Jan Długosz

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Jan Długosz.

Jan Długosz (December 1, 1415 - May 19, 1480), also known as Joannes, Ioannes or Johannes Longinus or Dlugossius, was a Polish chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Cardinal Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is best known for his Annales seu cronici incliti regni Poloniae (The Annals of Jan Długosz), covering events in southeastern Europe, but also in Western Europe, from 965 to 1480, the year he died.^[1] His work was first printed in 1701-1703. Whenever he bothers to mention himself in the book, he writes of himself in the third person. He used the Wieniawa coat of arms.

Wieniawa coat-of-arms.

He was a canon at Kraków, educated in that city's Jagiellonian University. He was sent by King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon of Poland on diplomatic missions to the Papal and Imperial courts, and was involved in the King's negotiations with the Teutonic Knights during the Thirteen Years' War (1454-66) and at the peace negotiations.

In 1434 his uncle, the first pastor at Klobuck, appointed him to take over his position as cannon of St. Martin church at Klobuck. The town was in Oppole territory of Silesia, but had recently been conquered by Wladislaw Jagiello. Longinus stayed until 1452 and while there, founded the canonical monastery.

In 1450 he was sent by Queen Sophia of Halshany and King Casimir to conduct peace negotiations between John Hunyadi and the Bohemian noble Jan Jiskra of Brandys, and after six days' of talks convinced them to sign a truce.

In 1455 in Kraków, a fire spread which destroyed much of the city and the castle, but which spared Długosz's house.

In 1461 a Polish delegation which included Długosz met with emissaries of George of Podebrady in Beuthen (Bytom), Silesia. After six days of talks, they concluded an alliance between the two factions. In 1466 Długosz was sent to the legate of Breslau (Wrocław), Silesia in order to attempt to obtain assurance that the legate was not biased in favor of the Teutonic Knights. He was successful, and was in 1467 entrusted with tutoring the King's son.

Długosz declined the offer of the Archbishopric of Prague, but shortly before his death was elected Archbishop of Lwów.

[edit] Works of Długosz

Annales seu cronicae incliti Regni Poloniae ("Annals or chronicles of the famous Kingdom of Poland";

"Roczniki, czyli kroniki sławnego Królestwa Polskiego") (Polish translation of the Annals, c.1960 - still in progress (expected completion in October 2006)

The Annals of Jan Dlugosz ISBN 1901019004 (English translation of key sections of the work)

Historiae Polonicae libri xii was written (as the title suggests) in 12 books between 1455 and 1480, but remained unpublished until 1711-12 (in 2 vols.)