Martin Schanz (12 June 1842 – 15 December 1914) was a German classicist and Plato scholar. He was a Dozent and Professor at the University of Würzburg from 1867 to 1912, and is especially known for his history of Roman literature and his ground-breaking, critical edition of Plato's dialogues.
Schanz came from an old and well-established farming family in Lower Franconia.[1] His father, Melchior Schanz, worked as a high school teacher (Volksschullehrer) in Üchtelhausen. The family moved to Bad Königshofen in 1845 and to Großbardorf in 1850. Four of Schanz's eight sisters died in childhood. His brother Georg von Schanz became a famous economist.[2]
After his graduation in Münnerstadt, Schanz studied classical philology and philosophy from 1861 to 1866 at the University of Munich under Karl Felix Halm und Carl von Prantl and at the University of Würzburg under Ludwig von Urlichs. After studying for a semester at the University of Bonn (1864/1865) with Otto Jahn and Friedrich Wilhelm Ritschl, he returned to Würzburg and was promoted in 1866 with a dissertation on the reconstruction of Socrates' philosophy from Plato's writings.[3] Afterwards he spent a year at the University of Göttingen with Hermann Sauppe. He was graduated ('habilitiert') after returning again to Würzburg in 1870 and joined the faculty (as an 'außerordentlichen Professor'). In the same year, he traveled to Oxford in order to collate the Plato manuscripts there. In 1872 and 1873 he did research in Rome and Venice.[4]
In 1874 Schanz was promoted to a full professor ('ordentlichen Professor') in classical philology at the University of Würzburg. His research there won him great renown. He became a member of many scholarly societies and academies and was ennobled in 1900. In the academic year 1901-2, Schanz was rector of the university. In 1912 he was promoted to Geheimrat and retired.[5]
Scholarshipedit
Schanz made enduring contributions to several areas of classical studies.
His great, unfinished edition of Plato's dialogues filled seven volumes (1875–1887) and was the fruit of many years spent comparing manuscripts in the great libraries of Europe and his exhaustive critical editorial work on these sources.[6] This edition created for the first time a secure and critical foundation for Plato's writings and led to the way to the now standard Oxford Classical Text edition of Plato.
Schanz's magnum opus was, however, his four-volume History of Roman Literature (1875–1887).[7] This replaced the obsolete and inconvenient work of Wilhelm Siegmund Teuffel and appeared in the Handbuch der Altertumswissenschaft. Schanz died while working on the second part of the last volume, which was completed by his successor at Würzburg, Carl Hosius. Even today, parts of Schanz's history remain indispensable.[8]
In 1881, he published a still influential paper on stichometry.[9] Three years before, Charles Graux had shown that the numbers found at the end of many medieval manuscripts represented the total number of 'standard lines' in each work.[10] Just as modern books are measured in pages, ancient authors and scribes counted the lines in prose compositions. Each line was equal to a Greek hexameter (about 15 syllables or 35 letters). While studying the famous Clarke Codex of Plato's dialogues at Oxford, Schanz noticed that the isolated letters in the margins of two dialogues formed an alphabetic series and marked every hundredth standard line. He was able to show that other manuscripts had similar marginal markings and named this kind of line-counting 'partial stichometry' (in contrast to the total stichometry studied by Graux). Fifty years later, Ohly's definitive monograph on stichometry built on the pioneering work of Graux and Schanz and surveyed all the known total and partial stichometry in ancient manuscripts.[11] Stichometry now plays a small but useful role in the study of ancient Greek and Latin papyri, and especially of the scrolls evacuated in Herculaneum.[12]
Schanz's last great contribution was in the area of Greek syntax. From 1882 to 1912 he edited twenty volumes of the Beiträge zur historischen Syntax der griechischen Sprache.[13]
Honorsedit
1882 Order of St. Michael
1883 Corresponding member of the Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
1885 Honorary member of the Greek Society (Griechischen Gesellschaft) in Constantinople
1900 ennobled (Verdienstorden der Bayerischen Krone)
1904 Honorary member of the Accademia Properziana del Subasio in Assisi
1908 Rewarded a prize (Vallauripreis) by the Academy in Turin
^Charles Graux, ‘New Research on Stichometry,’ Revue de Philologie, series II, 1878, p. 138 ff.
^Kurt Ohly, Stichometrische Untersuchungen (Leipzig: Otto Harrassowitz, 1928).
^See, for example, Dirk Obbink, editor, Philodemus: On Piety, Part 1 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997), Holder Essler, ‘Rekonstruktion von Papyrus Rollen auf Mathematischer Grundlage,’ Cronache Ercolanesi, vol. 38, 2008, pp. 273 – 308, and Mirko Canevaro, The Documents in the Attic Orators (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013).
^Editor, Beiträge zur histor. Syntax der griech. Sprache, (Würzb., 1882–1912), 20 volumes.
^See the biography at Teuchos – Zentrum für Handschriften- und Textforschung
External linksedit
First volume of Schanz's history of Roman literature at the Internet Archive
First volume of Schanz's Plato edition at the Internet Archive
Schanz's investigation of the history of Plato manuscripts with stemmata
Schanz's valuable commentary and critical edition of Plato's Apology
Schanz's article on partial stichometry at JSTOR
January 01, 1970
martin, schanz, june, 1842, december, 1914, german, classicist, plato, scholar, dozent, professor, university, würzburg, from, 1867, 1912, especially, known, history, roman, literature, ground, breaking, critical, edition, plato, dialogues, born, 1842, june, 1. Martin Schanz 12 June 1842 15 December 1914 was a German classicist and Plato scholar He was a Dozent and Professor at the University of Wurzburg from 1867 to 1912 and is especially known for his history of Roman literature and his ground breaking critical edition of Plato s dialogues Martin SchanzBornMartin Schanz 1842 06 12 12 June 1842Uchtelhausen GermanyDied15 December 1914 1914 12 15 aged 72 Wurzburg GermanyNationalityGermanOccupation s classicist Plato scholar Contents 1 Life 2 Scholarship 3 Honors 4 References 5 External linksLife editSchanz came from an old and well established farming family in Lower Franconia 1 His father Melchior Schanz worked as a high school teacher Volksschullehrer in Uchtelhausen The family moved to Bad Konigshofen in 1845 and to Grossbardorf in 1850 Four of Schanz s eight sisters died in childhood His brother Georg von Schanz became a famous economist 2 After his graduation in Munnerstadt Schanz studied classical philology and philosophy from 1861 to 1866 at the University of Munich under Karl Felix Halm und Carl von Prantl and at the University of Wurzburg under Ludwig von Urlichs After studying for a semester at the University of Bonn 1864 1865 with Otto Jahn and Friedrich Wilhelm Ritschl he returned to Wurzburg and was promoted in 1866 with a dissertation on the reconstruction of Socrates philosophy from Plato s writings 3 Afterwards he spent a year at the University of Gottingen with Hermann Sauppe He was graduated habilitiert after returning again to Wurzburg in 1870 and joined the faculty as an ausserordentlichen Professor In the same year he traveled to Oxford in order to collate the Plato manuscripts there In 1872 and 1873 he did research in Rome and Venice 4 In 1874 Schanz was promoted to a full professor ordentlichen Professor in classical philology at the University of Wurzburg His research there won him great renown He became a member of many scholarly societies and academies and was ennobled in 1900 In the academic year 1901 2 Schanz was rector of the university In 1912 he was promoted to Geheimrat and retired 5 Scholarship editSchanz made enduring contributions to several areas of classical studies His great unfinished edition of Plato s dialogues filled seven volumes 1875 1887 and was the fruit of many years spent comparing manuscripts in the great libraries of Europe and his exhaustive critical editorial work on these sources 6 This edition created for the first time a secure and critical foundation for Plato s writings and led to the way to the now standard Oxford Classical Text edition of Plato Schanz s magnum opus was however his four volume History of Roman Literature 1875 1887 7 This replaced the obsolete and inconvenient work of Wilhelm Siegmund Teuffel and appeared in the Handbuch der Altertumswissenschaft Schanz died while working on the second part of the last volume which was completed by his successor at Wurzburg Carl Hosius Even today parts of Schanz s history remain indispensable 8 In 1881 he published a still influential paper on stichometry 9 Three years before Charles Graux had shown that the numbers found at the end of many medieval manuscripts represented the total number of standard lines in each work 10 Just as modern books are measured in pages ancient authors and scribes counted the lines in prose compositions Each line was equal to a Greek hexameter about 15 syllables or 35 letters While studying the famous Clarke Codex of Plato s dialogues at Oxford Schanz noticed that the isolated letters in the margins of two dialogues formed an alphabetic series and marked every hundredth standard line He was able to show that other manuscripts had similar marginal markings and named this kind of line counting partial stichometry in contrast to the total stichometry studied by Graux Fifty years later Ohly s definitive monograph on stichometry built on the pioneering work of Graux and Schanz and surveyed all the known total and partial stichometry in ancient manuscripts 11 Stichometry now plays a small but useful role in the study of ancient Greek and Latin papyri and especially of the scrolls evacuated in Herculaneum 12 Schanz s last great contribution was in the area of Greek syntax From 1882 to 1912 he edited twenty volumes of the Beitrage zur historischen Syntax der griechischen Sprache 13 Honors edit1882 Order of St Michael 1883 Corresponding member of the Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften 1885 Honorary member of the Greek Society Griechischen Gesellschaft in Constantinople 1900 ennobled Verdienstorden der Bayerischen Krone 1904 Honorary member of the Accademia Properziana del Subasio in Assisi 1908 Rewarded a prize Vallauripreis by the Academy in Turin 1910 Corresponding member of the Accademia Virgiliana in Mantua 14 References edit For a short biography of Schanz see the Neue Deutsche Biographie See the biography at Teuchos Zentrum fur Handschriften und Textforschung Beitrage zur vorsokratischen Philosophie aus Plato Gott 1867 See the biography at Teuchos Zentrum fur Handschriften und Textforschung See the biography at Teuchos Zentrum fur Handschriften und Textforschung Platon Opera quae feruntur omnia ad codices denuo collatos edidit Lpz 1875 ff Tauchnitz Geschichte der Romischen Literatur bis zum Gesetzgebungswerk des Kaisers Justinian Munich Beck 1875 etc Handb d klass Alt wiss 8 1 4 A review of the successor project to Schanz s history Martin Schanz Zur Stichometrie Hermes vol 16 no 2 1881 pp 309 315 Charles Graux New Research on Stichometry Revue de Philologie series II 1878 p 138 ff Kurt Ohly Stichometrische Untersuchungen Leipzig Otto Harrassowitz 1928 See for example Dirk Obbink editor Philodemus On Piety Part 1 Oxford Oxford University Press 1997 Holder Essler Rekonstruktion von Papyrus Rollen auf Mathematischer Grundlage Cronache Ercolanesi vol 38 2008 pp 273 308 and Mirko Canevaro The Documents in the Attic Orators Oxford Oxford University Press 2013 Editor Beitrage zur histor Syntax der griech Sprache Wurzb 1882 1912 20 volumes See the biography at Teuchos Zentrum fur Handschriften und TextforschungExternal links editFirst volume of Schanz s history of Roman literature at the Internet Archive First volume of Schanz s Plato edition at the Internet Archive Schanz s investigation of the history of Plato manuscripts with stemmata Schanz s valuable commentary and critical edition of Plato s Apology Schanz s article on partial stichometry at JSTOR Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Martin Schanz amp oldid 1133127127, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
