WOLF, FREDERICK Atro_., the most gifted classical scholar and first critic of his age, was born Feb. 15, 1759, at Haynrode, near Nordhausen. He was brought up and edu cated with great strictness by his father, the leader of the choir and organist of the place; but was afterward sent td the gymnasium at Nordhausen. Here, under the training of the rector Hake, were developed in him not only that restless ardor for the thorough study of the ancient languages which actuated him throughout life, but also, what was afterward the predominating trait of his character, the habit of inquiring and judging for himself, and of pursuing only one object at a time. Before leaving the gymnasium for the university, lie had read the principal ancient authors, as well as the French, Italian, Spanish, and English; and had also perfected himself in the theory and practice of music. At the university of Gottingen, which he went to in 1777, with the intention of studying philology exclusively, he attended the lectures very irregularly, being already much given to private study. For the rest, he lived very retired, was little visited or known, and was only intimate with a few. However, he gave lessons to several students in Greek and also in English, for which he published Shakespeare's _Macbeth, with explanatory notes (Gott. 1778). From Heyne (q.v.), who had once excluded him from hearing a course of lectures on Pindar, on account of the irregularity above noticed, he kept himself quite aloof. In order, however, to commend himself to a man who had so much influence as Heyne had, he laid before him, shortly before his departure in 1719, a dissertation, containing some novel views regarding the Homeric poems; which, how ever, Heyne coldly returned. In the same year, he went as teacher to the pmdagogium at Ilfeld, and there first established his fame by an edition of the Symposium of Plato, with notes and introduction in German. In 1782, he was appointed to the rectorship of the high school at Osterode, in the Harz; and, in 1783, accepted an invitation to Halle, as professor of philosophy and of pedagogical science. In Halle, Wolf had at first difficulties to encounter, as he rather estranged than attracted students by the high tone of his teaching. However, he soon learned to adapt himself to his audience, and then the crowd of eager pupils was very great. As academical teacher, he went on the principle that classical antiquity should be looked upon chiefly as serving for a model of what is noblest and greatest in public and private life, and as such, is to be employed as a medium of education. He made it the principal duty of his office to provide able teachers and superintendents for the schools of his native country, and to deliver educa tion, as much as possible, from the scientific pedantry of the old school of pedagogues. Literary labors and fame he looked upon more as a subordinate object; and his effective ness as a teacher was unparalleled during the twenty-three years he lived at Halle. He nevertheless established his reputation as a scholar and critic by an edition of Demos thenes's Oratio adversus Leptinem (1789), which attracted much attention, and still more by his celebrated Prolegomena ad Homerum (1795), in which he unfolded, with prodigious learning and acuteness, his bold theory, that the Odyssey and Iliad are composed of numerous ballads or rhapsodies by different minstrels, strung together in a kind of unity by subsequent editors (see HomEn). This work made a great sensation through the
whole of Europe. Some scholars gave out that they had long entertained similar notions regarding the Homeric poems; and Heyne insinuated that the Prolegomena were only a reproduction of what Wolf had heard at Gottingen. This gave rise to the spirited Briefe an Heyne (Letters to Heyne, Berl., 1797), of which the first three may be considered as models of scholarly polemic and fine irony. Some years afterward Wolf published the text of the four orations of Cicero, whose genuineness had been called in question by Markland in England, namely—Post reditum in Senatu, Ad Quirites post refit gum, Pro &rna elm ad pontifices, De haruspicum responsis--appending the previous con troversy, and adding striking observations of his own in proof of their spuriousness. He next went still further, and attacked the authenticity of the oration Pro Marcella, which had long been studied by the Ciceronians as a model of eloquence and style, pro nouncing it to be mere inflated declamation, in a diction hardly Latin, and which Cicero _never could have written. This audacious skepticism produced no little alarm. After having refused a call iu 1796 to Leyden, in 1798 to Copenhagen, and 1805 to Munich, his position was considerably improved, and he received the title of privy-councilor. After the disasters of 1806, the university at Halle was dispersed, and Wolf was for a time reduced to great straits. However, hi soon found a suitable position as member of the academy of sciences at Berlin, where he took an active part in the re-organization of the university, and became a professor, He was taken into the ministry of the inte rior as a member of the section for public instruction; but, finding that the duties inter fered with his time and strength for teaching, which he considered his mission, lie continued only a short time in public office. He next gave up the work of an ordinary professor, and reserved at last only the privilege of lecturing in the university on such subjects as he chose. For the benefit of his health, he took a journey to the s. of France in April, 1824, and died at Marseille, Aug. 8, 1824. The multitudinous works -of Wolf we cannot attempt to enumerate. They consist chiefly of critical editions of -classical writings, with dissertations and annotations, and often with admirable transla tions either in German or Latin. While in Berlin lie edited, along with Buttmanu, the ffuseum der Atteraumswissensehaften (1807-10), and afterward the Literarisehe Analeeten •(1817-20), which has been pronounced perhaps the best philological journal that has ever been published, and which contains, among other papers by Wolf, a long notice of Richard Bentley. From the papers which he left, his son. in-law, Korte, published ldeen fiber Erziekung, Schule and Universittit (Ideas on Education, School, and University; Quedlinb., 1835).—See Hanhart, Erinnerungen an Fr. Aug. W. (Bas. 1825); Korte, Leben and studien .M• Aug. TV's des Philotogen (2 vols., Essen., 1835); Gottholdt, Fr. Aug. iY die Philologen and die Gymnasien (Iionigsb., 1843).