Jan Marek Marci
Encyclopedia
Jan Marek Marci or Johannes Marcus Marci, was a Bohemia
n doctor and scientist, rector of the University of Prague
, and official physician to the Holy Roman Emperors. The crater Marci
on the far side of the Moon
is named after him.
, near the border between historical lands
Bohemia and Moravia
(presently parts of the Czech Republic
). He studied under Athanasius Kircher
, and spent most of his career as a professor of Charles University in Prague
, where he served eight times as Dean of the medical school and once as Rector in 1662. He was also the personal doctor of Emperors Ferdinand III
and Leopold I
, and distinguished himself in the defense of Prague against the Swedish
armies in 1648. In October 1654 he was given the nobility title (falckrabě) "de Kronland" (anagram
of "Landskron", German
name for the city of Lanškroun). In 1667, he was elected as a member of the British Royal Society.
Marci at some time came into possession of the Voynich Manuscript
, apparently upon the death of its former owner, the alchemist Georg Baresch. He sent the book to his longtime friend Athanasius Kircher
, with a cover letter dated 19 August 1666, or possibly 1665.
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n doctor and scientist, rector of the University of Prague
University of Prague
Prague UniversitiesSocial Science:*Charles University in PragueEconomic University:*University of Economics, Prague*The University of Finance and AdministrationTechnical University:*Czech Technical University in Prague...
, and official physician to the Holy Roman Emperors. The crater Marci
Marci (crater)
Marci is a small, mostly unremarkable lunar crater on the far side of the Moon. It is located about one crater diameter to the west of the prominent crater Jackson. To the northwest of Marci is the larger crater Fitzgerald....
on the far side of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.
Career
Marci was born in LanškrounLanškroun
Lanškroun , also known as Lanskron, Lanscron, Landeskrone, and Kronland, is a town and municipality in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. On the border between the former provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, it had a population of 9,911 .The town was founded in the thirteenth century as the...
, near the border between historical lands
Czech lands
Czech lands is an auxiliary term used mainly to describe the combination of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia. Today, those three historic provinces compose the Czech Republic. The Czech lands had been settled by the Celts , then later by various Germanic tribes until the beginning of 7th...
Bohemia and Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
(presently parts of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
). He studied under Athanasius Kircher
Athanasius Kircher
Athanasius Kircher was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine...
, and spent most of his career as a professor of Charles University in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, where he served eight times as Dean of the medical school and once as Rector in 1662. He was also the personal doctor of Emperors Ferdinand III
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...
and Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
, and distinguished himself in the defense of Prague against the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
armies in 1648. In October 1654 he was given the nobility title (falckrabě) "de Kronland" (anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of "Landskron", German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name for the city of Lanškroun). In 1667, he was elected as a member of the British Royal Society.
Work
Marci's studies covered the mechanics of colliding bodies, epilepsy, and the refraction of light, as well as other topics.Marci at some time came into possession of the Voynich Manuscript
Voynich manuscript
The Voynich manuscript, described as "the world's most mysterious manuscript", is a work which dates to the early 15th century, possibly from northern Italy. It is named after the book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, who purchased it in 1912....
, apparently upon the death of its former owner, the alchemist Georg Baresch. He sent the book to his longtime friend Athanasius Kircher
Athanasius Kircher
Athanasius Kircher was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine...
, with a cover letter dated 19 August 1666, or possibly 1665.
Books
- Operatricum Idea (1635)
- Idearum operaticum idea (1636)
- De proportione motus seu regula sphygmica (1639)
- Thaumantias. Liber de arcu coelesti deque collorum apparentium natura ortu et causis (Pragae: typis Academicis, 1648)
- Dissertatio de natura iridis (1650)
- De longitudine seu differentia inter duos meridianos (1650)
- Labyrinthus, in quo via ad circuli quadraturam pluribus modis exhibetur (1654)
- Philosophia vetus restituta (1662)
- Othosophia seu philosophia impulsus universalis (1683)