MURATORI, LUDOVICO ANTONIO 750), Italian scholar, historian and antiquary, was born of poor parents at Vignola in the duchy of Modena on Oct. 21, 1672. Having taken minor orders in 1688, Muratori took his doctorate in law before 1694, was ordained priest in 1695, and appointed by Count Carlo Borromeo one of the doctors of the Ambrosian library at Milan. From manuscripts now placed under his charge he made a selection of materials for several volumes (Anecdota), which he published with notes. He returned to Modena in 1700, on the invitation of the duke, as keeper of the archives. The preparation of numerous valuable tracts on the history of Italy during the middle ages, and of dissertations and discussions on obscure points of historical and antiquarian interest, as well as the publication of his various philosophical, theological, legal, poetical and other works absorbed the greater part of his time. These brought him into communication with the most distin guished scholars of Italy, France and Germany. But they also exposed him in his later years to envy. His enemies spread abroad the rumour that the pope, Benedict XIV., had discovered in his writings passages savouring of heresy, even of atheism. Muratori appealed to the pope, and was assured of his protec tion. Muratori died on Jan. 23, 1750.
Muratori is rightly regarded as the "father of Italian history." This is due to his great collection, Rerum italicarum scriptores, to which he devoted about 15 years' work (28 vols., 1723-38). This was followed by a series of 75 dissertations on mediaeval Italy (Antiquitates italicae medii aevi, 6 vols., 1738-42). To these he added a Novus thesaurus inscriptionum (4 vols., 43), which was of great importance in the development of epigraphy. He then set about a popular treatment of the his torical sources he had published. These Annali &Italia reached 12 volumes, but were imperfect and are of little value.
In addition to this national enterprise (the Scriptores were pub lished by the aid of the Societe palatina of Milan) Muratori published Anecdote ex ambrosianae bibliothecae codd. (2 vols., Milan, 1697, 1698; Padua, 1713) ; Anecdota graeca (3 vols., Padua, 1709) ; Antichita Estens (2 vols., Modena, 1717) ; Vita e rime di F. Petrarca (1710, and Vita ed opere di L. Castelvetro (1727). In biblical scholarship Muratori is famous as the dis coverer of the so-called Muratorian Canon, the name given to a fragment (85 lines) of early Christian literature, which he found in 1740, embedded in an 8th-century codex which forms a compendium of theological tracts followed by the five early Christian creeds. The document contains a list of the books of the New Testament, a similar list concerning the Old Testament having apparently preceded it. There is little doubt that it was composed in Rome, and we may date it about the year 190. It is the earliest document known which enumerates the books in order. It is interesting to notice the coincidence of the com piler's list with the evidence gained from Tertullian for Africa and from Irenaeus for Gaul and indirectly for Asia Minor.