Paul Skalić

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is orphaned as very few or no other articles link to it. A member of Wikiproject Orphanage tried to de-orphan this page in June 2008, but was unable to do so. Please help introduce links in articles on related topics. (June 2008)

Stanislav Pavao Skalić (1534-1573), also known as Paul Skalich or Paulus Scalichius de Lika, was an encyclopedist, Renaissance humanist, and adventurer born in Zagreb, Croatia, and who lived part of his life in Germany.^[1] His surname is also rendered in various other ways: e.g., in English, Skalich, Scalich, Scaliger; in Latin, Scalichius or Scaligius; and in Spanish, Scalitzius.

Skalić studied theology and philosophy in Vienna and later moved around Europe, living in Bologna, Rome, Bohemia, Poland, France and Germany, among other places.^[2]

His book Encyclopaedia seu orbis disciplinarum tam sacrarum quam prophanarum epistemon ("Encyclopaedia, or Knowledge of the World of Disciplines"; Basel, 1559) is probably the first book en-titled encyclopedia. Robert Collison later wrote that the work was poorly written, only being important today for its use of the word encyclopaedia, and that Joachim Sterck van Ringelbergh had used the word cyclopaedia to describe his work in 1541.^[3] Skalić also wrote a treatise on music: Dialogus de Lyra (Cologne, 1570).

He and preacher John Funck exercised great influence over Albert (1490-1568), first duke of Prussia, and became wealthy. Religious differences with the king of Poland led to the execution of Funck and the rise of Skalić.

[edit] Nationality

References vary regarding Mr. Skalić's nationality. M. Girardi-Karšulin at the University of Zagreb claims that he is Croatian,^[4] as does the modern Croatian historian Darko Žubrinić.^[1] But many modern English encyclopedias, such as Encyclopædia Britannica^[5] Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, and Encarta^[6] indicate that he is German. This could be because he lived at the time when Lika and the rest of Croatia was part of the Habsburg Monarchy, although, as stated above, he spent a major part of his life in Germany, where he [very] probably died.

Older works like the Spanish Enciclopedia universal ilustrada europeoamericana (Espasa) (vol. 19, (1930) page 1166) say that he is an Hungarian count ("y esta voz, ya latinizada, se emplea en el rótulo de la obra del conde húngaro Scalitzus", "and this term, now Latinized, is used in the heading of the work of the Hungarian count Scalitzius".) The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) on page 169 says the same, referring to him as "Paulus Scalichius de Lika, an Hungarian count"^[7]. This raises the possibility that the reference was to the Kingdom of Hungary, of which Lika and Croatia in general was also part at the time.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Croatian Humanists, Ecumenists, Latinists, and Encyclopaedists (1995)
2. ^ Lovro Županović. "Skalić, Pavao." New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
3. ^ Collison, Robert. Encyclopaedias. 2nd ed. (Hafner, 1966) p. 80
4. ^ Basic philosophical problems in Pavao Skaliæ's work (1994)
5. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica "encyclopaedia"
6. ^ Encarta "Encyclopedia"
7. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica 1911 scan