Vinko Pribojević (Latin: Vincentius Priboevius mid-15th century – after 1532)[1] was a Venetian Slavic historian and Dominican monk, best known as one of the founders of the early pan-Slavic ideology.[2]
Vinko Pribojević | |
|---|---|
| Born | mid-15th century |
| Died | after 1532 |
| Nationality | Venetian |
| Other names | Vincentius Priboevius |
| Known for | founder of the pan-Slavic ideology |
| Notable work | On the Origin and Glory of the Slavs (Latin: De origine successibusque Slavorum) |
Life edit
Pribojević was born on the island of Hvar, in Venetian Dalmatia (now Croatia). He was educated in the humanist spirit and joined the Dominican Order around 1522.
His most famous work is the speech De origine successibusque Slavorum (On the Origin and Glory of the Slavs), where he identifies the Illyrians with Slavs as the indigenous peoples of the Balkans.[2] In particular, in accordance with the humanist approach of the Renaissance that combined scripture with ancient myth, Pribojević claimed that the paleo-Balkanic populations such as the Illyrians, Thracians and Macedonians were of a Slavic character.[3] Furthermore according to Pribojević, Alexander the Great, multiple Caesars and Saint Jerome were Slavs.[3][4] His main goal was to celebrate the Slavic world, speak about the origins and "glorious history" of Slavs, using the word "Slav" as a designation for people from various territories.[5] American historian John Van Antwerp Fine, Jr. notes Pribojević and Juraj Šižgorić among the early modern scholars from Dalmatia who did not consider themselves to be Croats, but rather identified with Slavs and Illyrians.[6]
His speech, made in Venice in 1525, was printed into a small book in 1532.[7] It was also published in Latin and Italian several times.[8] Its passionate glorification of Slavs and its strong pathos played a major role in the birth of the pan-Slavic ideology. It was the first time that such ideology was formulated as a program,[9] which was further developed by writers like Mavro Orbini and Juraj Križanić.[7]
Legacy edit
Pribojević was the first to incorporate Illyrians and their myth into the Croatian and Slavic historiography (or rather ideology), as a shield and rampart against the German, Hungarian and Italian national and territorial ambitions.[citation needed] His identification of Slavs as Illyrians, as well as his enthusiastic glorification of the historical greatness and importance of Illyrians, left a deep mark on world history and outlook.[citation needed]
He was one of the most important Croatian and global Latinists who created the ideological molds of the future. He is also the ancestor of the Croatian Illyrian movement of the 19th century,[10] and an initiator of the pan-Slavic ideology.[2]
Works edit
- De origine successibusque Slavorum (The Origin and Glory of Slavs), 1532. Also available in Croatian as Podrijetlo i slava Slavena, 1997
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Petrovich, Michael B. (1978). "Croatian Humanists and the Writing of History in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries". Slavic Review. 37 (4): 627. doi:10.2307/2496129.
- ^ a b c Madgearu, Alexandru (2016). The Asanids: The Political and Military History of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1280). BRILL. p. 11. ISBN 978-9-0043-3319-2.
- ^ a b Banac, Ivo (1984). The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics. New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-1675-2.
In accordance with the humanist practise, Pribojevic blended scriptural testimony with ancient myth to derive the Slavs from Noah's grandson Thyras, who sired the Thracians, who in turn begot the Illyrians, who were according to Pribojevic, the forefathers of all the Slavs. That meant that all the ancient heroes of Thrace, Macedonia, and the Illyricum were actually Slavs. Alexander and his generals, Aristotle, scores of Caesars, and Saint Jerome were Slavs. And bellicose Mars was himself among them.
- ^ Daskalov, Roumen Dontchev; Marinov, Tchavdar, eds. (2013). Entangled Histories of the Balkans - Volume One: National Ideologies and Language Policies. BRILL. p. 280. ISBN 9789004250765.
- ^ Jakelic, Slavica (2016). Collectivistic Religions: Religion, Choice, and Identity in Late Modernity. Routledge. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-3171-6420-3.
- ^ Fine, John V. A. Jr. (1 January 2006). When Ethnicity Did Not Matter in the Balkans: A Study of Identity in Pre-Nationalist Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia in the Medieval and Early-Modern Periods. University of Michigan Press. p. 255. ISBN 0-472-02560-0.
In comparing Šižgorić with Pribojević.... These individuals did not think of themselves as Croats.
- ^ a b Kadić, Ante (2019). From Croatian renaissance to Yugoslav socialism: Essays. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. p. 14. ISBN 978-3-1113-9396-4.
- ^ Heraclides, Alexis (2020). The Macedonian Question and the Macedonians: A History. Routledge. p. 196. ISBN 978-1-0002-8940-4.
- ^ Tomasic, A. (1963). "Ethnic Components of Croatian Nationhood". Journal of Croatian Studies. 3–4. Croatian Academy of America: 13.
- ^ Pettifer, James; Poulton, Hugh (1994). The Southern Balkans. Minority Rights Group. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-8976-9375-9.
Vinko Pribojevic, the initiator of Slavic reciprocity which led to the Illyrian movement..