Petrus Lotichius Secundus
Who was Petrus Lotichius Secundus?
German Neo-Latin Poet (1528-1560)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Petrus Lotichius Secundus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Petrus Lotichius Secundus, originally named Peter Lotz, was born on November 2, 1528, in Niederzell—now part of Schlüchtern in Hesse, Germany. He became one of the most famous Neo-Latin poets of the 1500s. He started his education at the convent school in Schlüchtern, which was founded by his uncle, Abbot Petrus Lotichius. He later took his uncle's Latinized name to honor his family and intellectual roots. The Frankfurt humanist Jakob Micyllus directed Lotichius toward Latin poetry, shaping his future career.
Lotichius began university in Marburg in 1544 but soon moved to Leipzig to study under classical scholar Joachim Camerarius. He then went to Wittenberg to work with the famous reformer and educator Philip Melanchthon. His studies were interrupted in the winter of 1546-47 when he joined the Protestant side as a soldier in the Schmalkaldic War at Magdeburg. He returned to his studies and earned a Master of Arts degree at Wittenberg in 1548, and his education continued through travels and studies across Europe.
In 1550 and 1551, Lotichius traveled to Paris as a companion to the nephew of Würzburg canon Daniel Stiebar. By the end of 1551, he started studying medicine and botany at the University of Montpellier, a leading medical school in Europe. He pursued these studies in Padua from late 1554, and in 1556, he earned a doctorate from the University of Bologna. That year, however, he began experiencing a recurring fever, which some contemporaries later thought might be due to poisoning during his time in Bologna.
In 1557, Elector Otto Henry appointed Lotichius as a professor of medicine and botany at the University of Heidelberg. There, he fostered a lively literary community among young poets and scholars, enhancing the university's literary scene. His rare combination of medical and poetical expertise allowed him to bridge the humanist and scientific worlds of his time. He passed away in Heidelberg on November 7, 1560, a few days after his 32nd birthday, leaving behind a significant collection of Latin poetry inspired by the classical authors, especially the elegists of ancient Rome.
Before Fame
Peter Lotz was raised in the small town of Niederzell near Schlüchtern in Hesse. His early education came from the convent school run by his uncle, the abbot Petrus Lotichius. This family connection to religious humanism influenced his early learning and introduced him to Latin studies early on. Meeting the Frankfurt humanist Jakob Micyllus was a turning point for him, sparking a lifelong dedication to Latin poetry.
Lotz's journey to recognition took him through some of the top Protestant universities in 16th-century Germany. He studied in Marburg, Leipzig, and Wittenberg, working closely with prominent scholars like Joachim Camerarius and Philip Melanchthon. During this time, he was deeply involved in humanist scholarship amid the Reformation. His service in the Schmalkaldic War added real-world experience, which appeared in his elegiac poems, giving them a personal touch that set them apart from strictly academic Latin works.
Key Achievements
- Appointed professor of medicine and botany at the University of Heidelberg by Elector Otto Henry in 1557
- Earned a medical doctorate from the University of Bologna in 1556 after studies at Montpellier and Padua
- Produced a substantial body of Neo-Latin elegiac poetry recognized as among the finest of sixteenth-century Germany
- Received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Wittenberg in 1548 after studying under Philip Melanchthon
- Established a literary circle at Heidelberg that fostered a generation of young Neo-Latin poets
Did You Know?
- 01.Lotichius served as an actual soldier in the Schmalkaldic War of 1546 to 1547, fighting on the Protestant side near Magdeburg, an experience he later drew upon in his elegies.
- 02.He adopted the Latinized name 'Petrus Lotichius Secundus,' meaning 'the second,' to honor his uncle, the abbot Petrus Lotichius, who founded the school where he received his early education.
- 03.He studied at three of the most prominent medical faculties in Europe in succession: Montpellier, Padua, and Bologna, earning his doctorate at Bologna in 1556.
- 04.Contemporaries speculated that the recurring fever that eventually killed him at age thirty-two may have been the result of poisoning he suffered during his time in Bologna.
- 05.At the University of Heidelberg, where he was appointed professor at just twenty-eight years old, Lotichius attracted a circle of young poets whose literary activity gave the institution a reputation for Neo-Latin verse.