Dudith [Duditus], Andreas

1. Dates

Born: Budapest, 16 Feb 1533

Died: Breslau, 23 Feb 1589

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 56

2. Father

Occupation: Aristocrat

His parents were both noble. His father, Jerome, was a Hungarian noble who died in battle against the Turks when Andreas was quite young. His mother was from a Venetian noble family, the Sbardellat. After the family's holdings were overrun by the Turks, Andreas's upbringing was entrusted to his uncle, Augustin Sbardellat, bishop of Vacs and an imperial counsellor, who in turn entrusted him to Henckel, Canon of Breslau. Augustin Sbardellat was taken in battle and Henckel died in 1539. Andreas appears to have grown up in Breslau and at court in Vienna.

It is clear that he grew up in wealthy circumstances.

3. Nationality

Birth: Budapest, Hungary

Career: English, German, Hungarian, Yugoslav Area

Death: Breslau, Germany

4. Education

Schooling: No University

Little of his education is known. It is assumed that it continued in the tradition of Hungarian humanism to which Henckel subscribed.

1550-3, he studied in Verona and Paris. I have found no evidence that he received any degree. Since Verona did not have a university, I have doubts that the reference to Paris means the university.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Catholic, Lutheran

He was raised a Catholic and occupied high positions in the Catholic church. However, he believed strongly that priests should be allowed to marry and was unpopularly in favor of reconcilliation with the Lutherans. In 1567 he married a Polish noblewoman and subsequently subscribed to the Lutheran faith. This brought condemnation and excommunication from Rome, but he retained the trust and favor of the emperor.

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Astronomy

Subordinate: Medicine

He did not publish any original works in medicine, nor did he treat patients to my knowledge. However, his correspondence with Crato, the imperial physician, seems significant.

Early in his intellectual life he interested himself in astrology, but eventually rejected it and argued strongly against it.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Church Life, Patronage, Government

Secondary: Personal Means

1553-7, secretary to the papal legate to England, Cardinal Reginald Pole. His time was divided between London and Paris.

1557, he returned to Hungary and became provost of Overbaden and canon of Strigone. He travelled to Italy, where he spent 1558-1560. It is not clear to me whether he retained the income from these positions then or whether he relied on patrons, like Veranscsis, bishop of Agra, who in 1558 offered him the income from two benefices in his bishopric. He does not appear to have accepted this offer, but there was probably some support from Verancsis or other patrons.

1560-2, he returned to court in Vienna, was granted the bishopric of Tina, Dalmatia, and administered it for two years.

1562-3, he was elected by the Hungarian clergy and served as representative to the council of Trent.

1564-76, he served the imperial court. He was given the bishopric of Chonad, Hungary, and served on ambassadorial missions to Poland. After returning from Poland he was given the diocese of Cinq-Eglises (I am not sure what the German or Hungarian name was). 1567, he married. He attempted to resign from the court, but Maximillian II retained him as ambassador to Poland and secret councillor.

1576, he was finally forced to leave the court and retired as baron of a property he had obtained in Moravia. He also had the title of seigneur de Smigla, which came from another holding in Poland. I do not know whether he held these simultaneously.

1579-89, he retired to Breslau.

8. Patronage

Types: Eccesiastic Official, Court Official

His first major patron was Cardinal Reginald Pole. He probably had other minor ecclesiastical patrons, like Bishop Verancsis, during this period.

His major patrons were the emperors Ferdinand I and Maximilian II.

9. Technological Involvement

Types: None

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

Connections: He cultivated his relationships with Henry and Thomas Savile, the German mathematician Johannes Praetorius, and the imperial physician Crato. He corresponded on astronomical matters with Thadaeus Hagecius.

Sources

1. Pierre Costil, Andre Dudith: humaniste hongrois 1533-1589, sa vie, son oeuvre et ses manuscrits grecs, (Paris, 1935).
2. [CT950.D8C8]
3. J.P. Niceron, Memoires pour servir a l'histoire des hommes illustres, 17 (Paris, 1732), 385-408. [Lilly Z1010.N5 v.17]
4. Hoefer, Nouvelle biographie generale, 15 (Paris, 1861), 44-45.
5. [Lilly RR CT143.H7 1863 v.15-16.]
6. Note: Costil is the authoritative source, but I have not nearly exhausted it. I am confident, however, that this report gives the details of his life that we need.

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.