All Scholars
BURMAN, Pieter (the Elder)
- Date of Birth: July 06, 1668
- Born City: Utrecht
- Born State/Country: The Netherlands
- Parents: Franz, a professor of theology at Utrecht, & Maria Heidanus B.
- Date of Death: March 31, 1741
- Death City: Leiden
- Death State/Country: The Netherlands
- Education:
Study at Utrecht, 1681-3; LL.D., 1688; study at Leiden, 1683-4.
- Professional Experience:
Receiver of tithes, bishopric of Utrecht, 1691-6; extraordinarius of history and eloquence, Utrecht, 1696-1715; Leiden, 1715-41; librarian, university library, 1724-41; ;professor of history for United Provinces.
- Publications:
De vectigalibus populi Romani (Utrecht, 1694); Phaedri, Aug. Liberti Fabularum Aesopiarum Libri V cum integris Commentariis Marq. Gudii, Conr. Rittershusii, Nic. Rigaltii, Nic. Heinsii, Joan. Schefferi, Jo. Lud. Praschii, & excerptis aliorum (Amsterdam: Heinrich Wetstein, 1698); Q. Horatius Flaccus (François Halma & Willem van de Water, 1699); Heins, Nicolaas [Nicolaus Heinsius], C. Valerii Flacci Setini Balbi Argonautica, (ed.) (Leiden: Willem van de Water, 1702); Oratio de Auspicatissima Terra Marique Anni M DCCVI Batavorum & Foederatorum Militia, & Praeclaris a Communi Hoste Reportatis Victoriis XXV Novemb. M D CCVI, (Utrecht: Willem van de Water, 1706); Titi Petronii Arbitri Satricôn (Utrecht: Willem van de Water, 1709); Emendationes in Menandri et Philemonis Reliquias ex nupera Editione Joannis Clerici: (Utrecht: Willem van de Water, 1710); P. Ovidii Nasonis Opera 3 vols.(Amsterdam: Rod. & Ger. Wetsten, 1713); Viri Clar. Antiquitatum Romanarum Brevis Descriptio in Usum Lectionum Recusa, 2nd ed. (Leipzig: J. Chrisopher Christmann, 1715); C. Velleii Paterculi quae supersunt ex Historiae Romanae Voluminibus Duobus (Leiden: Samuel Luchtmans, 1719); M. Fabii Quinctiliani de Institutione Oratoria Libri Duodecim cum Notis et Animadversionibus Virorum Doctorum Summa Cura Recogniti et Emendati, 3 vols. (Leiden: Joannes de Vivié, 1720) ; Justini Historiae Philippicae: Variantes Lectiones, (Leiden : Samuel Luchtmans, 1722); Greffe, Johann Georg [Joannes Georgius Graevius], Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae, (ed.), Vol. IV, pts. 1-2i, Vol. V, pts. 1-4; Vol. VI, pts. 1-4, Vol. VII, pts. 1-2, Vol. VIII, pts. 1-4, Vol. IX, pts. 1-8 (Leiden: Pieter vander Aa.,1722); Greffe, Johann Georg, Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Siciliae, quo continentur Rarissimi & Optimi quique Scriptores, qui Nobilissimarum Insularum, Siciliae, Sardiniae, Corsicae et Adjacentium Situm, Res gestas, Antiquitates & Imperiorum vicissitudines memoriae prodiderunt, (ed.) vols. 1-15 (Leiden: Pieter vander Aa. 1723); C. Valerii Flacci Setini Balbi Argonauticon Libri Octo (Leiden: Samuel Luchtmans, 1724); Ruddiman, Thomas [Thoma Ruddimannus], Georgii Buchanani, Scoti, Poëtarum sui seculi facile Principis, Praeceptoris Jacobi VI Scotorum, & Primi Angl. Reg. Opera Omnia, Historica, Chronologica, Juridica, Politica, Satyrica & Poetica (ed.) (Leiden: J. Arnold Langerak, 1725); Curatoribus, et Urbis Consulibus, in Celeberrima Panegyri, quae ad Decorandum Academiae Centesimum et Quinquagesimum Natalem die VIII Febr. MDCCXXV Convenerat, Dictum (1725); Catalogus Rarissimorum & Praestantissimorum Librorum, qui in Thesaurus Romano, Graeco, Italico, & Siculo Continentur, Secundum Nomina Auctorum per Alphabeti Ordinem Digestus (Leiden: Petrus van der Aa, 1725); Publii Ovidii Nasonis Opera Omnia IV Voluminibus Comprehensa (Amsterdam: Jansson Waesberg, 1727); Sylloges Epistolarum a Viris Illustribus Scriptarum, 5 vols. (Leiden: Samuel Luchtmans, 1727) ; Poetae Latini Minores sive Gratii Falisci Cynegeticon, M. Aurelii Olympii Nemesiani Cynegeticon, Et Ejusdem Eclogae IV, T. Calpurnii Siculi Eclogae VII, Claudii Rutilii Numatiani Iter, Q. Serenus Samonicus De Medicina, Vindicianus sive Marcellus De Medicina, Q. Rhemnius Fannius Palaemon De Ponderibus & Mensuris, et Sulpiciae Satyra cum integris Doctorum Virorum Notis & quorumdam excerptis, 2 vols. (Leiden: Conrad Wishoff & Daniël Gödval, 1731) ; Vectigalia Populi Romani et Ζευς Καταιβατης sive Jupiter Fulgerator in Cyrrhestarum Nummis curis secundis Illustrata (Leiden: Conrad & George Wishoff, 1734); C. Suetonius Tranquillus, 2 vols. (Amsterdam: Jansson Waesberg, 1736); Somnium sive Iter in Arcadiam Novam (Berlin: Friedrich Henning, 1740); M. Annaei Lucani Pharsalia cum Commentario (Leiden: Conrad Wishoff, Daniël Götval, & Georg Jacob Wishoff, 1740); Batesteinum in Concione Academica Celebratum die XXII Septembris MDCCXXXVIII, (1741); Poëmatum Libri Quatuor (Amsterdam: Meinard Uytwerf, 1746); P. Virgilii Maronis Opera, 4 vols. (Amsterdam: Jacob Wetsten, 1746).
- Notes:
At the age of thirteen, Burman studied with the German Johan Georg Graevius (1632-1703) in Utrecht, where he prepared for a career in the law. At Leiden under Jacob Grenovius (1645-1717) he applied himself to Greek and philosophy. In addition to his editions of Roman writers, he edited the encyclopedias of his teacher Graevius as well as Heinsius and Ruddiman's biography of Buchanan. He was skilled in Latin versification and wrote a poem for the third Jubilee of Leiden in 1725. As an editor he specialized in variorum editions combining the notes of previous editors. He could be a vicious critic of his predecessors (e.g., his Ovid could only be published after hs death). As an admirer of his edition of Horace, Burman became a friend and ally of Richard Bentley (1662-1742), defending him in his contention with Jean Le Clerc (1657-1736), of Amsterdam (Sandys, 2:442). Pfeiffer described Burman's Sylloge as "the most valuable source for the history of Dutch scholarship, continued to represent the traditional leaning toward polymathy and the manufacture of bulky 'Variorum editiones.'" His studies were essentially listed to Latin and his editions are so filled with material found in earlier editions and excessive emendations such that Wilamowitz called him "notorious." Sandys remarked, "His great powers of endurance and his laborious patience have led to his ring described as the 'beast of burden's classical leaning."
- Sources:
Saxe, Onomasticon, 5:466-77; L. Müller, 54-9; Pfeiffer 1300-1850, 162; Wilamowitz, 73; Sandys, 2:443-4.
- Author: Ward Briggs
