Scoring Methodology
USTC edition count as proxy for importance
10 = completely untranslated
Length and difficulty for translator
Modern scholarly and general interest
Recommended Sequence
Track A: General Renaissance/Reformation
Phase 1: Foundation
- Donatus - Ars Major (quick win)
- Mantuanus - Parthenice Mariana
Build credibility and audience
Phase 2: Expansion
- Villa Dei - Doctrinale
- Vives - De Anima et Vita
- Hoornbeek - De Ratione Concionandi
Mix of genres and audiences
Phase 3: Major Projects
- Conring - De Origine Juris Germanici
- Lipsius - Collected Letters
- Nebrija - Introductiones Latinae
Establish as serious resource
Track B: BPH/Esoteric - Hermetic, Alchemical, Kabbalistic
Phase 1: Quick Wins
- Schweighardt - Speculum (8.2)
- Maier - Atalanta fugiens
Short Rosicrucian + emblem book
Phase 2: Foundational
- Severinus - Idea medicinae (8.1)
- Reuchlin - De verbo mirifico
- Steuco - De perenni philosophia
Core BPH themes
Phase 3: Major Works
- Patrizi - Nova de universis
- Khunrath - Amphitheatrum
- Giorgi - De harmonia mundi
Landmark translations
Phase 4: Long-term
- Theatrum Chemicum (selections)
- Fludd - Utriusque Cosmi
- Kircher - Oedipus Aegyptiacus
Encyclopedic works
All Works(28 works)
Parthenice Mariana
Baptista Mantuanus (1447-1516) · 1481
600+ editions by 1600. Set precedent for religious epic, influenced Sannazaro and Milton. Required grammar school reading across Europe.
Existing: Eclogues translated (Piepho 1989), but religious epics completely unavailable
High impact, moderate length. Good visibility project.
Speculum Sophicum Rhodo-Stauroticum
Theophilus Schweighardt (1596-1635) · 1618
Key early Rosicrucian text with famous 'Collegium Fraternitatis' engraving.
BPH Relevance: Core Rosicrucian primary source.
Short, accessible, highly relevant. Good quick win.
Doctrinale puerorum
Alexander de Villa Dei (c. 1175-1240) · c. 1200
Perhaps THE most important medieval pedagogical text. Fundamental throughout 13th-16th centuries.
Existing: Excerpts in Copeland & Sluiter (2012)
Verse format. Valuable for medieval education studies.
Idea medicinae philosophicae
Petrus Severinus (1540-1602) · 1571
THE foundational systematization of Paracelsus. Royal physician to Frederick II of Denmark.
BPH Relevance: Essential for understanding Paracelsianism's spread. BPH core theme.
TOP PRIORITY for esoteric/BPH track.
De Ratione Concionandi
Johannes Hoornbeek (1617-1666) · 1645
First systematic Reformed treatise on preaching post-Reformation.
Practical preaching manual. Seminary/pastoral audience.
Ars Grammatica (Ars Major)
Aelius Donatus (fl. 4th century) · 4th century
Most popular medieval Latin textbook for 1000+ years.
Existing: Ars Minor translated. Ars Major unavailable.
Short, foundational, high impact. Good quick-win.
De Origine Juris Germanici
Hermann Conring (1606-1681) · 1643
Foundational work - 'founder of German legal history'. Disproved Lotharian legend.
Existing: Only 'New Discourse on the Roman-German Emperor' translated
THE foundational text for German legal history.
De verbo mirifico
Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522) · 1494
Reuchlin's FIRST kabbalistic work. Dialogue on the wonder-working word (Tetragrammaton).
BPH Relevance: Essential early Christian Kabbalah text.
Should be translated alongside De arte cabalistica.
Introductiones Latinae
Antonio de Nebrija (1444-1522) · 1481
Official Latin textbook in Spanish universities. ~100 reprints in New World.
Spanish/Latin American studies angle.
De perenni philosophia libri X
Agostino Steuco (1497-1548) · 1540
Coined 'philosophia perennis' - later adopted by Leibniz and Aldous Huxley.
BPH Relevance: Origin of 'perennial philosophy' concept central to esoteric thought.
Connects to modern perennialism (Guenon, Schuon).
De humana physiognomonia
Giambattista della Porta (1535-1615) · 1586
Most influential Renaissance physiognomy. Famous human-animal comparison woodcuts. Influenced Darwin.
BPH Relevance: Microcosm-macrocosm correspondence. Natural signatures.
Famous images. Good crossover to art history, psychology.
De Anima et Vita (complete)
Juan Luis Vives (1493-1540) · 1538
Called 'father of modern psychology'. First empirical study of emotions.
Existing: Only Book 3 translated (Noreña 1990). Books 1-2 unavailable.
Completing this would be major contribution.
Anti-Socinian Works
Jakob Martini (1570-1649) · 1614-1647
836 editions - among highest in USTC. Leading opponent of Socinianism.
Extremely high edition count but specialized.
Nova de universis philosophia
Francesco Patrizi (1529-1597) · 1591
Major Hermetic cosmology integrating Hermes Trismegistus, Zoroaster, Orpheus. Dedicated to Pope Gregory XIV.
BPH Relevance: Core text for understanding Renaissance Hermeticism. Central to prisca theologia tradition.
Foundational for BPH collection themes.
Atalanta fugiens
Michael Maier (1568-1622) · 1617
50 emblems, 50 fugues (musical), 50 epigrams. Alchemical symbolism at its most sophisticated.
Existing: De Jong 1969, Godwin 1989 - but dated or expensive
BPH Relevance: Iconic alchemical emblem book. BPH holds early editions.
Fresh open-access version would serve wide audience.
De subtilitate rerum
Girolamo Cardano (1501-1576) · 1550
Renaissance polymath's encyclopedia of nature. Physics, metals, animals, universe. Influenced scientific revolution.
BPH Relevance: Bridges Renaissance natural magic and emerging science.
Major gap. Cardano fundamental to history of science.
De chymicorum consensu ac dissensu
Daniel Sennert (1572-1637) · 1619
Reconciling Paracelsian chemistry with Aristotle/Galen. Atomist. Influenced Boyle.
BPH Relevance: Integration of chemical philosophy into academic medicine.
Key for understanding how alchemy became chemistry.
Collected Letters and Minor Works
Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) · various
80+ editions of De Constantia. Foundational for Neostoicism.
Existing: De Constantia (multiple), Politica. But 4,000+ letters unavailable.
Letters could be done selectively. High crossover appeal.
Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae
Heinrich Khunrath (1560-1605) · 1595/1609
Fusion of Paracelsian alchemy, Kabbalah, and Christian mysticism. Famous Laboratory-Oratory engravings.
BPH Relevance: Core BPH text. Bridges alchemy and Christian Kabbalah.
Difficult Latin with neologisms and wordplay.
Latin Magical Works
Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) · 1589-1591
Bruno's mature magical philosophy. Theory of bonds linking magician to cosmos. Executed for heresy 1600.
Existing: De magia translated by Dillon (2004). De vinculis less available.
BPH Relevance: Major figure in Renaissance magic. Bruno central to esoteric tradition.
Collected accessible edition would be valuable.
Political Works
Christoph Besold (1577-1638) · 1625-1648
Natural right to believe. Critique of absolutism.
Religious freedom angle has modern relevance.
De harmonia mundi totius
Francesco Giorgi (1466-1540) · 1525
Venetian Franciscan's synthesis of Pythagorean harmony, Kabbalah, and Neoplatonism. Influenced Dee, Fludd.
BPH Relevance: Musical/Kabbalistic cosmology. Central to BPH themes.
Very large work. Musical/mathematical content requires specialized knowledge.
Magiae naturalis libri XX
Giambattista della Porta (1535-1615) · 1558/1589
Most influential natural magic text. 25+ editions. Optics, magnetism, alchemy, cryptography. Founded first scientific society.
Existing: 1658 English translation archaic.
BPH Relevance: Definitive natural magic compendium. Transition from magic to experimental science.
1658 translation outdated. Modern annotated edition needed.
Alchemia
Andreas Libavius (1555-1616) · 1597
First systematic chemistry textbook. Bridge between alchemy and modern chemistry. Famous laboratory design.
BPH Relevance: Transition from alchemy to chemistry. Rationalization of esoteric tradition.
Major gap in history of chemistry.
Meditationes in Evangelia Dominicalia
Balthasar Meisner (1587-1626) · 1619
Leading Lutheran theologian 1611-1626.
Devotional genre more accessible.
Philologus Hebraeus
Johannes Leusden (1624-1699) · 1656
Comprehensive study of Judaism and Jewish life. His Hebrew Bible first with numbered verses.
Christian Hebraism is growing field.
Utriusque Cosmi Historia
Robert Fludd (1574-1637) · 1617-1621
Massive illustrated cosmological encyclopedia. Famous De Bry engravings. Defended Rosicrucians against Kepler.
Existing: Only excerpts. Godwin selections (1979).
BPH Relevance: Essential Rosicrucian encyclopedia. BPH holds early editions.
Strategic selection of tractates more feasible than complete translation.
Oedipus Aegyptiacus
Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) · 1652-1654
Monumental attempt to decode hieroglyphics through Hermetic lens. Treasure trove of Renaissance Hermeticism.
BPH Relevance: Encyclopedic Hermeticism. BPH holds copies.
Impractical to translate completely. Thematic selections could work.
Excluded from Roadmap
Already Well-Served
- Cicero (Loeb complete)
- Ovid, Virgil, Horace (Loeb)
- Augustine (multiple series)
- Erasmus major works (CWE)
- William Ames (Marrow)
Ongoing Projects Elsewhere
- Johann Gerhard - Concordia (17 vols)
- Melanchthon - Newcomb (2022+)
- Vives - Brill series
Impractical for Solo Work
- Bartolus complete commentaries
- Calov Systema (12 vols)
- Full systematic theologies
Browse Top 1,200 Latin Works
Ranked by edition count in USTC (1450-1700)