1516 in literature explained

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1516.

Events

• March 1 – Desiderius Erasmus publishes a new Greek translation of the New Testament, Novum Instrumentum omne, in Basel. This year Erasmus also writes The Education of a Christian Prince although it is not published until 1532.
• c. December – Thomas More's Utopia, combining fiction and political philosophy and completed this year, is published in Leuven in Latin.
• unknown dates
  • Samuel Nedivot's the 14th century Hebrew Sefer Abudirham in Fez is the first book printed in Africa.^[1]
  • Paolo Ricci translates the 13th century Kabbalistic work Sha'are Orah by Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla into Latin, as Portae Lucis.^[2]

New books

Prose

• Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
  • Latin: Dialogus de homine (published in Casale)
  • Latin: De triplici ratione cognoscendi Deum
• Bartolomé de las Casas – Memorial de Remedios para las Indias
• Erasmus – Novum Instrumentum omne
• Robert Fabyan (anonymous; died c. 1512) – The New Chronicles of England and France (published by Richard Pynson in London)
• Marsilio Ficino – Latin: De triplici vita
• Thomas More – Utopia
• Andre Pauernfeindt – German: Ergründung der ritterlichen kunst des fechtens durch freyfechter czu Vienn (Foundation of the knightly art of combat by the fencing guild of Vienna)

Poetry

See main article: 1516 in poetry.

• Ludovico Ariosto – Orlando Furioso (first version, April)
• Baptista Mantuanus (published in France)^[3]
  • Agellaria
  • De sacris diebus (published in Lyon)

Births

• March 26 – Conrad Ges(s)ner, Swiss naturalist, bibliographer and poet (died 1565)^[4]
• April 23 – Georg Fabricius, Saxon historian, classical archaeologist and epigrapher and poet (died 1571)
• December 21 – Giuseppe Leggiadri Gallani, Parmese-born poet and dramatist (died c. 1590)

Deaths

• March 22 – Baptista Mantuanus, Mantuan Carmelite reformer, humanist and Latin poet (born 1447)^[5]
• December 13 – Johannes Trithemius, German lexicographer and chronicler (born 1462)

Notes and References

1. Web site: First Book in Africa . Jewish Virtual Library . 2014-12-01.
2. Book: Stephen G. Burnett. Christian Hebraism in the Reformation Era (1500-1660): Authors, Books, and the Transmission of Jewish Learning. 5 January 2012. BRILL. 90-04-22248-0. 105.
3. Book: Mantuanus, Baptista . The Eclogues of Baptista Mantuanus . 52 . Eclogues of Mantuan . Mustard, Wilfred Pirt . Johns Hopkins Press . Baltimore, MD . 1911 . 2009-05-17.
4. Book: George Robert Gleig. The family history of England. 1836. 31.
5. Book: Charles George Herbermann. Edward Aloysius Pace. Condé Bénoist Pallen. The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1912. Robert Appleton Company. 296.