Professors, Muses and griefs: meta-didactics reflection in Grzegorz of Sambor’s "Theoresis tertia"

The purpose of the paper is twofold. The first is to recall a Neo-Latin poem Theoresis tertia (Cracow 1561) by Gregory of Sambor (ca 1520-1573); it was underestimated by the philologists of the 20th century and treated with disregard as a “scholarly phantasy”. The second is to present the poem in the context of humanist ideas and humanist teaching, not only as a didactic program, but also as an example of meta-didactic thinking of oneself and of one’s role in the system of education. Theoresis tertia is a poetic schedule of a series of lectures which were to be held by Gregory at the Jagiellonian University, but actually it is open to many levels of interpretation. The first part of the study examines a liminary poem by Ioannes Leopolita (a skillful student poet), encouraging people to buy the booklet and describing Gregory’s lecture as an adventure or passionate journey. The short elegy presents poetry as the realm of the Muses and delineates a humanistic landscape, in which Gregory’s poem is deeply imbedded, that is shown in the next parts of the analysis. The poet manifests himself as a "mystagogue", leading his students along the path of Muses, enumerating their names in some order, considering their functions and their favourite poets. His thinking may be compared with main ancient, medieval and early-modern sources. Especially within the context of Marsilio Ficino’s thought, Gregory’s concept of poetry may be treated as a fundamental principle of Renaissance humanist worldview and anthropology. Gregory brings his students to a meeting with Vergil himself and, to authorize his teaching, tells them about a vision of Apollo and Muses that he saw. Doing that, he also manifests his melancholy and some doubts on the role and condition of a humanist university teacher in his time and society.