Arnold Drakenborch facts for kids
Arnold Drakenborch (born January 1, 1684 – died January 16, 1748) was a Dutch expert in classical studies. This means he deeply studied the ancient Greek and Roman languages, literature, and history.
His Early Life and Studies
Arnold Drakenborch was born in Utrecht, a city in the Netherlands. He was a very bright student from a young age. He studied philology, which is the study of language in historical sources. His teachers were famous scholars like Graevius and Burmann the elder.
He also studied law under Cornelius Van Eck. Even though he earned a degree in law and was expected to become a lawyer, Arnold Drakenborch chose a different path. He decided to focus all his energy on studying ancient languages and texts.
In 1716, he became a professor at the university in Utrecht. He took over from his former teacher, Burmann. He held this important teaching job until he passed away.
His Important Work
Arnold Drakenborch is best known for his special edition of the works of Livy. Livy was a famous Roman historian. Drakenborch's edition of Livy's writings was published between 1738 and 1746. This huge project made him very famous.
His edition of Livy was based on an earlier version by another scholar named Gronovius. However, Drakenborch found many old handwritten copies (called manuscripts) that Gronovius had likely never seen. He used these new discoveries to make important changes and improvements to the text.
He also published other scholarly works. These included:
- Dissertatio de praefectis urbi (1704) – This was a study about ancient Roman city officials.
- Dissertatio de officio praefectorum praetorio (1707) – This work was about another type of Roman official.
- An edition of the writings of Silius Italicus (1717) – Silius Italicus was an ancient Roman poet.
Arnold Drakenborch's careful work helped future scholars better understand ancient Roman history and literature.
