Michael Tarchaniota Marullus
Encyclopedia
Michael Tarchaniota Marullus or Michael Marullus was a Greek
Renaissance
scholar, poet of Neolatin, humanist and soldier.
or near the site of ancient Sparta
in the Despotate of the Morea on the Peloponnese
. His father was known as Manoli Marulo (Μανώλης Μάρουλλος) and his mother was Euphrosyne Tarchaneiotissa (Ευφροσύνη Ταρχανειώτισσα). Both were Greek exiles who had fled from Constantinople
when it fell to the Turks
in 1453, and Michael Marullus always proudly called himself a Greek.
Due to the Ottoman expansion in the 1460s, he fled with his parents to Ragusa
in Croatia
, where he spent his earliest years. From there, the family went further to Italy
. He was educated in italy, in Ancona
, and also perhaps in Venice
and Padua
. Marullus travelled from city to city as a composer of Latin poetry and an ardent advocate of a crusade against the Ottoman Turks
. In the 1470s he fought against Turks in the Crimea
. In order to liberate his subjugated homeland from domination he was willing to take up arms himself and allied with the king of France
when he planned to go on a crusade. Through his poetry, Marullus got in contact with many influential people of his time, including popes, kings and members of the Medici family. In Florence
in 1494, he married the learned Alessandra Scala
(1475–1506), daughter of Bartolomeo Scala
. On 10 April 1500 after visiting with the humanist Raffaello Maffei
in Volterra, he was riding in full armour to join the armed forces against Cesare Borgia
when he drowned with his horse in the river Cecina
near Volterra
.
The only substantial biography of Marullus is by Carol Kidwell. In Marullus, Soldier Poet of the Renaissance (London, 1989), she reveals the life of a soldier poet who roams exotic lands, composes poems at the borders of the Black Sea
, and participates in a military campaign of Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Dracula
). Yet Kidwell is not sensitive to the manipulative moves in Marullus's "autobiographical" poems. These, and their implications, have been explored in more detail by Karl Enenkel in his chapter on the poet (see Die Erfindung des Menschen: Die Autobiographik des frühneuzeitlichen Humanismus von Petrarca
bis Lipsius
(Berlin, 2008), pp. 368–428). Enenkel argues that it is improbable that Marullus was born in Constantinople
. On the contrary, he suggests that the poet was born after the city fell to the Sultan in 1453.
and others. Marullus also composed a collection of hymns, the Hymni naturales, in which he celebrates the ancient Olympian pantheon. His Institutiones principales, or the education of princes, he left unfinished. An ardent reader of the Roman philosopher-poet Lucretius
, he proposed some valuable emendations which are still in modern editions of Lucretius.
Marullus's opera omnia were first edited by Alessandro Perosa in 1951. The Hymnes and the Institutiones are available in translation. Both works were translated in German by Otto Schönberger (Würzburg 1996 and 1997). In addition, the Hymnes were translated in Italian by Donatella Coppini (Florence, 1995), and in French by Jacques Chomarat (Genève, 1995).
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
scholar, poet of Neolatin, humanist and soldier.
Life
Michael Tarchaniota Marullus was born to a family of Greek ancestry. His biography is rather obscure, he was born in either ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
or near the site of ancient Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
in the Despotate of the Morea on the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
. His father was known as Manoli Marulo (Μανώλης Μάρουλλος) and his mother was Euphrosyne Tarchaneiotissa (Ευφροσύνη Ταρχανειώτισσα). Both were Greek exiles who had fled from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
when it fell to the Turks
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
in 1453, and Michael Marullus always proudly called himself a Greek.
Due to the Ottoman expansion in the 1460s, he fled with his parents to Ragusa
Ragusa, Italy
Ragusa is a city and comune in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Ragusa, on the island of Sicily, with around 75,000 inhabitants. It is built on a wide limestone hill between two deep valleys, Cava San Leonardo and Cava Santa Domenica...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, where he spent his earliest years. From there, the family went further to Italy
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...
. He was educated in italy, in Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, and also perhaps in 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...
and Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
. Marullus travelled from city to city as a composer of Latin poetry and an ardent advocate of a crusade against the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
. In the 1470s he fought against Turks in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. In order to liberate his subjugated homeland from domination he was willing to take up arms himself and allied with the king of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
when he planned to go on a crusade. Through his poetry, Marullus got in contact with many influential people of his time, including popes, kings and members of the Medici family. In 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....
in 1494, he married the learned Alessandra Scala
Alessandra Scala
Alessandra Scala was an Italian poet and scholar of Greek.- Life :She was born in 1475, the fifth daughter of the chancellor of Florence, Bartolomeo Scala. In 1494 she married Greek poet and soldier Michael Tarchaniota Marullus , six years later Marullus died, Scala then entered the Florentine...
(1475–1506), daughter of Bartolomeo Scala
Bartolomeo Scala
Bartolomeo Scala was an Italian politician, author and historian.Born in Colle Val d'Elsa, he become a protegé of Cosimo and Piero de' Medici, being appointed at the highest positions in the Florentine Republic .He wrote an unfinished History of Florence...
. On 10 April 1500 after visiting with the humanist Raffaello Maffei
Raffaello Maffei
Raffaello Maffei,OSM was an Italian humanist, historian and theologian; and member of the Servite Order...
in Volterra, he was riding in full armour to join the armed forces against Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
when he drowned with his horse in the river Cecina
Cecina
Cecina may refer to:*Cecina, Tuscany, a town in the Italian Province of Livorno*Cecina , a river in Italy*Cecina , a Spanish and Mexican culinary specialty made of beef*Farinata, a Tuscan culinary specialty made of chickpea flour...
near Volterra
Volterra
Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy.-History:...
.
The only substantial biography of Marullus is by Carol Kidwell. In Marullus, Soldier Poet of the Renaissance (London, 1989), she reveals the life of a soldier poet who roams exotic lands, composes poems at the borders of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, and participates in a military campaign of Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
). Yet Kidwell is not sensitive to the manipulative moves in Marullus's "autobiographical" poems. These, and their implications, have been explored in more detail by Karl Enenkel in his chapter on the poet (see Die Erfindung des Menschen: Die Autobiographik des frühneuzeitlichen Humanismus von Petrarca
Petrarca
Petrarca may refer to:* Petrarch, the English name for Francesco Petrarca , Italian scholar, poet, and Renaissance humanist* David Petrarca , director at the Goodman Theatre* Petrarca Rugby, an Italian rugby union club...
bis Lipsius
Lipsius
Lipsius is the surname of the following persons:* Constantin Lipsius , German architect* Ida Marie Lipsius , German writer and music historian* Justus Lipsius , Flemish humanist...
(Berlin, 2008), pp. 368–428). Enenkel argues that it is improbable that Marullus was born in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. On the contrary, he suggests that the poet was born after the city fell to the Sultan in 1453.
Works
Marullus composed a large and varied collection of epigrams in four books. Some of his best love poems were later appropriated by Pierre de RonsardPierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard was a French poet and "prince of poets" .-Early life:...
and others. Marullus also composed a collection of hymns, the Hymni naturales, in which he celebrates the ancient Olympian pantheon. His Institutiones principales, or the education of princes, he left unfinished. An ardent reader of the Roman philosopher-poet Lucretius
Lucretius
Titus Lucretius Carus was a Roman poet and philosopher. His only known work is an epic philosophical poem laying out the beliefs of Epicureanism, De rerum natura, translated into English as On the Nature of Things or "On the Nature of the Universe".Virtually no details have come down concerning...
, he proposed some valuable emendations which are still in modern editions of Lucretius.
Marullus's opera omnia were first edited by Alessandro Perosa in 1951. The Hymnes and the Institutiones are available in translation. Both works were translated in German by Otto Schönberger (Würzburg 1996 and 1997). In addition, the Hymnes were translated in Italian by Donatella Coppini (Florence, 1995), and in French by Jacques Chomarat (Genève, 1995).
See also
- Greek scholars in the RenaissanceGreek scholars in the RenaissanceThe migration of Byzantine scholars and other émigrés from southern Italy and Byzantium during the decline of the Byzantine Empire and mainly after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 until the 16th century, is considered by some scholars as key to the revival of Greek and Roman studies and...