Wilhelm Xylander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelm Xylander
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Engraving from Bibliotheca chalcographica
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| Born | 26 December 1532 |
| Died | 10 February 1576 (aged 43) |
| Nationality | German |
| Other names | Guilielmus Xylander, Wilhelm Holtzmann |
| Occupation | Arts Professor |
| Known for | Editio princeps of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius |
Wilhelm Xylander (born Wilhelm Holtzman, but he used the Greek name Xylander; 26 December 1532 – 10 February 1576) was a smart German scholar. He studied old languages and history. People called him a humanist because he focused on human values and learning. In 1564, he became the head, or rector, of Heidelberg University.
Wilhelm Xylander's Life Story
Wilhelm Xylander was born in a city called Augsburg. He went to Tübingen University to study. In 1558, he was chosen to be a professor at the University of Heidelberg. He taught Greek there.
Later, in 1562, he changed his teaching role. He became a professor of logic, which is the study of correct reasoning. Xylander was also a supporter of Thomas Erastus in university matters.
He passed away on February 10, 1576, in Heidelberg.
Xylander's Important Books and Translations
Wilhelm Xylander created many important works. He translated several ancient Greek and Latin books. This helped more people read these old texts.
Here are some of his key works:
- He translated books by Dio Cassius (1558), Plutarch (1560–1570), and Strabo (1571) into Latin.
- He also put together a dictionary of geography by Stephanus of Byzantium (1568).
- Xylander published the very first printed version of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (1558). This first edition was based on a special old handwritten book.
- He made a second edition of Meditations in 1568. This one included other ancient writers like Antoninus Liberalis and Antigonus of Carystus.
- He also worked on the travels of Pausanias. This book was finished by Friedrich Sylburg after Xylander's death in 1583.
- He translated the first six books of Euclid's geometry into German. He also added helpful notes.
- He translated other math books, like Arithmetica by Diophantus, into Latin.
- Marcus Aurelius, De seipso, seu vita sua, libri 12 edited and translated by Xylander. Zurich: Andreas Gessner, 1558.
