HERMANN, JOHANN JAKOB GOTTFRIED, a celebrated Greek scholar of Germany, was born at Leipzig, November 28, 1772. He studied law and philosophy at Leipzig and Jena. In 1794, he began his course of lectures on ancient literature in Leipzig, was made professor of eloquence in 1798, and of poetry in 1809. He died in 1848.
Though destined for the study of law, yet, under Professors Ilgen, Beck, and Ernesti, he acquired the predilection for classic literature which afterwards rendered him famous. He set himself to revise thoroughly the classic metres and the Greek grammar. In the prosecution of
Hermannstadt. this task he published a great many editions of classic authors. The principles which he entertained regarding the classic metres, were published in his work De metris poetarum Græcorum et Romanorum in 1796; and in his Handbuch der Metrik in 1799. These were drawn up in a more complete form in his Elementa doctrinae metricæ in 1816, of which his Epitome, &c., appeared in 1818.
He extended his literary reform to the study of the Greek grammar and his work De emendanda ratione Græcæ grammaticæ, was published in 1801. As this treated of accentuation and the analysis of letters, Hermann gave his views on syntax in the shape of notes, and extensive additions to Viger's work De præcipuis Græcæ dictionis idiotismis. He has been accused of viewing the ancient classics too exclusively from the stand-points of grammar and criticism; still his views, both medical and grammatical, have been extensively adopted throughout Europe.
His editions of the classics are:—Æschylus and Euripides, complete with Latin notes, 1798. The Eumenides of Æschylus and Clouds of Aristophanes, with introduction, commentary, and scholia, 1799. Hecuba of Euripides, with the notes of Porsen and Wakefield as well as his own; and the Trinummus of Plautus, in 1800. The Poetics of Aristotle, with Latin translation, commentary, and disquisitions, in 1802. The Hymns of Orpheus in 1805, and those ascribed to Homer in 1816. The Hercules Furten of Euripides, 1810. The Suppliants of Euripides in 1811. The Medea of Euripides, 1822. The Alcestis of Euripides in 1823. The unfinished edition of Sophocles by Erfurdt, was completed by Hermann in 7 vols. in 1825. The Ion of Euripides in 1827. The Opuscula of Hermann, began in 1827, is a collection in 6 vols., of literary and scientific articles from German publications.