'Erasmus, Princes and Patronage' (Week 6)

Question 1

Who was Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam?

Answer 1

was a peripatetic international scholar

Question 2

What are some of the places he lived in?

Answer 2

Antwerp, Steyn, Paris, Louvain, Londo, Venice, Cambridge, Basel and Freiburg im Breisgau.

Question 3

In these cities what did he do?

Answer 3

he mixed with important people within these towns.

Question 4

Why were these towns and cities influential?

Answer 4

were influential places In terms of printing

Question 5

what were scholars around him doing?

Answer 5

translating his work to ensure that his impact was bigger than ever - enormous influence.

Question 6

Generally what does he demonstrate in his work?

Answer 6

a criticism towards religion

Question 7

Where did he live 1511-14 and why is this important?

Answer 7

Queen’s College Cambridge

he had a lot of connection with scholars here and lots of important literary work in Cambridge whilst he was here

Question 8

When was the first edition of the collection adages released?

Answer 8

1500

Question 9

What are adages?

Answer 9

they are maxims

Question 10

What does he bring in these maxims?

Answer 10

teachings of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, precepts for a good and happy life which he anthologises in these Adages

Question 11

When was The Education of a Christian Prince first edition released?

Answer 11

1516

Question 12

Who was this dedicated to?

Answer 12

Prince Charles who was just about to become Holy Roman Emperor

Question 13

Why else was 1516 a significant year?

Answer 13

New Testament annotations (Novum instrumentum omne)

Question 14

as he travelled Europe what did he do?

Answer 14

wasn’t just speaking to aristocrats or Kings, but was ransacking the libraries he had access to - look at ancient manuscripts he had access to on the Bible.

Question 15

what was his aim in all this

Answer 15

Trying to take Christianity back to its authentic roots - how to apply roots of Christianity to the problems of the world he was surrounded by.

Question 16

Who was Johannes Froben?

Answer 16

The leading printer in Basel of Erasmus’s career
- which is why he moved here

he was committed towering for Erasmus and printing his work

Question 17

What was the message of The Education of a Christian Prince?

Answer 17

Making broader message of what successful and appropriate rules really mean

Question 18

what does he teach about Christianity and ruling?

Answer 18

Prince must internalise Christianity rather than follow the motions of it
Wants to avoid the mere veneer of Christianity
Professing to be Christian whilst not actually properly presenting it.

Question 19

what does he argue as essential?

Answer 19

For Erasmus it is essential - for a successful commonwealth the Prince must be rooted in good Christian values.

Question 20

how does he write his work

Answer 20

Writes in the forms of aphorisms due to his work being of didactic nature.

Question 21

who does he criticise in his work?

Answer 21

Criticises the way that people do thing ‘justly’ because that is what they think is right

Question 22

who were the wars in the 16th century between

Answer 22

Wars between the House of Valois - rules France and Habsburg (yellow/orange part of map)

Lots of historic Anglo-French conflict though.

Question 23

Who was Francis I

Answer 23

King of France, 1515-1547
Head of the House of Valois

That dynasty would rule France until the assassination of Henry III in 1589, whereupon the Crown passed to the Bourbons.

Question 24

Who was Charles V

Answer 24

Head of the House of Hapsburg

Question 25

What were some of his roles in his lifetime?

Answer 25

Duke of Burgundy (i.e. ruler of the Low Countries) from 1506

King of Spain (i.e. uniting Aragon and Castile) from 1516

Archduke of Austria from 1519

Holy Roman Emperor from 1519

Question 26

Who was Henry VIII?

Answer 26

Head of the House of Tudor

Question 27

Where was he King of?

Answer 27

King of England, 1509-1547
King of Ireland, 1541 - 1547

Question 28

What did Erasmus send him?

Answer 28

Erasmus sought his patronage and sent him and illuminated presentation copy of The Education of a Christian Prince in 1517

Question 29

Why did he send it to Henry VIII?

Answer 29

Didn’t get far with the Hapsburgs - tried to ingratiate himself with Henry through flattery

Question 30

Describe the illustration of ‘The belligerent Pope Julius II arrives at the gates of Heaven and is turned away’
and its significance.

Answer 30

the illustration is a satirical print.

the papacy - Julius was not presenting such perfect christian morals that Erasmus discusses

Question 31

The aphorisms/maxims that Erasmus discusses:

Answer 31

Page references are to L. Jardine (ed.), Erasmus, The Education of a Christian Prince (Cambridge, 1997)

Question 32

1)‘There is something beyond human nature, something wholly divine, in absolute rule over free and willing subjects’; ‘The prince is a kind of representation of God, if he is a true prince’ (pp. 1, 53)

Answer 32

Had a high perspective of the monarchy

True prince - alluding to the divinity of an authentic Christian rather than a nominally Christian ruler.

Rulers are God’s representative on Earth - early form of Divine Right of
Kings concept for this time period.

Question 33

2)‘The common good … should be the sole aim both of kings and of their friends and servants’ (p. 4)

Answer 33

Shouldn’t be thinking of ego, seeking fame etc - should focus on subjects and commonwealth

Question 34

3)‘For the most part the nature of man inclines towards evil’ (p. 8)

Answer 34

Pessimistic statement

Have to offset the impacts of original sin

Question 36

13)‘To a good prince you can safely allow everything, to an average one not everything, to a bad one nothing’ (p. 60)

Answer 36

What are the criteria for goodness here: to be an affective ruler - what does this mean?

If the Prince is not in control then does that not mean that the people are in control

‘You’ in this context - the people are allowed everything

Sovereignty rests with the people who lend it to the prince.

Sovereignty and the relation to contracts