Matthias Ringmann

Matthias Ringmann was an Alsatian German humanist scholar and cosmographer.

He was also known by the name Philesius Vogesigena. A humanist is a scholar who studies classical subjects like Greek and Latin. Ringmann was a key figure in the early 16th century. He helped change how people understood the shape of the world. His work helped bridge the gap between ancient knowledge and new discoveries.

Ringmann was born in 1482 in Eichhoffen, a small farming village in Alsace. He began his formal education at the University of Heidelberg in 1498. Later, he moved on to study at the University of Paris. His studies followed a typical humanist path for that era. He mastered Greek, Latin, classical literature, history, and mathematics. He also focused heavily on cosmography, which is the study of the universe. By 1505, he had settled in Strassburg to work at a printing press.

While in Strassburg, Ringmann began studying the works of Ptolemy. Ptolemy was an ancient geographer whose books were essential to scholars. Ringmann also became interested in the writings of Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was an Italian explorer whose work was widely published after 1504. A copy of the book *Mundus Novus* reached Strassburg via Johannes Michaelis. Michaelis was a Swedish notary who had been in Rome. He had attended a papal consistory where recent Portuguese voyages were discussed. This connection helped Ringmann learn about new lands being found.

Ringmann believed that a giant, unknown continent existed on the other side of the world. He was convinced that Vespucci had encountered this land. In August 1505, Ringmann reprinted *Mundus Novus* in a work titled *De Ora antarctica*. He included a declaration from Michaelis to prove the information was true. Ringmann also wrote a letter to a friend in July 1507. In this letter, he called Vespucci a man of great courage. This helped build the reputation of the explorer among European scholars.

In 1506, Ringmann worked on a major translation project. He produced the first German translation of Julius Caesar's *Commentaries on the Gallic War*. To do this, he used Ptolemy's *Geography* to find historic Roman place-names. He matched these old names to locations that existed in his own time. This work was published in 1507. Later that year, he traveled to Italy. He likely went there to search for more information regarding Vespucci and his explorations.

Ringmann soon joined a group of scholars in Saint-Dié called the Gymnasium Vosagense. This group worked under the patronage of René II, the Duke of Lorraine. The group was led by Walter Lud and aimed to publish a new edition of Ptolemy's *Geography*. Ringmann was chosen because of his expertise in Greek, Latin, and geography. He worked alongside a cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller. Together, they used new maps and letters to understand the western Atlantic.

This collaboration led to the most famous moment in Ringmann's career. The group decided to publish an *Introduction to Cosmography* and a world map in 1507. Ringmann wrote the introduction and included a Latin translation of the Soderini Letter. In the preface, he suggested a new name for the discovered lands. He proposed "America" to honor Amerigo Vespucci. He noted that Europe and Asia had feminine names. He thought "America" would be a suitable form. On April 25, 1507, one thousand copies were printed. This was the first time the word "America" appeared in print.

Ringmann was also interested in making education more engaging. In 1509, he published a card game called *Grammatica Figurata*.

This game was designed to teach the rules of Donatus' *Ars Minor*. Each card represented a part of speech, a gender, a case, or a tense. Students would play the cards based on questions from their teachers. This made learning grammar more appealing to children. Ringmann died in 1511 in Sélestat after suffering from tuberculosis. His work on the new Ptolemy continued after his death.