"Discere est a Lacedæmoniis..." : A törvények szükségességének indoklása a Pápai Református Kollégium legrégibb törvénykönyvében = Discere est Lacedæmoniis…” : Reasons why laws are necessary as described in the oldest law book of the Reformed College of Pápa

Köblös, József (2024) "Discere est a Lacedæmoniis..." : A törvények szükségességének indoklása a Pápai Református Kollégium legrégibb törvénykönyvében = Discere est Lacedæmoniis…” : Reasons why laws are necessary as described in the oldest law book of the Reformed College of Pápa. ACTA PAPENSIA, 24 (3-4). pp. 217-282. ISSN 1587-6292

Preview

Text AP_2024_3-4_217-282_Koblos.pdf - Published Version Download (960kB) | Preview

Abstract

The author is an archivist and historian working for the Archive of the Transdanubian Reformed Church District and has been working on collecting and publishing the laws of the modern history of the Reformed College of Pápa for years. In his current study, he examines the preamble of the earliest law book written in Latin and compiled in 1585 owned by the college. In the introductory part of the law book, they want to convince the reader that humans badly need to have laws by citing the habit of the Spartans that the Lakedaimons who lived without any laws following the death of a king for five days committed a lot of sins during this time and they hardly waited the five days to be over. The study introduces the Greek ancient history writers who preserved the Spartan tradition, the European historian contemporaries of those who compiled the law book, and also the contemporary Hungarian historical songs which could convey the thoughts of the ancient authors in connection with king burials in an indirect way. Besides, the author was keen to know whether the laws of the early modern history European protestant colleges refer to any Spartan traditions or to the ex lex state following the death of Persian kings. (He could not find any examples proving it in the justification of the laws). During the research work it also turned out that the examined volumes of Herodotos and Herakleides Lembos published before had not survived in the Transdanubian Reformed Church District Library because the library suffered a partial destruction in the 18th century. In consequence, he could only study and analyse the digital copies available in the European libraries. He finally came to the conclusion that the author of the introduction to the law book might have known several sources. He could read the description of Sextus Empiricus or Serinus about Persian traditions or the Spartan tradition written by Herodotos or Herakleides Lembos but all of these might have mixed up in his imagination.

Actions (login required)

Edit Item