In praelectionem optices

Author	Peucer, Caspar
Full title	In praelectionem optices Caspar Peucerus
In	Scriptorum publice propositorum a gubernatoribus studiorum in Academia Wittebergensi tomus tertius complectens annum 1556 et tres sequentes, fols. Ar–A2r
Year	1559
Place	Wittenberg
Publisher/Printer	Georg Rhau Erben
Era	16th century
Form/Genre	Other (see description)
Discipline/Content	Mathematics, Physics
Digital copies
Original	In praelectionem optices (Google Books)
Digital sourcebook	928702
Description	For the better part, the internal communication of early modern universities is lost for good. Even most of what was printed in the form of broadsheets and booklets has probably vanished. An exception to this rule is provided by a series of volumes published, apparently to promotional ends, from the 1540s to the 1570s by the University of Wittenberg. Titled Scriptorum publice propositorum a professoribus / rectoribus / gubernatoribus in Academia Wittebergensi or the like, these tomes contain a mixture of political news, releases by the rector, occasional and other poetry, and lecture announcements. The third volume comprises the intimationes (as this material was collectively called) of the years 1556–1559. In his dedication to Adolf of Nassau, who had studied at Wittenberg, the editor Michael Maius complains about unnamed detractors of the university and announces that the intimationes will show the true greatness of the institution. The volume was reprinted in 1568 and 1570, so it must have found an interested readership. The lecture announcements contained in this volume are not as dry and factual as their modern counterparts. In them, professors try to advertise what they have to offer as best they can and to attract as many students as possible. This is well exemplified by the present announcement of an optics course from 1556 by the young Sorbian doctor, mathematician, polymath and son-in-law of Melanchthon, Caspar Peucer. This text of two and a half octavo pages starts from a theologically informed praise of light: at the beginning of times, God divided light and darkness; He is said to be pure light Himself. After that, Peucer briefly goes through the main subjects of optics – vision, reflection, refraction, colours, mirrors, lenses, sense deceptions, optics in astronomy – and announces that he will discuss all of them. He expects students to eagerly flock to his lessons. Peucer's text is rhetorically efficient. His chosen topic is extolled by means of its theological associations, its internal richness and its usefulness (utilitas). The aspects to be lectured upon are presented so succinctly that students presumably understood just enough to make them curious for more. The style is catchy and emotional. Greek technical terms like ἀνάκλασις or διαφανής demonstrate the professor's learning and familiarity with the classical authorities. Rhetorical questions, superlative expressions and lofty comparisons abound. Right at the beginning, for instance, a suggestive analogy is drawn between the macrocosm, the universe, and the microcosm, the human body: Distinctio lucis et tenebrarum condita est, ut lucis utilitas conspectior esset, quae et sese et res ceteras ostendit et discernit. Et conditi sunt oculi, qui et ipsi sunt lucis domicilia et veluti similitudo caelestium corporum aut stellarum. Haec et in caelo et in hominis aedificio valde admiranda esse fatendum est. "The difference between light and darkness has been created to make the usefulness of light more visible: it shows and distinguishes itself and all other things. The eyes have been created as well, which are homesteads of light themselves and, as it were, a likeness of the heavenly bodies or stars. One has to admit that this is very marvellous in the sky as well as in the building of the human body." As interesting as Peucer's announcement is as a testimony to mid-16th century academic teaching at Wittenberg, it passes over in silence a number of aspects about which one would like to be informed as well. Part of the omissions may be strategical. Are the lectures public or private? The expression his proximis diebus ("during the next days") rather points to a short series of sessions organized ad hoc than to a regular lecture course extending over a whole semester, but Peucer does not elaborate on this point. Where and when are the lectures supposed to take place? Are participants charged a fee? This appears probable, but an advertisement presumably is not the place to talk about such lowly matters. Does Peucer intend to read from his own manuscript, comment on some ancient or medieval classic or use a modern printed manual? In the latter cases, he may not want to point his potential listeners to such material as they can use autodidactically as well.
Cited in	Peucer, Caspar ‎ (← links)
How to cite this entry	Peucer, Caspar: In praelectionem optices, in: Noscemus Wiki, URL: http://wiki.uibk.ac.at/noscemus/In_praelectionem_optices (last revision: 22.02.2022).