Speculum maius
The Speculum maius (Latin, also: Speculum majus ; Eng. "Large mirror") is an encyclopedia by Vincent de Beauvais from the 13th century.
Overview
The Dominican monk Vinzenz von Beauvais (Latinized Vincentius Bellovacensis ) wrote around 1247 (other sources: 1260) what is probably the most important encyclopedia of the Middle Ages , the Speculum maius, an early work of mirror literature .
He organized the material in 80 books, processed over 2,000 sources, consisting of theological writings and works by Greek, Hebrew and Latin authors. The Speculum maius is written in Latin and was first printed in 1473/74 (fourth and final edition: Douai 1624 in 32 books).
structure
It consists of three parts, which are divided into eight to ten volumes in the handwritten tradition and into five volumes in the first prints:
- Volumes 1–2: Speculum historiale - a historiography of the expulsion from paradise up to the year 1244
- Volume 3: Speculum doctrinale
- Volumes 4–5: Speculum naturale - a nature encyclopedia, including various books on the world of plants, horticulture and herbs, etc. a.
A fourth part, the Speculum morale , was added later. Échard assumes the early 14th century for its creation.
Follow-up works
Significant follow-up works in the traditional Speculum maius are:
- Joachim Sterck van Ringelbergh : Lucubrationes, uel potius absolutissima kyklopaideia , Basel: Westheimer 1538
- Paul Scalich : Encyclopaedia, seu orbis disciplinarum tam sacrarum quam prophanarum epistemon , Basel: Oporinus 1559
- Matthias Martinius : Idea methodica et brevis encyclopaediae, seu adumbratio universitatis , Herborn: Corvinus 1606
- Johann Heinrich Alsted : Encyclopaedia Cursus Philosophici , Herborn: Corvinus 1620
literature
- Willem J. Aerts , Edmé R. Smits, Johan B. Voorbij (Eds.): Vincent of Beauvais and Alexander the Great. Studies on the 'Speculum Maius' and its translations into Medieval vernaculars. Egbert Forsten, Groningen, 1986 (Mediaevalia Groningana, 7).
- Anna-Dorothea von den Brincken: History of Vincenz von Beauvais. The Apologia Actoris for the Speculum Maius . In: H. Fuhrmann, H.-M. Schaller (ed.). German archive for research into the Middle Ages called the MGH 34 . Cologne, Vienna: Böhlau, 1978. pp. 410-499
- Rudolf Weigand: Vincent of Beauvais. Scholastic universal chronicle as a source of vernacular historiography. Olms, Hildesheim / Zurich / New York 1991 (German texts and studies, 36).
Web links
- Digitized. UB Düsseldorf
- Detailed overview of the contents of the speculum naturale
- Illustrations of book pages and bindings, Salzburg University Library