The Latinised name Sabellicus was adopted by the scholar born as Marcus Antonius Cocci in 1436. Raised in Vicovaro, he became a figure within the intellectual circles of the Republic of Venice, where he spent his later years as a librarian, historian, and professional writer navigating the shifting currents of fifteenth-century humanist scholarship.
Academic Foundations and Early Career
The development of his scholarly identity began under the guidance of mentors including Pomponius Laetus, Porcelio Pandone, and Gaspar Veronese. His early professional path led him to a professorship of eloquence in Udine in 1473, a position he held until his departure in 1482. Following a brief interval in Verona, he relocated to Venice, where he sought to establish his reputation as a chronicler by presenting a speculative history of the city.
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His tenure in Venice involved institutional appointments and significant writing projects. He served as a deputy to Giorgio Valla before receiving an appointment as a curator of the Biblioteca Marciana in 1487. His output during this period included the official Latin history of Venice, titled Historiae rerum venetarum ab urbe condita, as well as the 1492 descriptive work De Venetae urbis situ. In 1488, he published De Venetis magistratibus, a text documenting the duties of Venetian magistrates, which he dedicated to the doge Augustinus Barbadicus.
Major Works and Intellectual Legacy
His primary contribution to universal history, Enneades sive Rhapsodia historiarum, was released in 1498. Earlier, he authored a hexameter poem, De rerum et artium inventoribus, which drew inspiration from the Historia Naturalis of Pliny the Elder and influenced the work of Polydore Vergil. His career also spanned commentary on classical authors and antiquarian research regarding Aquileia, published in 1482. Following his death in 1506, his collected writings were compiled and published in Basel in 1560.
Fast facts
- Born: 1436, Vicovaro
- Died: 1506, Venice
- Citizenship: Republic of Venice
- Occupations: writer, librarian, historian
- Languages: Latin
- Burial site: Santa Maria delle Grazie Maggiore a Caponapoli
Questions readers ask
What was the official reception of his Venetian history?
Although written with official encouragement, his Historiae rerum venetarum ab urbe condita proved unpopular with the citizens of Venice.
Who continued his history of Venice?
The work was continued by Andrea Navagero and later by Pietro Bembo, who was appointed in 1530 and extended the narrative to 1513.