Reuchlin, Johann
, also known by his Graecized name of Capnio. A distinguished
scholar, born at Pforzheim, December 28, 1455. He was educated at Schlettstadt and at Paris,
where he studied Greek under Hermonymus, a Spartan, and became exceedingly proficient in
writing Latin. These pursuits he continued at Basel, where he wrote his Latin dictionary,
entitled
Vocabularius Brevilioquus in 1476. (See
Lexicon.) After further travels he began lecturing at Tübingen
(1481), whence he went to Heidelberg
(1496). Reuchlin did much for
the promotion of Greek studies in Germany, and himself edited a number of Greek texts (e. g.
of Xenophon, Aeschines, Demosthenes), besides writing a Greek grammar. He became professor at
Ingolstadt in 1520. His later years were given to the study of Hebrew and to semi-theological
controversy. He died at Liebenzell, June 30, 1522. See the lives by Barham
(London,
1843); Geiger
(1871), and Horawitz
(1877), and the critical
monograph by Holstein
(1888).
