Dimitrie Cantemir’s Followers (16)

Dimitrie Cantemir

Born

in Romania

October 26, 1673

Died

August 21, 1723

Genre

History, Philosophy, Science

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Dimitrie or Demetrius Cantemir (Romanian pronunciation: [diˈmitri.e kanteˈmir], also known by other spellings, was a Moldavian soldier, statesman, and man of letters. He was twice voivode of Moldavia (March–April 1693 and 1710–1711). During his second term, he allied his state with Russia in their war against Moldavia's Ottoman overlords; Russia's defeat forced Cantemir's family into exile and the replacement of the native voivodes by the Greek phanariots. Cantemir was also a prolific writer, variously a philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, ethnographer, and geographer. His son Antioch, Russia's ambassador to Great Britain and France and a friend of Montesquieu and Voltaire, would go on to be known as "the father of Rus Dimitrie or Demetrius Cantemir (Romanian pronunciation: [diˈmitri.e kanteˈmir], also known by other spellings, was a Moldavian soldier, statesman, and man of letters. He was twice voivode of Moldavia (March–April 1693 and 1710–1711). During his second term, he allied his state with Russia in their war against Moldavia's Ottoman overlords; Russia's defeat forced Cantemir's family into exile and the replacement of the native voivodes by the Greek phanariots. Cantemir was also a prolific writer, variously a philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, ethnographer, and geographer. His son Antioch, Russia's ambassador to Great Britain and France and a friend of Montesquieu and Voltaire, would go on to be known as "the father of Russian poetry".
Dimitrie was born in Silişteni, Moldavia (now Vaslui County, Romania) on 26 October 1673 to Constantin Cantemir and Ana Bantăș. His elderly father was from a noble family of Crimean Tatar extraction, which came to Moldavia in the mid-17th century. One of the explanations for the name "Cantemir" is that it's derived from "Can Temur", meaning "the blood of Timur", marking a direct descent from the conqueror Tamerlane. His mother was a learned daughter of a local noble family.[citation needed] In 1685, Constantin was named voivode of Moldavia by its Turkish overlords.
Although Constantin himself was illiterate, he educated his sons Dimitrie and Antioh thoroughly. Dimitrie learned Greek and Latin to read the classics as a child. One of his tutors was the scholar John Komnenos Molyvdos. Between 1687 and 1710, Dimitrie spent most of his time as a hostage or envoy in Constantinople, living in the palace he owned, where he learned Turkish and studied Ottoman history at the Patriarchate's Greek Academy.[citation needed] While there, he also composed Turkish music.
Upon Constantin's death in 1693, Dimitrie briefly succeeded him to the voivodeship but was passed over within three weeks in favor of Constantin Duca, whose candidacy was supported by his father-in-law, the Wallachian voivode Constantin Brâncoveanu.[6] When his brother Antioh eventually succeeded to the control of Moldavia, Dimitrie served as his envoy to the Porte.[citation needed] During these years, he also served with distinction in the Turkish army on its campaigns.
In 1710, Dimitrie was appointed voivode in his own right. Believing Ottoman Turkey to be collapsing,[2] he placed Moldavia under Russian control through a secret agreement signed at Lutsk.[citation needed] He then joined Peter the Great in his war against the Turks. This ended in failure at Stănilești (18–22 July 1711) and the Cantemirs were forced into Russian exile. Turkey then replaced the voivodeship with the rule of Greek phanariots.
In Russia, Dimitrie was created both a Russian prince (knyaz) by Peter and a prince of the Holy Roman Empire by Charles VI. He lived on an estate at Dmitrovka near Oryol, with a sizable boyar retinue (including the chronicler Ion Neculce). There he died on 21 August 1723, on the very day he was awarded his German title. In 1935, his remains were returned to Iași.
Cantemir was a polyglot known as one of the greatest linguists of his time, speaking and writing eleven languages. Well versed in Oriental scholarship, his oeuvre is voluminous, diverse, and original, although some of his scientific writings contain unconfirmed theories or simple inaccuracies. Between 1711 and 1719 he wrote his most important creations. In 1714, he was named a member of the Royal Academy of Berlin.
Cantemir's best-known history work was his History of the Growth and Decay of the Ottoman Empire (the original title was in Latin, Historia incrementorum atque decrementorum Aulae Othomanicae). This volume circulated throughout Europe in manuscript for a number of years. It was finally printed in 1734 in London and was later translated and printed in Germany and France. It remained the seminal work on the Ottoman Empire up to the middle of the 19th. ...more

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Dimitrie Cantemir’s books

Average rating: 3.58 · 365 ratings · 22 reviews · 44 distinct works • Similar authors

	Descrierea Moldovei 3.53 avg rating — 144 ratings — published 1717 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Divanul sau Gâlceava înţeleptului cu lumea 3.74 avg rating — 82 ratings — published 1698 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Istoria ieroglifică 3.11 avg rating — 92 ratings — published 1705 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Istoria creşterilor si a descreşterilor curţii othman[n]ice / Historia incrementorum atque decrementorum aulae Othomanicae by Dimitrie Cantemir, Dan Slușanschi (Translator) 3.85 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 1716 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Opere complete 4.88 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 1973	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Integrala Manuscriselor Cantemir. vol. III. Institutio Logices Idest De philosophiae instrumentali Arte Habitus by Dimitrie Cantemir, Constantin Barbu (Editor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cele mai frumoase pagini 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1993	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Integrala Manuscriselor Cantemir. vol. I Sacro-sanctae Scientiae Indepingibilis Imago by Dimitrie Cantemir, Constantin Barbu (Editor) 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Integrala Manuscriselor Cantemir. vol. II Loca Obscura in Cathechisi, quae ab anonymo authore slaveno idiomate edita et Pervoe ucenie otrokom intitula est, dulucidata authore Principe Demetrio Cantemirio by Dimitrie Cantemir, Constantin Barbu (Editor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Antologie de Filosofie Românească, Volume I by Dimitrie Cantemir, Samuil Micu Clain, Ion Heliade Rădulescu it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Dimitrie Cantemir…

Series by Dimitrie Cantemir

Integrala Manuscriselor Cantemir (3 books)
by

Dimitrie Cantemir,

Constantin Barbu (Editor)

4.91 avg rating — 11 ratings

Quotes by Dimitrie Cantemir (?)

“tot ce cu mare poftă iubim,acéia cu mare lesnire crédem”
― Dimitrie Cantemir

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“că adevărul, deşi tîrdziu, însă în deşert şi nedovedit a rămînea nu poate”
― Dimitrie Cantemir, Istoria ieroglifică

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“căci nici cel firesc lucrătoriu osteneala simpte, nici materiia lipséşte, nici formei după a sa orînduială firéşte împiedecare sau de tot ştérgere a să da poate”
― Dimitrie Cantemir, Istoria ieroglifică

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