Ritschl, Friedrich Wilhelm
One of the most eminent classical philologists of modern times, born at Grossvargula, in
Thuringia, April 6th, 1806. He studied at Leipzig under Hermann, and from 1826 to 1829 at
Halle, where he eagerly availed himself of the lectures and society of Reissig. In 1832 he was
called to Breslau as Extraordinary Professor, receiving at the same time a joint directorship
of the philological seminary. Two years aftewards he became Ordinary Professor, and spent the
winter and spring of 1836-37 on a tour through Italy. In 1839 he accepted an invitation to
Bonn as Professor of Classical Literature and Rhetoric. The Prussian government conferred on
him the rank of Privy-Councillor in 1856. His first literary works were devoted to the Greek
grammarians, as the edition of Thomas Magister
(Halle, 1832), the acute and
penetrating treatise
De Oro et Orione (Breslau, 1834), and the
richly elucidatory
Die alexandrin. Bibliotheken und die Sammlung der Homerischen
Gedichte durch Peisistratus (Breslau, 1838), sufficiently prove; but his
greatest work is his edition of Plautus
(Bonn, 1848-53), executed with the
richest critical apparatus, and accompanied by comprehensive prolegomena on the Plautine
metres. This work secured for him a splendid reputation among his countrymen. Among the
numerous productions of Ritschl which may be regarded as preparatory to this
chef-d'œuvre, the most important is his
Parerga Plautina et
Terentiana (Leipzig, 1848). Subsequently his literary activity took another
direction—a systematic treatment of Latin inscriptions, with the view of
illustrating the history of the Latin language. His labours in this department were crowned
with success, for Ritschl has thrown more light upon the successive phases of the language
than almost any other single individual. To this field belong his
Lex
Rubria (Bonn, 1851);
Titulus Mummianus (Berlin,
1852);
Monumenta Epigraphica Tria (Berlin, 1852);
Inscriptio Columnae Rostratae (Berlin, 1852);
Anthologiae Latinae Corollarium (Berlin, 1853);
De
Sepulcro Furiorum (Berlin, 1853);
De Fictilibus Litteratis,
etc.
(Berlin, 1853);
Poesis Saturninae Spicelegium (Bonn,
1854);
De Titulo Metrico Lambacsensi (1855);
De Varronis Hebdomadum Libris (1856);
In Leges
Viselliam, Antoniam, Corneliam Observationes Epigraphicae (1860); and
Prooemiorum Bonnensium Decas (1862). Besides these works,
Ritschl contributed a large number of learned dissertations to the programmes of the
University of Bonn, to the transactions of the Archæological Institute of Rome, and
to the
Rheinisches Museum für Philologie. On the twenty-fifth
anniversary of his appointment to Bonn, there began to be published
Symbola
Philologorum Bonnensium in Honorem Frid. Ritschelii (1864-67). He died
November 8th, 1876. See L. Müller,
Friedrich Wilhelm Ritschl
(Berlin, 1877); and Ribbeck,
F. W. Ritschl (Leipzig,
1881).