TRITHEMIUS, trit-6'mi-us, JOHANNES: German Benedictine; b, at Trittenheim (12 m. n.n.e. of Treves) Feb. 1, 1462; d. at Würzburg Dec. 13, 1516. After a youth of severest privation, he was enabled to begin his theological and humanistic education at Heidelberg, but in 1482 a sudden storm which caused him to return to the Benedictine monastery of Sponheim, near Kreuznach, where he had been hospitably received, led him to think himself divinely called to the monastic life. He was gladly accepted, and through his learning, piety, and diligence so won the esteem of the monks that within a year he was chosen abbot. He could now live the scholar's life; he speedily made the monastery library one of the most important in Germany, and was a friend of the leading humanists of the period. At the same time, he improved the tone of monastery life, both morally and intellectually, and greatly bettered its financial and architectural status. Despite all this, Trithemius was ill adapted to rule a monastery. He made repeated mistakes in choosing. his priors, and his administration was marked by vacillation. More than this, he was absent from Sponheim more than was advisable, and his authority slipped from his hands before he was aware. Unwilling to fight for his position, he accepted the invitation of the learned Lawrence of Bibra, bishop of Würzburg, who, in 1506, made him head of the small abbey of the Irish monastery of St. James in the see city. Here, in retirement and study, Trithemius passed the remainder of his life.

Comparatively few of the numerous writings of Trithemius, which were devoted to theology, history, and occultism (his studies in the latter gaining him the reputation of a magician), were published during his lifetime. To the latter category belong his Steganographia, live de ratione occutte seribendi (written in 1500; Frankfort, 1606 [see J. E. Bailey, John Dee and the "Steganographia" of Trithemius, London, 1879]); and Polygraphite Zibri quatuor (written in 1507; Oppenheim, 1518 [French transl., Polygraphic, et universelle escriture rabalistique, Paris, 1561]). Of his theological writings the most important is the Sermones et exhartationes ad monachos (written in 1486; Strasburg, 1516). As a historian Trithemius gained wide fame during his lifetime, but he wrote from a partizan point of view, and even invented sources, as " Hunibald's " Libri octodecim, historiarum, which he cited as an authority for the period from 440 to the reign of Chlodowech, or the Fulda chronicler "Meginfrid." These histories have no value except when treating of their author's own times. His theological writings were collected under the title Johannis Trithemii Opera pia et spiritualia quotquot reperiri potuerunt (ed. J. Busxus, Mainz, 1604) and in J. Busaeus' Paralipomenti opusczdorum Petri Blesensis, Johannis Trithemii, et Hincmari (1605); his historical writings appeared as Johannis Trithemii,

. . Opera historica (ed. M. Freher, 2 parts, Frank fort, 1601), while J. G. Schlegel edited the Annales Hirsaugienses (St. Gall, 1690); and his letters formed the volume entitled Johannis !'rithemii, abbatis Sponheimensis, epistolarum familidrium libri duo (Hagenau, 1536).

(A. Hauck.)

Bibliography: H. A. Erhard, Geschichte des Wiederaufblvhens wissenschaftlicher Bildung, iii. 379 sqq., Magdeburg, 1832; Paul, De fontibus a Trithemio . . . , Halle, 1887; J. Silbernagl, J. Trithemius, Landshut, 1868; X. E. H. Müller, Quellen welche der Abt Tritheim . . . benutzt hat, Leipsic, 1871; W. Schneegana, Abt J. Trithemius urui Kloster Sporeheim, Kreuznach, 1882; G. Mentz, lst es bewe6sert, doss Trithemius ein Falscher war? Jena, 1892; ADB, axxviii. 828 sqq.; AL, vi. 1770 sqq.