Draft:Maximilian Hayduck
Maximilian Hayduck | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 31, 1838 Stralsund (then in Province of Pomerania), Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | March 1909 (aged 70–71) Thorn, West Prussia (now Toruń, Poland) |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation(s) | Classical philologist, educator |
| Known for | Editions of Aristotelian commentaries in the Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca |
| Academic background | |
| Education | University of Greifswald, Humboldt University of Berlin |
| Alma mater | University of Greifswald |
Maximilian Hayduck (31 January 1838 – March 1909) was a German classical philologist, secondary-school teacher and editor of ancient philosophical texts. Although he spent his professional career in the gymnasium system, he became a leading contributor to the Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca series, editing fourteen volumes of Greek commentaries on Aristotle. His editions, prepared under the auspices of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, provided reliable texts for commentators such as Alexander of Aphrodisias, Simplicius of Cilicia, John Philoponus and Michael of Ephesus. These texts remain standard references for scholars of Aristotelian philosophy.
Life
[edit]Early life and education
[edit]Hayduck was born on 31 January 1838 in the Hanseatic town of Stralsund, then part of the Prussian Province of Pomerania. He attended the Marienstiftsgymnasium in Stettin, passing his Abitur in 1855. He went on to study classical philology at the University of Greifswald and the Humboldt University of Berlin, developing a proficiency in Latin, Greek and classical literature. In December 1860 he passed the state teaching examination, qualifying him to teach multiple subjects at the gymnasium level.
Teaching career
[edit]After a probationary year at his old gymnasium, Hayduck was appointed a teacher (Oberlehrer) at the Greifswald gymnasium in April 1861. He remained there for over a decade, earning promotion to senior teacher in 1873. In April 1876 Hayduck moved to a gymnasium in Meldorf and, the same year, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Greifswald. Two years later he became director of the Royal High School (Königliches Gymnasium) in Marienburg, West Prussia. He was decorated with the Order of the Red Eagle (Fourth Class, later Third Class with ribbon) for his service.
In April 1894 Hayduck took up the directorship of the gymnasium in Thorn, West Prussia. He remained there until his retirement in 1902, when he was awarded the honorary title of Geheimer Regierungsrat (Privy Government Councillor) and relocated to Berlin. Hayduck died in March 1909, probably in Thorn. He married Emilie Delbrück, sister of the historian Hans Delbrück; their son Friedrich Hayduck (1880–1961) became a chemist.
Scholarship
[edit]Although employed full‑time as a gymnasium teacher, Hayduck pursued classical philology as an avocation. His early program essays examined problematic passages in Aristotle’s works and questions of authenticity in the Platonic dialogues. His philological abilities brought him to the attention of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, which commissioned him to edit Greek commentaries on Aristotle for its ambitious Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca project.
Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca
[edit]Between 1882 and 1907 Hayduck produced fourteen volumes of the Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca, more than any other editor. These volumes included the following works:
- Alexander of Aphrodisias – commentary on Metaphysics (CAG I, 1891); and commentary on Meteorology (CAG III.2, 1899)
- Asclepius of Tralles – commentary on Metaphysics Books A–Z (CAG VI.2, 1888)
- Simplicius of Cilicia – commentary on On the Soul (CAG XI, 1882)
- John Philoponus – commentary on Meteorology Book I (CAG XIV.1, 1901)
- Pseudo‑Philoponus (Michael of Ephesus) – commentary on On the Generation of Animals (CAG XIV.3, 1903)
- John Philoponus – commentary on On the Soul (CAG XV, 1897)
- Stephanos of Alexandria – commentary on On Interpretation (CAG XVIII.3, 1885)
- Eustratius of Nicaea – commentary on Posterior Analytics Book II (CAG XXI.1, 1907)
- Michael of Ephesus – commentaries on Parts of Animals, Movement of Animals and Progression of Animals (CAG XXII.2, 1904)
- Michael of Ephesus – commentary on Nicomachean Ethics Book V (CAG XXII.3, 1901)
- Sophonias – paraphrase of On the Soul (CAG XXIII.1, 1883)
- Anonymous – paraphrases of Categories and Sophistical Refutations (CAG XXIII.2 and XXIII.4, 1883–84)
These editions entailed extensive collation of manuscripts and included Latin prolegomena discussing questions of authorship and textual transmission. Hayduck’s volumes were essential to the success of the CAG project, which assembled and standardized Greek commentaries on Aristotle from the 2nd to the 14th centuries. His texts have been reprinted by Walter de Gruyter and served as the basis for modern translations in the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle series.
Legacy
[edit]Hayduck’s scholarly work has had a long-lasting impact on Aristotelian studies. The critical editions he produced in the CAG series remain authoritative; in some cases, such as Simplicius’s commentary on On the Soul, no more recent edition has superseded his 1882 text. By making available reliable versions of ancient commentaries, he enabled philosophers and historians to access the interpretive tradition surrounding Aristotle. His career also exemplifies the role of 19th-century German gymnasium teachers in advancing classical scholarship alongside their pedagogical duties.
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- Diels, Hermann; and Zeller, Eduard (eds.). Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca. Berlin: Georg Reimer, 1882–1909.
- Hayduck, Maximilian. Observationes criticae in aliquot locos Aristotelis. Greifswald Gymnasium Program, 1873.
- Hayduck, Maximilian. Emendationes Aristoteleae. Greifswald Gymnasium Program, 1877.
- Usener, Hermann. “Rezension von CAG und Supplementum Aristotelicum.” Göttingische Gelehrte Anzeigen 26 (1892): 1001–1022.