Latin Dissertations and Disputations in the Early Modern Swedish Gymnasium
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Latin Dissertations and Disputations in the Early Modern Swedish Gymnasium A Study of a Latin School Tradition c. 1620 – c. 1820 Axel Hörstedt © AXEL HÖRSTEDT, 2018 ISBN 978-91-7833-031-7 (printed) ISBN 978-91-7833-032-4 (pdf) This publication is also available in full text at: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/55897 Academic thesis in Latin, at the Department of Languages and Literatures Cover: Maria Björk Photo: A. Hörstedt Print: Repro Lorensberg, Gothenburg, 2018 Abstract Title: Latin Dissertations and Disputations in the Early Modern Swedish Gymnasium. A Study of a Latin School Tradition c. 1620 – c. 1820 Author: Axel Hörstedt Language: English This study is concerned with Latin dissertations and disputations in the early modern Swedish gymnasium in the period c. 1620 – c. 1820. Interest in early modern academic dissertations and disputations has increased during the last few decades and has generated a number of studies, while, on the other hand, gymnasial dissertations and disputations have not earned any scholarly attention at all, which makes this study the first of its kind. The aim is to give an overview of the practice of disputations in Swedish gymnasiums and also (to some extent) in primary schools. Characteristics and functions of printed gymnasial dissertations are analyzed and discussed, through consideration of typographic appearance, distribution in time, and choice of subject, as well as the role of the different participants (respondent, opponent, praeses and audience) and the question of authorship. Particular attention is paid to the social role of gymnasial dissertations by examination of paratexts (social peritexts), such as dedications, prefaces and congratulatory poetry. The primary material consists of almost 790 printed dissertations. The study contributes to our understanding of disputation culture and dissertations in general, by adding the gymnasial aspect of early modern Swedish dissertations and disputations, a previously overlooked text type. Numerous texts samples of the Neo-Latin used in gymnasial dissertations are also given. It is concluded that the act of disputation was an important didactic element in early modern Swedish education from the early seventeenth century until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Subjects of gymnasial dissertations corresponded to a high degree with the subjects of the gymnasial curriculum. The study covers a period of roughly two hundred years, meaning that it has been possible to notice diachronic changes in the material regarding choice of subjects as well as typographical features. Gymnasial dissertations in the seventeenth century were in general comprehensive, academic-like works which often included paratexts (dedications, congratulatory verses etc.). However, by the mid-eighteenth century almost all dissertations were short theses without paratexts. This study also provides a catalogue of printed gymnasial dissertations from the beginning of the 1620s to 1799. Keywords: Neo-Latin, dissertation, disputation, early modern period, gymnasium, history of education, school regulations, paratexts ISBN: 978-91-7833-031-7 (printed) ISBN: 978-91-7833-032-4 (pdf) Drive your cart and your plough over the bones of the dead. William Blake, Proverbs of Hell ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dear Sir or Madam will you read my book, It took me years to write will you take a look The Beatles, Paperback Writer Yes, it takes a long time to write a PhD dissertation. Despite the many lonely hours, this work would not have been finished without the invaluable aid and feedback of supervisors, colleagues, friends and relatives. My most heartfelt thanks are due first and foremost to my supervisor, Professor Gunhild Vidén, and to my co-supervisor, Associate Professor Peter Sjökvist, who with their specialist knowledge each offered immensely valuable guidance and support through the whole process and who always showed great interest in my work. I am most grateful to Professor Emeritus Bo Lindberg, who acted as discussant at the final seminar and provided valuable comments and suggestions for improvement. Furthermore, I am also grateful to the members of the Latin and Greek seminar at the Department of Languages and Literatures (University of Gothenburg), especially Associate Professor Erik Bohlin who attentively read drafts of the text at an early stage. I also wish to thank the members of the Neo-Latin Network in Uppsala where I had the opportunity to present parts of the text. Special thanks go to Dr. Krister Östlund for his great help and good conversation on dissertations, disputations and pop music during our vegetarian lunches. Associate Professors Marianne Wifstrand Schiebe and Barbara Crostini have kindly helped me with Greek matters. The University Library Carolina Rediviva in Uppsala has been my second home in the last few years. There, most of this dissertation was written, primarily at the overloaded desk that I have occupied in B-salen, and in the special reading room. I wish to thank the great personnel at Carolina Rediviva, and also all librarians and archivists around the country whom I have had the pleasure to have met, especially Pia Letalick (Västerås) and Dr. Elin Andersson (Strängnäs), for kindly helping me find material for this study and assisting me in various matters. The administrative personnel at the Department of Languages and Literatures and the printers at Repro Lorensberg at the University of Gothenburg all deserve my gratitude for always being ready to assist. From time to time I have found that writing a dissertation is a back- breaking and nerve-wracking activity. I would therefore also like to take the opportunity to mention the physiotherapist, psychologist and gym instructor, and friends, colleagues at Katedralskolan in Uppsala, tennis partners, students and brothers and parents who made the writing process physically as well as mentally a little less painful. Many, many, many thanks go to Dr. Jo Clements who carefully revised and improved my otherwise poor English. I would also like to express my gratitude to Gunnel Ullén, my first Latin teacher at Rudbeckianska gymnasiet in Västerås in the late 1990s, who evoked an interest in the Roman language that has followed me ever since. Finally, I would like to apologize to my wife Dr. Lisa Hagelin and our children Erland and Ingeborg, for having been more than usually absent- minded and grumpy these last couple of years. Lisa has shown the greatest and unflagging support throughout the whole process, and without her as partner in crime I would definitely not have been able to complete this work. This book is dedicated to Lisa, Erland and Ingeborg. Accipite jam hanc rudem dissertatiunculam! Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 13 1.1 Aim, Method and Theoretical Approach 14 1.2 Previous Research and Field of Research 17 1.3 Material, Definitions, Limitations and Method of Reference 20 1.3.1 Material 20 1.3.2 Definitions, Limitations and Method of Reference 22 1.4 Swedish Education in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 25 1.5 Some Words on Neo-Latin and Neo-Latin Language 32 1.6 Principles for Reproducing Text Samples and Translations 40 1.7 Outline of the Study 42 2. DISPUTATIONS AND DISSERTATIONS IN THE EARLY MODERN SWEDISH GYMNASIUM 43 2.1 Disputations in Early Modern Swedish Education 43 2.1.1 Introduction 43 2.1.2 The Act of disputatio in the Early Modern Period 44 2.1.3 Disputations in Early Modern Swedish Primary and Secondary Education 49 2.1.4 Attitudes Towards Gymnasial Disputations 59 2.1.5 Education, aemulatio and Disputation 62 2.1.6 Concluding Remarks 63 2.2 The Dissertations: General Features 64 2.2.1. Introduction 64 2.2.2 Functions: pro loco-Dissertations and Dissertations exercitii gratia 65 2.2.3 Types: theses vestitae and theses nudae 67 2.2.4 Distribution of Gymnasial Dissertations 70 2.2.5 Monthly Distribution of Printed Dissertations 77 2.2.6. Concluding Remarks 79 2.3 Subject Categories and Content of the Dissertations 79 2.3.1 Theology 80 2.3.2 Philosophy, Physics, Mathematics and Logic 86 2.3.4 Education, Rhetoric, Poetics and the Study of Latin and Greek 91 2.3.5 Philology, Exegetics and Language-Related Questions 99 2.3.6 History and Other Topics 105 2.3.7 Concluding Remarks 109 2.4 The theses in Gymnasial Dissertations 110 2.4.1 Introduction 110 2.4.2 Features of the theses and the theses nudae 111 2.4.3 The examen pastorale 113 2.4.4 Subjects and Content of Eighteenth Century-theses 116 2.4.5 Concluding Remarks 132 2.5 Audience, Respondents, Opponents and praeses 133 2.5.1 Introduction 133 2.5.2 Audience 135 2.5.3 Respondents 137 2.5.4 Opponents 145 2.5.5 Praeses 157 2.5.6 Concluding Remarks 160 2.6 The Question of Authorship 160 2.6.1 Introduction 160 2.6.2 The Question of Authorship in Early Modern Swedish Academic Dissertations 163 2.6.3 The Question of Authorship in Gymnasial Dissertations 166 2.6.4 Determine Authorship with the Aid of Paratexts 173 2.6.5 Concluding Remarks 174 2.7 Questions Regarding the Printing, Production and Distribution of Gymnasial Dissertations 175 3. PARATEXTS IN THE DISSERTATIONS 179 3.1. Introduction: Terminological Remarks 179 3.2 Scope of the Present Study of the Paratexts of the Latin Dissertations from Swedish Gymnasia 181 3.3 Title Pages 182 3.3.1 Introduction 182 3.3.2 Layout of the Title Page 183 3.4 Dedications 198 3.4.1 Introduction 198 3.4.2 Character of the Dedications 200 3.4.3 The Dedicator 202 3.4.4 The Dedicatees 205 3.4.5 Characteristics of Dedications and Dedicatory Epistles: Vocabulary, Phrases and Topoi 206 3.4.6 Dedications to Different Groups of Dedicatees 218 3.4.7 Why Dedicate a Gymnasial Dissertation? 234 3.4.8 Concluding Remarks 236 3.5 The Preface 236 3.5.1 Introduction 236 3.5.2 Character of the Prefaces 237 3.5.3 Addressees and Senders 239 3.5.4 Characteristic Themes in the Prefaces 240 3.5.5 Concluding Remarks 247 3.6 Occasional Literature in the Dissertations 248 3.6.1 Introduction and Definitions 248 3.6.2 Congratulatory Poetry 249 3.6.3 Epistola gratulatoria – The Congratulatory Epistles in Prose 267 3.6.4 Dedicatory Poetry 271 3.6.5 Concluding Remarks 274 3.7 Paratextual Alteration: Differences between Copies of the Same Dissertation 275 3.8 A Case Study: Andreas Hesselius (Västerås) in Paratexts 279 4.