Theophilus Hermelates

Theophilus Hermelates , also Theophil Freytag, († December 31, 1537 in Hamburg ) was a scholar and first rector of the Johanneum in Hamburg.

Johannes Freder, who was vice rector of the Johanneum at the time, named him in a poem in 1537 in praise of Hamburg's Gotfridus Hermelatus (i.e. Gottfried). He is also called Godfridus in a document from 1546. His widow from Brabant, who entered into another marriage after his death, named him Magister Theophilus Frydag in her will in 1575. Hermann Hamelmann called him Theophilus Hollandus in 1586, so that he probably came from the Netherlands and was originally called Gottfried Freitag (in today's spelling). The name Hermelates possibly comes from the place of its origin ( Harmelen ?) Or comes from the Greek Harmelates (charioteer).

Little is known about his origins and training. He does not seem to have studied in Wittenberg, since a letter from Philipp Melanchthon to him in January 1532 shows that he did not know him personally at the time. He accompanied the reformer Johannes Bugenhagen from Hamburg to a disputation on April 8, 1529 in Flensburg and is referred to as a Magister. Even then he was known and respected as a scholar, had a good knowledge of Greek and Hebrew and was known for elegant and witty Latin verse. In May 1529 he became the first rector of the Johanneum, a Latin school that Bugenhagen opened in the Johanniskloster in Hamburg. At that time he must have already been of an advanced age, because in 1534 his previous vice-principal Matthäus Delius was appointed to him and in 1537 he retired, but still accompanied his pupil, the later poet and playwright Heinrich Knaust , to enroll at the University of Wittenberg . Soon after, he died.

Individual evidence

↑ In his possession were the Complutensische Polyglotte , the Hebrew Bible edition by Sebastian Munster and a Hebrew dictionary, which passed into the possession of Joachim Moller the Elder after his death .

literature

Carl Bertheau : Theophilus . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 37, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1894, pp. 722-724.

personal data
SURNAME	Hermelates, Theophilus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Freytag, Theophil
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German scholar and rector
DATE OF BIRTH	15th century
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH	December 31, 1537
Place of death	Hamburg

[1] In his possession were the Complutensische Polyglotte , the Hebrew Bible edition by Sebastian Munster and a Hebrew dictionary, which passed into the possession of Joachim Moller the Elder after his death .