Domenico Comparetti
Encyclopedia
Domenico Comparetti Italian
scholar, was born at Rome
.
, took his degree in 1855 in natural science and mathematics, and entered his uncle's pharmacy as assistant. His scanty leisure was, however, given to study. He learned Greek
by himself, and gained facility in the modern language by conversing with the Greek students at the university. In spite of all disadvantages, he not only mastered the language, but became one of the chief classical scholars of Italy.
In 1857 he published, in the Rheinisches Museum, a translation of some recently discovered fragments of Hypereides
, with a dissertation on that orator. This was followed by a notice of the annalist Granius Licinianus
, and one on the oration of Hypereides on the Lamian War
. In 1859 he was appointed professor of Greek at Pisa
on the recommendation of the duke of Sermoneta. A few years later he was called to a similar post at Florence
, remaining emeritus professor at Pisa also.
He subsequently took up his residence in Rome as lecturer on Greek antiquities and greatly interested himself in the Roman Forum
excavations. He was a member of the governing bodies of the academies of Milan
, Venice
, Naples
and Turin
.
and Sappho
. He also edited the great inscription which contains a collection of the municipal laws of Gortyn
in Crete
, discovered on the site of the ancient city.
In the Kalewala
and the Traditional Poetry of the Finns (English translation by IM Anderton, 1898) he discusses the national epic of Finland
and its heroic songs, with a view to solving the problem whether an epic could be composed by the interweaving of such national songs. He comes to a negative conclusion, and applies this reasoning to the Homer
ic problem. He treats this question again in a treatise on the so-called Peisistratean edition of Homer (La Commissione omerica di Pisistrato, 1881).
His Researches concerning the Book of Sindibad have been translated in the Proceedings of the Folk-Lore Society. His Vergil
in the Middle Ages (translated into English by EFM Benecke, 1895) traces the strange vicissitudes by which the great Augustan
poet became successively grammatical fetich, Christian prophet and wizard. Together with Alessandro d'Ancona
, Comparetti edited a collection of Italian national songs and stories (9 vols, Turin, 1870-1891), many of which had been collected and written down by himself for the first time.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
scholar, was born at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Life
He studied at the University of Rome La SapienzaUniversity of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
, took his degree in 1855 in natural science and mathematics, and entered his uncle's pharmacy as assistant. His scanty leisure was, however, given to study. He learned Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
by himself, and gained facility in the modern language by conversing with the Greek students at the university. In spite of all disadvantages, he not only mastered the language, but became one of the chief classical scholars of Italy.
In 1857 he published, in the Rheinisches Museum, a translation of some recently discovered fragments of Hypereides
Hypereides
Hypereides or Hyperides was a logographer in Ancient Greece...
, with a dissertation on that orator. This was followed by a notice of the annalist Granius Licinianus
Granius Licinianus
Granius Licinianus was a Roman author of historical and encyclopedic works that survive only in fragments. He most likely lived at the time of Hadrian.-History:...
, and one on the oration of Hypereides on the Lamian War
Lamian War
The “Lamian War”, also referred to as the “Hellenic War” and the “War against Antipater”, was fought by the Athenians and their Aetolian, Locrian, and Phocian allies against the Macedonians in Thessaly during the winter of 323–322 BC...
. In 1859 he was appointed professor of Greek at Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
on the recommendation of the duke of Sermoneta. A few years later he was called to a similar post at Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, remaining emeritus professor at Pisa also.
He subsequently took up his residence in Rome as lecturer on Greek antiquities and greatly interested himself in the Roman Forum
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
excavations. He was a member of the governing bodies of the academies of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, 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...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
Works
The list of his writings is long and varied. Of his works in classical literature, the best known are an edition of the Euxenippus of Hypereides, and monographs on PindarPindar
Pindar , was an Ancient Greek lyric poet. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian described him as "by far the greatest of the nine lyric poets, in virtue of his inspired magnificence, the beauty of his thoughts and figures, the rich...
and Sappho
Sappho
Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...
. He also edited the great inscription which contains a collection of the municipal laws of Gortyn
Gortyn code
The Gortyn code was a legal code that was the codification of the civil law of the ancient Greek city-state of Gortyn in southern Crete.- History :...
in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, discovered on the site of the ancient city.
In the Kalewala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
and the Traditional Poetry of the Finns (English translation by IM Anderton, 1898) he discusses the national epic of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and its heroic songs, with a view to solving the problem whether an epic could be composed by the interweaving of such national songs. He comes to a negative conclusion, and applies this reasoning to the 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...
ic problem. He treats this question again in a treatise on the so-called Peisistratean edition of Homer (La Commissione omerica di Pisistrato, 1881).
His Researches concerning the Book of Sindibad have been translated in the Proceedings of the Folk-Lore Society. His Vergil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
in the Middle Ages (translated into English by EFM Benecke, 1895) traces the strange vicissitudes by which the great Augustan
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
poet became successively grammatical fetich, Christian prophet and wizard. Together with Alessandro d'Ancona
Alessandro d'Ancona
Alessandro D'Ancona was an Italian critic and writer.He was born at Pisa, of a wealthy Jewish family, and educated in Florence; at the age of eighteen he published his essay on the life and work of the philosopher Tommaso Campanella.In 1855 Ancona went to Turin, nominally to study law, but in...
, Comparetti edited a collection of Italian national songs and stories (9 vols, Turin, 1870-1891), many of which had been collected and written down by himself for the first time.