Hungarian Studies
Volume/Issue:
Volume 38: Issue S
How to write History (?)
The Rerum Ungaricarum libri and Neo-Latin historiography in Hungary in the 16th century
Author:
Gábor Petneházi University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

Search for other papers by Gábor Petneházi in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4325-2569
Pages:
34–54
Online Publication Date:
13 Dec 2024
Publication Date:
17 Jan 2025
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/044.2024.00284
Keywords:
history of Hungary and Habsburg Empire; republic of letters; humanist historiography
Restricted access

Abstract

Gian Michele Bruto (Brutus) (1517–1592) wrote his monumental history of Hungary from 1574 until his death. The Rerum Ungaricarum libri was the story of Hungary's decline and fall in the 16th century, written in a single narrative. According to the plans of its original commissioner, the Transylvanian prince and Polish king Stephen Báthory (1571/76–1586), it was meant to provide a political counterweight to the narrative of the court of Vienna and to represent an independent, constitutional Hungary to the European public. Although a version of the work had certainly been completed by 1584, it was not published during Báthory's lifetime. In 1587, Brutus first entered into Habsburg service, then at the end of 1591, having been informed his work was to be published there, he travelled to Transylvania. He died in Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia, RO) in May 1592. The Transylvanian court was still planning to publish the work in the 1590s: the Transylvanian historiographer István Szamosközy (1570–1612) brought Brutus' manuscripts into a publishable condition and also wrote a continuation of it (Rerum Ungaricarum libri IV) – but this publication was never realised either.

The first edition of the work appeared in print only in the 19th century in the series Monumenta Hungariae Historica Scriptores. The text of that edition was edited by Ferenc Toldy (1805–1875) on the basis of two highly damaged and mutilated 16th-century manuscripts and contained not quite thirteen books of the original work.

In 2020 an almost complete manuscript of twenty books (fully annotated by the author himself) was discovered in the Diocesean Library, Trent. The philological analysis of the three separate manuscripts now available has allowed four different editing stages to be distinguished, three of which are attributed to Brutus and the fourth to István Szamosközy. In addition to a philological comparison of the manuscripts, this article traces the fascinating history of the Rerum Ungaricarum libri in its political and literary context.

  • Ács, P. and Tóth, G. (2018). A magyar történet folytatója. Tanulmányok Istvánffy Miklósról. MTA-BTK-TTI, Budapest.

  • Almási, G. (2006). Variációk az értelmiségi útkeresés témájára a 16. században: Forgách Ferenc és társai. Századok ,140: 1405–1441.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Almási, G. (2009). The Uses of Humanism: Johannes Sambucus (1531–1584), Andreas Dudith (1533–1589), and the Republic of Letters in East Central Europe. Brill, Leiden.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Almási, G. and Kiss, F.G. (2017). In Search of Sambucus: His Philology, Publications and Friends. In: Gastgeber, C. and Klecker, E. (Eds.), Johannes Sambucus / János Zsámboki / Ján Sambucus 1531–1584. Praesens, Wien, pp. 35–126.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Annales (1722). Annales Academiae Iuliae ex editis et manuscriptis monumentis compositi. Semestre secundum. Helmstedt.

  • Bak, J.M. (1973). Königtum und Stände in Ungarn im 14–16. Jahrhundert. Steiner, Wiesbaden.

  • Baker, P. (2012). La trasformazione dell’identità nazionale d’Ungheria nelle Rerum Ungaricarum decades di Antonio Bonfini. Studi Umanistici Piceni ,32: 215–223.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Balázs, M., Monok, I., and Tar, I. (1992). Az első magyar ars historica: Szamosközy István Giovanni Michaele Bruto történetírói módszeréről (1594–1598). Lymbus, 4: 49–86.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Battistini, M. (1954). Jean Michel Bruto, humaniste, historiographe, pédagogue au XVIme siècle (Notice biographique). De Gulden Passer, 32: 27–97.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bessenyei, J. (2005). Antonio Veranzio e le sue opere storiografiche. In: Papo, A. and Nemeth Papo, G. (Eds.), L’Umanesimo Latino in Ungheria. Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studi Budapest, 18 apr. 2005. Fondazione Cassamarca, Treviso, pp. 121–129.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Birnbaum, M.D. (1985). Humanists in a Shattered World: Croatian and Hungarian Latinity in the Sixteenth Century. Slavica Publishers, Columbus.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Birnbaum, M.D. (1988). Humanism in Hungary. In: Rabil Jr., A. (ed.), Humanism Beyond Italy. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, pp. 293–334.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bonfini, A. (1568). Antonii Bonfinii Rerum Ungaricarum Decades quatuor cum dimidia. Oporinus, Basel.

  • Bonfini, A. (1581). Rerum Ungaricarum decades quatuor cum dimidia. His accessere Ioan. Sambvci aliqvot appendices. Wechel, Frankfurt.

  • Brutus, I.M. (1562). I.M. Bruti Florentinae historiae libri octo priores. Jacobus Iunta, Lugdunum.

  • Brutus, I.M. (1583). Ioannis Michaelis Bruti Selectarum Epistolarum Libri V. De historiae laudibus sive de certa via et ratione, qua sunt rerum scriptores legendi liber I. Praeceptorum coniugalium liber I. Cracow.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Brutus, J.M. (1863–1876). Brutus János Mihály magyar királyi történetíró Magyar Históriája 1490–1552 I–III, eds. Toldy, F. and Nagy, I. Eggenberger-MTA, Pest-Budapest.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Caccamo, D. (1972). Bruto, Gian Michele. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, 14: 730–734.

  • Cosentino, P. (2017). Le ‘Difese’ della città di Firenze: letterati, astrologhi, medici fiorentini a Lione. In: D’Amico, S. and Gambino Longo, S. (Eds.), Le savoir italien sous les presses lyonnaises à la Renaissance. Droz, Genève, pp. 291–311.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Csonka, (F.) (1979). Christianus Schesaeus. Opera quae supersunt omnia. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest.

  • Cuspinianus, J. (1526). Oratio protreptica ad Sacri Romani Imperii principes et proceres ut bellum suscipiant contra Turcum. Viennae.

  • Dávid, G. and Fodor, P. (2000). Ottomans, Hungarians, and Habsburgs in Central Europe. The Military Confines in the Era of Ottoman Conquest. Brill, Leiden-Boston-Köln.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Eder, I.C. (1797). Christiani Schesaei Saxonis Transsilvani Ruinae Pannonicae libri quattuor statum rei publicae et religionis in Ungaria et Transsilvania temporibus Ioannis Sigismundi Zápolya complexi ex editione Wittemberg. ann. M. D. LXXXI recusi. Accesserunt nunc notitia literaria de Schesaeo, notae deinde et excursus ad historiam et ius publicum Transsilv. adtinentes cum indice critico duplici. Martinus Hochmeister, Cibinii.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Fodor, P. (2015). The Unbearable Weight of Empire. The Ottomans in Central Europe – a Failed Attempt at Universal Monarchy 1390–1566. Research Center for the Humanities, Budapest.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Fógel, I., Iványi, B., Juhász, L., Kulcsár, M., and Kulcsár, P. (Eds.) (1936–1976). Antonius Bonfinius, Rerum Ungaricarum decades I–IV. Teubner-Magyar Királyi Egyetemi Nyomda-Akadémiai Kiadó, Leipzig-Budapest.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Gerlo, A., Nauwelaerts, M.A., and Vervliet, H.D.L. (Eds.) (1978). Iusti Lipsii Epistulae Pars I. Koninklijke Academie Voor Wetenschappen, Brussel.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Gerstinger, H. and Vantuch, A. (1968). Die Briefe des Johannes Sambucus 1554–1584. Böhlau, Wien.

  • Gyulai, É. (2021). Két udvar vonzásában: a historikus Verancsics Antal. In: Békés, E., Kasza, P., and Kiss, F.G. (Eds.), Latin nyelvű udvari kultúra Magyarországon a 15–18. században. Lazi, Szeged, pp. 197–212.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Horányi, A. (ed.) (1788). Francisci Forgachii de Ghymes Pannonii Rerum Hungaricarum sui temporis Commentarii. Landerer, Posonii et Cassoviae.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Iovius, P. (1550–1552). Pauli Iovii Novocomensis episcopi Historiarum sui temporis tom. I–II. Torrentinus, Florentiae.

  • Isthvanfius, N. (1622). Historiarum de rebus Ungaricis libri XXXIV. Hierat, Coloniae Agrippinae.

  • Kasza, P. (ed.) (2012). Stephanus Brodericus, Epistulae. Argumentum, Budapest.

  • Kasza, P. (2015). Cuspinians Oratio protreptica und ihr Echo in Ungarn. In: Baier, T. and Schultheiß, J. (Eds.), Würzburger Humanismus. Narr, Tübingen, pp. 175–185.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kasza, P. (ed.) (2020 1).Caspar Ursinus Velius, De interitu Ludovici regis et clade Hungariae .Research Center for the Humanities, Budapest.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kasza, P. (2020 2). Finding the Way with no Room for Manoeuvre: John Szapolyi’s Diplomatic Endeavours (1526–1540). In: Fodor, P. and Varga, Sz. (Eds.), A Forgotten Hungarian Royal Dynasty: The Szapolyais. Research Center for the Humanities, Budapest, pp. 163–174.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kasza, P. (2021). Wolfgang Lazius als Hofhistoriker Ferdinands I. Vorbemerkungen zur kritischen Ausgabe der fünften Dekade der Rerum Austriacarum Decade. In: Donecker, S., Svatek, P., and Klecker, E. (Eds.), Wolfgang Lazius (1514–1565). Geschichtsschreibung, Kartographie und Altertumswissenschaft im Wien des 16. Jahrhunderts. Praesens, Wien, pp. 202–217.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kasza, P. and Petneházi, G. (2024). Brutus’ Hungarian Histories: the manuscript tradition of the Rerum Ungaricarum libri. Camoenae Hungaricae ,9 (forthcoming).

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kubinyi, A. (1996). Landsherr, Reichstag bzw. Landtag und Komitatsversammlungen in Ungarn und Siebenbürgen 1542–1681. In: Bahlcke, J., Bömelburg, H.J., and Kersken, N. (Eds.), Ständefreiheit und Staatsgestaltung in Ostmitteleuropa. Übernationale Gemeinsamkeiten in der politischen Kultur vom 16–18. Jahrhundert. Universitaetsverlag, Leipzig, pp. 81–94.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kulcsár, P. (ed.) (1985). Stephanus Brodericus, De conflictu Hungarorum cum Solymano Turcarum imperatore ad Mohach historia verissima. MTA, Budapest.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kuntze, E. (1938). Alberti Bolognetti Nuntii Apostolici in Polonia epistolarum et actorum Pars II (1583). PAU, Cracow.

  • Kuntze, E. (1939–1948). Alberti Bolognetti Nuntii Apostolici in Polonia epistolarum et actorum pars III. fasc. I. PAU, Cracow.

  • Lázár, I.D. (2010). Storici Italiani alla corte di Mattia Corvino. Camoenae Hungaricae ,7: 21–28.

  • Lukács, L. (1981). Monumenta Antiquae Hungariae III (1587–1592). Rome.

  • Lukinich, E. (1935). Le jeunesse d’Etienne Báthory. In: Etienne Báthory roi de Pologne, prince de Transylvanie. Imprimerie de l'Université des Jagellons, Cracovie, pp. 18–47.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Majer, F. and Toldy, F. (Eds.) (1866). Ghymesi Forgách Ferenc nagyváradi püspök magyar históriája 1540–1572. Eggenberger, Pest.

  • Mayr, M. (1894). Wolfgang Lazius als Geschichtsschreiber Österreichs, Ein Beitrag zur Historiographie des 16. Jahrhunderts, mit Nachträgen zur Biographie. Wagner’schen, Innsbruck.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Pálffy, G. (2009). The Kingdom of Hungary and the Habsburg Monarchy in the Sixteenth Century. Columbia University Press, New York.

  • Panella, A. (1944). Come la ristampa fiorentina della Storia di Gio. Michele Bruto diventò veneziana. Archivio Storico Italiano ,102: 106–110.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Petneházi, G. (2012–13). Kovacsóczy Farkas történeti feljegyzései (1563–1567). Lymbus, 2012–13: 57–95.

  • Petneházi, G. (2021 1). Ellentétes narratívák fogságában. Gian Michele Bruto és a Rerum Ungaricarum libri. In: Békés, E., Kiss, G.F., and Kasza, P. (Eds.), Latin nyelvű udvari kultúra Magyarországon a 15–18. században. Lazi, Szeged, pp. 167–196.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Petneházi, G. (2021 2). Brutus az olvasóhoz. A Rerum Ungaricarum libri trentói kéziratának bevezetése. Lymbus, 2021: 297–337.

  • Petneházi, G. (2023 1). Ut tantus thesaurus ex tenebris in lucem hominum prodeat” Szamosközy István és a Rerum Ungaricarum libri. In: Egyed, E., Pakó, L., and Weisz, A. (Eds.), Certamen X. Előadások a Magyar Tudomány Napján az Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület I. Szakosztályában. Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület, Kolozsvár, pp. 321–342.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Petneházi, G. (2023 2). A bolygó humanista. Gian Michele Bruto Erdélybe érkezésének előtörténete. In: Békés, E., Kasza, P., and Molnár, D. (Eds.), A latin nyelv a kora újkori Magyarország és Erdély kultúrájában és művelődésében .Lazi, Szeged, pp. 223–242.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Possevino, A. (1913). Transilvania, ed. Veress, E. Stephaneum, Budapest.

  • Rees, V. (2016). Buda as a Center of Renaissance and Humanism. In: Nagy, B., Rady, M., Szende, K., and Vadas, A. (Eds.), Medieval Buda in Context. Brill, Leiden, pp. 472–493.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Schaeseus, C. (1571). Ruinae Pannonicae libri quatuor: continentes statum reipublicae et religionis in Ungaria, Transylvania vicinisque regionibus imperante Ioanne Secundo Electo Rege Ungariae etc. Addita est historia de bello Pannonico Solymanni Imperatoris Turcorum ultimo, Iulae et Zygethi expugnationem continens. Clemens Schleich & Antonius Schöne, Wittenberg.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Simonyi, E. (1859). Magyar történelmi okmánytár londoni könyv és levéltárakból. Eggenberger, Pest.

  • Svatek, P. (2006). Wolfgang Lazius, Leben und Werke eines Wiener Gelehrten des 16. Jahrhunderts. Wiener Geschichtsblätter ,61: 1–22.

  • Szabó, A. (1998). Zeitgeschichte und Öffentlichkeit im 16. Jahrhundert. Der Fall von Ferenc Forgách. In: Jankovics, K. and Németh S.K. (Eds.), Freiheitsstufen der Literaturverbreitung. Zensurfragen, verbotene und verfolgte Bücher. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden, pp. 37–48.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Szádecky, L. (1886). Báthory István és egy magyarországi összeesküvés. Századok, 20: 851–866.

  • Szádeczky, L. (1887 1). Kornyáti Békés Gáspár. Franklin, Budapest.

  • Szádeczky, L. (1887 2). Báthory István lengyel királlyá választása 1574–1576. MTA, Budapest.

  • Szádeczky, L. (1935). L’ élection d’ Etienne Báthory au trône de Pologne. In: Etienne Báthory, pp. 82–105.

  • Szakály, F. (1988). Die Bilanz der Türkenherrschaft in Ungarn. Acta Historica, 34: 63–78.

  • Szalay, L. and Wenzel, G. (Eds.) (1857–1875). Verancsics Antal m. kir. helytartó, esztergomi érsek összes munkái I–XII. Eggenberger–MTA, Pest–Budapest.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Szilágyi, S. (ed.) (1876). Szamosközy István, Történeti maradványai I. MTA, Budapest.

  • Szilágyi, S. (1877). Erdélyi országgyűlési emlékek III. (1576–1596). MTA, Budapest.

  • Szymański, N. and Radziejowska, I. (Eds.) (2019). Andreas Dudithius, Epistulae Pars VII. (1581–1589) .Reciti, Budapest.

  • Toldy, F. (1863). Brutus élete és munkái. In: Brutus János Mihály magyar királyi történetíró Magyar Históriája I. V–LXXXIV.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Tomkó, Z. (2021). Kalapács és üllő között: Christian Schesaeus Ruina Pannonica-ja. Belvedere Meridionale 33. no. 2. 56–71.

  • Valeri, E. (2007). Historici bugiardi. La polemica cinquecentesca contro Paolo Giovio. In: A. Merola, A., Muto, E., Valeri, E., and Visceglia, M.A. (Eds.), Storia sociale e politica: omaggio a Rosario Villari. FrancoAngeli, Milano, pp. 115–137.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Varga, B. (2010). Political humanism and the corporate theory of state: nation, patria and virtue in Hungarian political thought of the sixteenth century. In: Trencsényi, B. and Zászkaliczky, M. (Eds.), Whose love of which country? Composite states, national histories and patriotic discourses in early modern East Central Europe .Brill, Leiden, pp. 285–313.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Veress, A. (1929). Il veneziano Giovanni Michele Bruto e la sua storia d’Ungheria. Archivio Veneto, VIII: 148–178.

  • Veress, E. (1933). A történetíró Báthory István király. Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület, Cluj.

  • Vogel, E.G. (1864). Nachrichten von dem Leben und von den Schriften des Geschichtsschreibers Johann Michael Brutus. Meißen.

  • Zamosius [Szamosközy], I. (1593). Analecta lapidum vetustorum et nonullarum in Dacia antiquitatum. Pasquatus, Patavii.

  • Zermegh, I. (1662). Historia rerum gestarum inter Ferdinandum et Ioannem Ungariae reges usque ad ipisus Ioannis obitum, auctore Ioanne Zermegh .Amsterdam. [fake].

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • Collapse
  • Expand
Cover Hungarian Studies
Hungarian Studies A Journal of the International Association for Hungarian Studies and Balassi Institute
Print ISSN:
0236-6568
Online ISSN:
1588-2772

Senior editors

Editor-in-Chief: Andrea Seidler

Editorial Board

  • Bíró, Annamária
  • Khavanova, Olga
  • de Montety, Henri
  • Áron Orbán

Nemzetközi Magyarságtudományi Társaság
Address: H-1097 Budapest, Tóth Kálmán u. 4. B.8.41.
Tel.: (36 1) 321 44 07, (36 1) 224 6700/4556
Web: http://hungarologia.net/

Scopus

2023  
Scopus  
CiteScore 0.1
CiteScore rank Q4 (General Arts and Humanities)
SNIP 0.03
Scimago  
SJR index 0.101
SJR Q rank Q4

Hungarian Studies
Publication Model Hybrid
Submission Fee none
Article Processing Charge 900 EUR/article
Printed Color Illustrations 40 EUR (or 10 000 HUF) + VAT / piece
Regional discounts on country of the funding agency World Bank Lower-middle-income economies: 50%
World Bank Low-income economies: 100%
Further Discounts Editorial Board / Advisory Board members: 50%
Corresponding authors, affiliated to an EISZ member institution subscribing to the journal package of Akadémiai Kiadó: 100%
Subscription fee 2025 Online subsscription: 426 EUR / 468 USD
Print + online subscription: 474 EUR / 522 USD
Subscription Information Online subscribers are entitled access to all back issues published by Akadémiai Kiadó for each title for the duration of the subscription, as well as Online First content for the subscribed content.
Purchase per Title Individual articles are sold on the displayed price.

Hungarian Studies
Language English
French
German
Size B5
Year of
Foundation		 1985
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 2
Founder Nemzetközi Magyarságtudományi Társaság -- International Association for Hungarian Studies
Founder's
Address		 H-1097 Budapest, Tóth Kálmán u. 4. B.8.41.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0236-6568 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2772 (Online)

Monthly Content Usage

Abstract Views Full Text Views PDF Downloads
Sep 2024 0 0 0
Oct 2024 0 0 0
Nov 2024 0 0 0
Dec 2024 56 3 5
Jan 2025 142 4 6
Feb 2025 82 5 8
Mar 2025 0 0 0