By way of essays and a selection of primary sources in parallel text, Biography, Historiography, and Modes of Philosophizing provides an introduction to a vast, significant, but neglected corpus of early modern literature: collective biography. It focuses especially on the various related strands of political, philosophical, and intellectual and cultural biography as well as on the intersection between biography, historiography, and philosophy. Individual texts from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century are presented as examples of how the ancient collective biographical tradition – as represented above all by Plutarch, Suetonius, Diogenes Laertius, and Jerome – was received and transformed in the Renaissance and beyond in accordance with the needs of humanism, religious controversy, politics, and the development of modern philosophy and science.

Table of Contents:
The publication of this volume was made possible through the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, using funds provided to Collaborative Research Center 644 "Transformations of Antiquity" (SFB644). List of Illustrations List of Contributors Acknowledgements Patrick Baker Introduction I. The History of Philosophy and the persona of the Philosopher Manuela Kahle Spoliating Diogenes Laertius: Giannozzo Manetti’s Use(s) of the Lives of the Philosophers Giannozzo Manetti De illustribus longaevis, “Socrates” On Famous Men of Great Age, “Life of Socrates” Giannozzo Manetti Vita Socratis (excerpt) Life of Socrates (excerpt) II. Encyclopedic, Historical, and Moral Biography Marianne Pade Lives Transformed: John Whethamstede’s Use of Plutarch’s Lives John Wethamstede Granarium, pars prima, “Paulus” Granarium, Part One, “Paulus” III. Bio-Bibliography and Cultural History (I): The History of a Cultural Movement Patrick Baker Collective Biography as Historiography: The De viris illustribus of Bartolomeo Facio Bartolomeo Facio De viris illustribus, “De poetis” et “De oratoribus” On Famous Men, “Poets” and “Orators” IV. Bio-Bibliography and Cultural History (II): Nationalism and Apologetics Johannes Helmrath Perception of the Middle Ages and Self-Perception in German Humanism: Johannes Trithemius and the Cathalogus illustrium virorum Germaniam … exornantium Johannes Trithemius Cathalogus illustrium virorum Germaniam suis ingeniis et lucubrationibus omnifariam exornantium (excerpts) Catalogue of the Illustrious Men Who Have Adorned Germany in Every Way with Their Talents and Tireless Studies (excerpts) V. Philosophical and Religious Didacticism Asaph Ben-Tov Philipp Melanchthon’s De Aristotele (1544): Biography as a Pedagogical Argument Philipp Melanchthon Oratio de Aristotele On Aristotle VI. Philosophizing and the persona of the Philosopher Michael Weichenhan Biography as a Medium of Philosophy and the History of Philosophy: Pierre Gassendi Pierre Gassendi De vita et moribus Epicuri, Epistola dedicatoria On the Life and Character of Epicurus, Dedicatory Letter VII. Philosophical Biography and the History of Philosophy Leo Catana From persona to systema: Heumann’s Dethronement of Porphyry’s Life of Plotinus and the Biographical Model for Writing the History of Philosophy Leo Catana (translator and editor) and Tue Søvsø (editor) Christoph August Heumann “Das Leben Plotini vom Porphyrio beschrieben” “The Life of Plotinus Described by Porphyry” Index