John Owen (epigrammatist)

John Owen was a writer from Wales. He wrote short, funny poems. He used a very old way of writing. These poems were called epigrams. They were smart and full of wit. Many people in Europe loved them. His poems were even put into other languages. People translated them into English and Spanish. He was very good at using Latin. His work was popular for a long time. Even music was named after his poems. He was a very famous writer.

John Owen was a famous writer from Wales. He lived a long time ago. He was a master of Latin. Latin is an old language. He wrote short, clever poems called epigrams. These poems were full of wit and humor. People across Europe loved them. Scholars even called him "the British Martial."

Owen started writing these poems when he was young. At age 16, his work was used in a big ceremony. This event was for Queen Elizabeth I. She was visiting a sailor named Sir Francis Drake. Owen published his main book, the *Epigrammata*, starting in 1606. This work had many parts. Some parts were added later.

His poems were very popular. People translated them into many languages. These included English, French, German, and Spanish. One of his most famous ideas was about how times change. This idea is called *Tempora mutantur*. It means "Times change, and we change with them." Even a music maker named Joseph Haydn used this name for his work. Owen died in 1622. He was buried in a large cathedral in London.

John Owen was a clever writer from Wales. He was a master of the Latin language. He wrote short poems called epigrams. These poems used wit and humor to make a point. People all over Europe loved his work. Scholars even called him "the British Martial."

Owen learned to write these poems at Winchester College. He was very skilled at a young age. When he was only 16, his poems were used in a big ceremony. This event was for Queen Elizabeth I. She was visiting a sailor named Sir Francis Drake. Drake had just sailed around the whole world.

Owen began publishing his poems in 1606. His main collection was called the *Epigrammata*. This collection was released in many parts over several years. Some parts came out in 1606 and 1607. Other parts were added in 1612, 1613, and 1620. The books were sometimes organized in different ways. Some versions had ten books, while others had twelve.

Owen had a very busy life. He studied at New College, Oxford. He graduated with a law degree in 1590. He worked as a schoolmaster in places like Trelleck and Warwick. In 1614, his pay grew to £20 per year. He died in 1622. He was buried in the old St Paul's Cathedral in London.

His poems were famous for many centuries. Many people translated them into English, French, German, and Spanish. One very famous idea from his poems is *Tempora mutantur*. This means "Times change, and we change with them." A famous music maker named Joseph Haydn even used this name for his Symphony No. 64.

John Owen was a Welsh writer who specialized in a form of poetry called epigrams. An epigram is a short, clever poem that usually uses wit to make a specific point. Owen achieved a high level of mastery in the Latin language. His ability to combine sense with humor earned him great applause across Europe. Because of his skill, scholars of his time called him "the British Martial." This title compared him to Martial, a famous Roman poet known for his own witty epigrams.

Owen's education played a vital role in his development as a poet. He attended Winchester College, where much of the learning focused on producing these short poems. He was exceptionally talented at a young age. When he was only 16, his poems were used in a formal ceremony. This event occurred during a state visit by Queen Elizabeth I to Sir Francis Drake. The ceremony took place at Deptford as Drake returned from sailing around the world.

After his time at Winchester, Owen continued his studies at New College, Oxford. He graduated as a Bachelor of Civil Law in 1590. He served as a fellow at his college from 1584 until 1591. Later, he worked as a schoolmaster in Trelleck and at The King's School in Warwick. By 1614, his annual salary as a schoolmaster had reached £20. Owen died in 1622 and was buried in the old St Paul's Cathedral in London.

Owen's most famous work is a collection titled *Epigrammata*. He began publishing these poems in 1606, and they were an almost instant success. The collection was released in different stages over many years. The first three books appeared in 1606. Subsequent books were published in 1607, 1612, approximately 1613, and 1620. The organization of these books can be complex for readers. Originally, they were published as ten books spread across four separate volumes.

Because the books were released in volumes, the numbering system changed over time. Each volume had its own "Book I," which was distinguished by whom the book was dedicated to. For example, the 1606 volume was dedicated to Lady Mary Neville. The 1607 volume was dedicated to Lady Arabella Stuart. The 1612 volume included books dedicated to Henry, Prince of Wales, and Charles, Duke of York. Later editions eventually collected all these volumes into one single sequence.

Some editions of the *Epigrammata* contain more than the original ten books. The 1620 Leipzig edition included two extra sections, known as Book XI and Book XII. Book XI is a collection of 128 moralizing epigrams called *Monosticha Quaedam Ethica et Politica Veterum Sapientum*. These poems were actually written by Michel Verino, not Owen. Book XII consists of various fragments written by Owen himself. These additions show how collections of classical verse often grew over time.

One of Owen's most lasting contributions is a variation of a famous Latin adage. The phrase is *Tempora mutantur nos et mutamur in illis*, which means "Times change, and we change with them." Owen's specific version of this idea became so popular that people sometimes attribute the phrase directly to him. This concept even influenced the world of music. The composer Joseph Haydn likely named his Symphony No. 64 *Tempora mutantur* because of Owen's writings.

Owen's work had a massive impact on European literature through many translations. His poems were translated into English, French, German, and Spanish. In 1677, Thomas Harvey published *The Latine epigrams of John Owen*, which is considered the most complete English translation. The Spanish epigrammatist La Torre was also heavily influenced by Owen's style. Despite his literary success, Owen faced challenges due to his religious views. As a staunch Protestant, he wrote witty critiques of the Roman Catholic Church. This led to his *Epigrammata* being placed on the *Index Librorum Prohibitorum*, a list of prohibited books, in 1654.