughter Anna (Elegies III 1-7). Anna Melanchthon was an extraordinary woman, very well educated and exceptionally talented. The poet in numerous works strongly emphasizes Anna's lineage, the fact that he married the daughter of one of the greatest scholars certainly made Sabinus famous, Anna was held during baptism by Martin Luther himself (El. VI 7).
Another turning point in the poet’s life was the trip to Italy, which he made in the years 1533-1534 (Hodoeporicon itineris Italici). Sabinus embarked on this long and dangerous journey for the sake of education and in order to make new connections, thanks to which he was included into the circle of the humanist European elite at that time. During this peregrination he met Aleander, Lazzarro Bonamica, Joannes Baptista Egnatius and Venetian Cardinal Peter Bemba, with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship.
Another change in the poet's life was his moving to Königsberg and becoming the first rector of the University of Königsberg in 1544 (El. V 6-10, VI 3,5, 6). In Königsberg, on February 27, 1547, the poet's wife Anna, née Melanchthon, died at the age of 25. The same year, after serving four years as rector, Sabinus resigned and left the city. He returned there again as rector in the years 1552-1553.
In this article I present both the good and the bad moments in the poet's life, which he scattered across the pages of a number of his works.
Keywords:
education, teacher, travel, friendship, marriage, change of job and residence, deathDetails
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