Nikandros Noukios

Nikandros Noukios , Latinized Nicander Nucius , also Andronikos Noukios ( Greek Ἀνδρόνικος Νούκιος Andronikos Noukios , born as Ἀνδρόνικος Νούντζιος Andronikos Nountsios ; * a translator and Greek writer around 1500 in Corfu , 566) ; He became famous through the description of a journey that took him across Europe to Ireland. Nikandros Noukios is one of the few orthodox authors of the 16th century who reported from personal observation about the changes that had occurred in various European territories as a result of the Reformation .

Life

At the time of his birth, Corfu, the home island of Nikandros Noukios, was part of the Republic of Venice . His parents were entered in the Libro d'Oro , the island's register of nobility , in 1537 . After the siege, bombardment and occupation of the island by the fleet of the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the third Ottoman-Venetian War in 1537, Nikandros Noukios and his family left Corfu and moved to Venice .

From 1541 at the latest, Noukios was a lecturer in the Greek Church of San Giorgio in Venice and at the same time secretary of the Brotherhood of Orthodox Greeks in Venice . He earned his living editing ancient Greek texts and as a copyist . From 1542 to 1545 he worked as editor and proofreader for the printing works of Giovanni Antonio Nicolini da Sabbio in Venice, which was financially supported by Damiano di Santa Maria . It was the first printing house to publish works for a Greek readership from 1522 on, encouraged by Andreas Kunadis . Noukios translated 150 fables of Aesop into the colloquial Greek language spoken at the time for the printing company . It was one of the first such translations of an ancient Greek work.

Probably mediated by two close friends, Antonios Eparchos and Nikolaos Sophianos, he worked as a copyist for the humanist Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Pacheco (1503–1575), who owned one of the most extensive private collections of Greek codices . Eparchos and Sophianos were Greek scholars and traded in Greek manuscripts, which they bought up in Greece. Hurtado de Mendoza was one of her customers.

In 1545 Noukios entered the service of the Flemish diplomat and learned Hebraist Gerard Veltwick von Ravenstein . Veltwick was secretary to Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle , the state secretary of Emperor Charles V. Perrenot de Granvelle sent Veltwick to the court of Sultan Suleyman I because of his language skills to negotiate an armistice in the war with Charles V, and Noukios followed him Constantinople . After completing his mission, Veltwick went to the imperial court, and Noukios was with him on this trip as well. This gave him the opportunity to describe various places in the Holy Roman Empire to a Greek readership; Noukios was particularly interested in church issues. The journey ran from Venice via the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck and on via Augsburg , Mainz , Cologne and Aachen to Brussels . Here Veltwick was received by the emperor and reported on his mission. He had not been able to reach an agreement with the Sultan and was sent on July 26, 1546 on a second mission to Constantinople. This time Veltwick was successful and brokered the contract that Charles V had striven for.

Veltwick and Noukios were in the wake of the emperor on a subsequent tour of various cities in Flanders . In describing Rotterdam , Noukios paid tribute to the humanist Erasmus . On his subsequent travels, Noukios explored England, joining the English army on a campaign to Scotland. The most westerly point of his travels was Ireland . From England he traveled to France and spent a certain time in Paris . Here he toyed with the idea of ​​settling down, but gave up the plan and returned to Italy. However, he did not take the direct route to Venice, but the route to Rome, where he stayed for a few days. Only then did he go to Venice.

Between October 1547 and January 1548 he took part in the diplomatic mission, the Metrophanes of Caesarea, later as Metrophanes III. Patriarch of Constantinople, led to Rome. In 1548 he was also involved in the edition of a book on the liturgies of the Orthodox Church. His work can be proven in archives until 1556. Noukios' later years are unknown.

Travel description

Noukios put his experiences down in a three-volume travelogue written as a letter to a friend, which, however, was probably not printed in the present form. The manuscript has been preserved in contemporary copies under the title Apodemiai , distributed among the Bodleian Library and the Biblioteca Ambrosiana . In 1547 he arranged for an editing of his report in Venice in which he referred to the murder of Pier Luigi II Farnese .

Trent: Council

When he visited Trento , the council called Tridentinum had been opened there shortly before because there was a conflict between most of the German cities and the Pope. Noukios announced to the readers that he would inform them about the background to this conflict when the opportunity arose.

Augsburg: Lutherans

He implemented this announcement in the description of Augsburg . “This city is big, a trading metropolis that is in no way inferior to other German cities, on the contrary, it is adorned with palaces, churches and public buildings, it has wide streets and a rectangular city map like no other city in this area After he had explained the importance of Augsburg as a trading city, he presented the “demonic delusion” to his audience in more detail, which had attacked a number of German cities. It was caused by Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon , two learned and linguistic men who, however, did not want to accept anything of “what is customary in our church”. Although the creed was not touched, the church tradition was largely abandoned; Noukios names here: veneration of saints, fasting, masses, councils and the authority of the Pope. The distinction between clerics and lay people had been abolished, men and women sat mixed up at worship, someone would explain the gospel to them, and then they would distribute bread and drink from the chalice, claiming that this was in memory of Christ. They had also taken on the name "evangelists" and claimed that only they understood the gospel correctly and that all other Christians were caught in superstition. But Noukios also found positive aspects. Sunday is sanctified, the congregation is attentive during worship and sings in harmony; they were also peaceful to one another and cared for the poor.

"The [...] 'short description of the evangelical word and Lord's Supper' [...] had to give Greek readers the impression of great poverty [...] Regardless of positive remarks, this report is an important indication that other criteria are used in the judgment for Orthodoxy the ecclesiastical nature of the Reformation churches played (and play!) a role than for them themselves and that factors which indicated the cleansing of the church from degeneracy for the reformers [...] appeared in an orthodox perspective as a turning away from common Christianity. "

Cologne: Anabaptist Movement

In Cologne , Noukios paid tribute to the size of the city and the cathedral . He mentioned the textile industry and metal processing as essential branches of the citizens' business. He noted the existence of a Jewish quarter on the Deutz side of the Rhine, the inhabitants of which differed in their way of life and clothing from the rest of Cologne, as well as the transport of goods on the Rhine . He noticed that here in northern Germany the houses are less often built of stone, but of half-timbered houses and that the people of Cologne have windows with glass panes adapted to the cold weather.

Here he found out - second hand - about the Anabaptist movement in Münster and its head, Jan van Leiden . He emphasized its origins from a humble background and named the Anabaptists' program of the same distribution of property (through which van Leiden, being without possessions, had enriched himself), the obligation of all residents to do manual labor and all women to bear children. By taking the biblical phrase “man does not live on bread alone” literally, some Anabaptists would have given up eating and drinking altogether and waited, sometimes with open mouths, for heavenly food. After their death they were especially venerated by the community. The emperor put an end to the hustle and bustle in Münster ten years ago, but similar and even worse practices continue to take place in various German cities. He did not mention the practice of baptism of faith .

Liège: coal mining

In Liège , Noukios had the opportunity to find out more about coal mining . “In this city and its surroundings, they burn a certain black, stone-like and shiny substance that develops a hot embers without smoke. When the coal is burned, there is no ash left behind, but a fine dust that is distributed in the air. ”This rock is extracted deep from the earth, where it was discovered in certain veins. It is there in a fiery state, which is why the miners approached it wearing special linen protective clothing and threatened it with a staff; then the fire withdraws and one can mine the coals.

London: Church of England

The stay in England covers the entire second volume. First of all, Noukios paid his respects to Henry VIII . Both the free interaction between women and men and the use of bills of exchange in trading and the great difference between day and night lengths seemed worthy of comment. As an Orthodox Christian, accustomed to fasting discipline, he noticed in London: the residents "are meat eaters, they have an insatiable appetite for animal products."

In London , Noukios received detailed information on Henry VIII's ecclesiastical policy. He describes the dispute between the king and the pope over Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and gives a long speech by the king in which he explains the separation from Rome. In response to fraudulent machinations (Noukios even describes an attempted murder by an abbot on the king who accidentally entered monastery land during a hunt), a lack of discipline in the monasteries and the many wandering mendicant monks who do nothing to the benefit of society, the king said Monasticism banned from England , whereupon many entered the laity or emigrated to neighboring countries such as Scotland. But whoever wanted to lead a strict life as a monk or nun was provided with everything necessary by the state, except that these people were not allowed to wear religious clothing. From the previous monastery property, hostels for the strangers, the elderly, the sick and virgins were established; the government provided the pastors with a simple but secure livelihood. Noukios further described that Thomas Becket was once canonized as part of the Pope. His cult was very popular in England until Henry VIII declared Becket a rebel; the destruction of his coffin and the burning of his bones were prompt.

Noukios also describes Heinrich's marriages and the fates of his wives. But he (or his sources) swapped Anna von Kleve and Catherine Howard . Heinrich married Anna, a “male woman of great beauty”, only after Catherine's execution, but separated from her because she had “long before” sat hip to hip with a German nobleman, which according to German custom indicates an engagement. This is astonishing as the events took place only a few years before his stay. He only mentions Mary and Eduard as descendants of the king , not Elisabeth , who is considered illegitimate .

literature

• Maria Kostaridou: Hodoeporicon, Periegesis, Apodemia: Early Modern Greek Travel Writing on Europe. In: Wendy Bracewell, Alex Drace-Francis (Eds.): Balkan Departures. Travel Writing from South-Eastern Europe. Berghan, New York NY / Oxford 2009, ISBN 978-1-84545-254-4 , pp. 25-46, here: pp. 27-30, 35-43.
• Hans Ditten: Views on Germany: Laonikos Chalkokondyles and Nikandros Nukios, a comparison. In: Hans Eideneier (Ed.): Graeca recentiora in Germania. German-Greek cultural relations from the 15th to the 19th century (= Wolfenbütteler Forschungen. Volume 59). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1994, pp. 149-160.
• Walter Neuhauser, Monika Neuhauser: Tyrolean cities in the travel description of the Greek Nikander von Corfu around 1546. In: Franz-Heinz Hye (Hrsg.): Festschrift for Karl Schadelbauer on the completion of the 70th year of life (= publications of the Innsbruck city archive. Volume 3) . Stadtmagistrat Innsbruck, Innsbruck 1972, pp. 163–180.
• Anneliese Malina: Nikandros Nukios, Άποδημίαι book I. Report on his trip through Germany in the years 1545–1546. In: Johannes Irmscher , Marika Mineemi (ed.): Ο Ελληνισμός εις το εξωτερικόν . About relations between Greece and foreign countries in recent times (= Berlin Byzantine works. Volume 40). Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1968, pp. 45–181 (also Berlin, Humboldt University, dissertation, 1966).
• Paolo Odorico (Ed.): Le voyage d'Occident. Anarchasis, Toulouse 2002, ISBN 2-914777-07-8 .
• John A. Cramer (Ed.): The second book of the travels of Nicander Nucius, of Corcyra. Camden Society, London 1841, ( digitized version ).

Individual evidence

1. ^ Dorothea Wendebourg: Reformation and Orthodoxy. The ecumenical correspondence between the leadership of the Württemberg Church and Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople in the years 1573–1581 (= research on the history of the church and dogma. 37). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1986, ISBN 3-525-55144-4 , pp. 27-28. Besides Noukios: Jakobos Basilikos Herakleides Despota, Prince of Moldova, met Melanchthon and became a Protestant himself; also: Demetrios Mysos, envoy of Patriarch Joasaph II, also met Melanchthon, received the Confessio Augustana in Greek from him , but did not return to the Patriarch.
2. ↑ Christiane Oberthanner: Noukios (lat. Nucius) Nikandros. Retrieved February 23, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Hans Eideneier : Traces of the oral tradition of the Nukios metaphrase of the Aesop collection of fables in the Aesoproman. In: Stephanos Kaklamanis et al. (Ed.): Ενθύμησις Νικολάου Μ. Παναγιωτάκη. ΠΕΚ / Βικελαία Δημοτική Βιβλιοθήκη, Heraklion 2000, pp. 199-226.
4. ^ Marie Vogel, Victor Gardthausen : The Greek scribes of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (= Central Journal for Libraries . Supplement 33). Harrassowitz, Leipzig 1909, p. 31, ( digitized version ).
5. ↑ On Gerard Veltwick see Karl Brandi :  Veltwyk, Gerhard . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 39, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1895, p. 598 f.
6. ^ John A. Cramer: Introduction. In: John A. Cramer (Ed.): The second book of the travels of Nicander Nucius, of Corcyra. Camden Society, London 1841, pp. Xv .
7. ^ John A. Cramer: Introduction. In: John A. Cramer (Ed.): The second book of the travels of Nicander Nucius, of Corcyra. Camden Society, London 1841, pp. Xxv .
8. ^ John A. Cramer: Introduction. In: John A. Cramer (Ed.): The second book of the travels of Nicander Nucius, of Corcyra. Camden Society, London 1841, pp. Xvi .
9. ^ John A. Cramer: Introduction. In: John A. Cramer (Ed.): The second book of the travels of Nicander Nucius, of Corcyra. Camden Society, London 1841, pp. Xxvii .
10. ^ Paolo Odorico (Ed.): Le voyage d'Occident. Anarchasis, Toulouse 2002, p. 30 f.
11. ^ Paolo Odorico (Ed.): Le voyage d'Occident. Anarchasis, Toulouse 2002, p. 31.
12. ^ ^{A b} Dorothea Wendebourg: Reformation and Orthodoxy. The ecumenical correspondence between the leadership of the Württemberg Church and Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople in the years 1573–1581 (= research on the history of the church and dogma. 37). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1986, ISBN 3-525-55144-4 , p. 26.
13. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: Le voyage d'Occident . Ed .: Paolo Odorico. S. 62-63 .
14. ^ ^{A b c} Dorothea Wendebourg: Reformation and Orthodoxy. The ecumenical exchange of letters between the leadership of the Württemberg Church and Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople in the years 1573–1581 (= research on the history of the church and dogma, 37). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1986, ISBN 3-525-55144-4 , p. 27.
15. ^ Bernd Oberdorfer : Filioque. History and theology of an ecumenical problem (= research on systematic and ecumenical theology, 96). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001, ISBN 3-525-56207-1 , p. 283 (also: Munich, University, habilitation paper, 1999).
16. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: Le voyage d'Occident . S. 71-72 .
17. ^ John A. Cramer: The second book (Introduction) . S. xiii-xv .
18. ^ John A. Cramer: The second book (Introduction) . S. xviii (English).
19. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 10 .
20. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 21 .
21. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 16 .
22. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 39-44 .
23. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 35-37 .
24. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 63 .
25. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 66-68 .
26. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 71-72 .
27. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 72-75 .
28. ↑ Nikandros Noukios: The second book . Ed .: John A. Cramer. S. 48-49 .