Gerardus Vossius - Works

Works

Vossius was amongst the first to treat theological dogmas and the non-Christian religions from the historical point of view. His principal works are:

  • Historia Pelagiana sive Historiae de controversies quas Pelagius ejusque reliquiae moverunt (1618)
  • Aristarchus, sive de arte grammatica (1635 and 1695; new ed. in 2 vols., 1833–35)
  • Etymologicum linguae Latinae (Etymology of the Latin Language; 1662; new ed. in two vols., 1762–63)
  • Commentariorum Rhetoricorum oratoriarum institutionum Libri VI. (Essays on Rhetoric, or The Institutes of Oratory; 1606 and often)
  • De Historicis Graecis Libri IV (The Greek Historians; 1624)
  • De Historicis Latinis Libri III (The Latin Historians; 1627)
  • Of Errors of Speech and Latino-Barbarous Terms (1640)
  • De Theologia Gentili (1642)
  • Dissertationes Tres de Tribus Symbolis, Apostolico, Athanasiano et Constantinopolitano (1642)
  • The Times of the Ancient Poets (1654)

Correspondence of Vossius with Eminent Men was published in 1691. His collected works were published at Amsterdam (6 vols., 1695–1701).

In rhetoric, his works enjoyed a wide circulation, being used as textbooks. He supported Aristotle's definitions, and opposed Ramism. With the major influences being Aristotle and Cicero, he also cited Hermogenes, Menander Rhetor, Bartholomeus Keckermann and Nicolas Caussin.

Vossius's works are well represented in the Library of Sir Thomas Browne.

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