Peter Révay

Infobox Person
name = Peter Révai


caption =
birth_date = 2 February 1568
birth_place = Sklabiňa (Szklabonya), Slovakia (then Hungary)
death_date = 4 June 1622
death_place = Trenčín (Trencsén), Slovakia (then Hungary)
other_names = Peter Révai, Peter Réva, Peter Rewa, Révay Péter, Révai Péter, Rewa Péter, Réva Péter
known_for =
occupation = Poet, state official, soldier and historian
nationality = Slovak

Peter Révay (used aliases of his name include Révai, Rewa, Réva) (* 2 February 1568, Sklabiňa (Szklabonya), Slovakia (then Hungary) - † 4 June 1622, Trenčín (Trencsén), Slovakia (then Hungary)) was a Slovak poet, state official, soldier and historian.

Life

Peter Révay was a member of an old Révay family from the Turiec region. His father was Baron Michal Révay and his mother Anna Bakičová. He received education in Bardejov (Bártfa), Jihlava, probably also in Vienna, and between 1589 and 1591 in Strassbourg, where he was awarded the title of a Master of Philosophy. In 1598 he became the hereditary county head (called a ispán) of the Turóc Comitatus. From 1601 he discharged the duties of a Royal Commissary, in 1610 he became the Royal Courtmaster, from 1615 the Chief Doormaster, and from 1619 a Tablemaster. He had a relatively wide-reaching knowledge of philosophy and history, mastered the art of oration, several languages, built a rich library, and thanks to the above became a respected political and cultural personality. He fought in a war with the Ottoman empire (Esztergom, Visegrád, Fiľakovo (Fülek), Nógrád). He also became one of the leading representatives of Lutheran nobility, supporting sacral literature. He died in Trenčín (Trencsén), but was burried in Martin (Túrócszentmárton).

Work

His poetry and historical works influenced the later Slovak historical literature and patriotic works. Révay started producing literature during his studies in Strassbourg. His first work (besides his master thesis) was published in 1592 (article "Velezrada (Grand Treason)"). As the first historician in the territory of Hungary, he argued for the ancientness of the Slavs. His works presented Hungary as a multi-national state. His correspondence with the officials of his county was conducted in a cultivated Slovak.

List of Works

*1591 - "De laudibus Ciceronis", a lecture advocating oration
*1591 - "De quattuor virtutibus cardinalibus", a tractate
*1591 - "Disputatio de mutuo materiae"
*1592 - "Velezrada (De parricidio)", article
*1613 - "De sacra corona regni Hungariae ortu, virtuti, victoria, fortuna… brevis commentarius ", a dscourse about the Hungarian crown
*1659 - "De monarchia et sacra corona regni hungariae centuriae septem" a more comprehensive work about the history of Hungary

ee also

* Révay