Famous Hungarian humanist. Tirnau, 1531 - Vienna, 13 June 1584. From a noble and rich family he travelled through Europe (visiting the Netherlands in 1563-1564, where he became personally acquainted with Plantin). He was appointed councillor and historiographer of Emperor Maximilian II, and resided, when not travelling, mostly in Vienna. His most important publications are the Emblemata, published by the Plantin Press. Cf. especially M. Rooses, 'De Plantijnsche uitgaven van "Emblemata Joannis Sambuci" ' in Tijdschrift voor Boek- en Bibliotheekwezen, 2, 1904, pages 7-21 (with the extracts from the Plantinian archives referring to the Sambucus-editions); H. Homann, Studien zur Emblematik des 16. Jahrhunderts, Utrecht, 1971, pages 43-78 (a thorough study on Sambucus as author of Emblemata, with a description of the Plantinian editions; on page 43, n. 78, bibliographical references to a number of works on Sambucus published in Austria and Hungary). Sambucus also produced an album with portraits of physicians, again published by the Plantin Press: interesting details on the author and the work in the foreword by M. Rooses to the 1901 reprint (see no. cp010962). Sambucus's library had European fame (many editions of classical authors issued by Plantin were based on manuscripts belonging to the Hungarian humanist). On this library: Gulyas Pal, Bibliotheca Joannis Sambuci. Sámboky János Könyvtara. Budapest, 1914 (introduction in Hungarian; edition of the Latin catalogue of 1587 of Sambucus's library) (a copy of this rare publication in Museum Plantin-Moretus). Interesting for Sambucus as author: reproduction of and comment on the 'Catalogus librorum quos Joan. Sambucus vel suos typis edidit vel bibliothecae aliena pignora prodidit, vel praecipue adhuc divulgandae prae manibus habet' (a broadside printed in Vienna, April 1583) by Borsa Gedeon and James E. Walsh, 'Eine gedruckte Selbstbibliographie von Johannes Sambucus' in Különlenyomat. A Magyar Könyoszemle, 1965/2. Szamabol (an off-print of the study in Museum Plantin-Moretus). On the Dutch translator of Sambucus's Emblemata and on a particular emblem studied in detail (= Ad Fulvium Ursinum suum, showing two scholars in a library): M. Boas, 'Gillis en Sambucus' in Het Boek, 10, 1921, pages 129-138. Other studies in which references to Sambucus's publications (and Plantin's editions): E.F. van Monroy, Embleme und Emblembücher in den Niederlanden. 1560-1630. Eine Geschichte der Wandlungen ihres Illustrationsstils, Utrecht, 1964; L. Varga, 'De operibus philologicis et poeticis Ioannis Sambucii' in Acta Antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 14, 1966, pages 231-244.
Edited also: Demetrius Phalereus, De epistolis doctrina, 1567 (no. cp010483); Diogenes Laertius, 1566 (no. cp011723); Gregorius Nazianzenus, 1568 (no. cp011975); Horatius, Ars poetica, 1564 (no. cp011408); Petronius, Satyrici fragmenta, 1565 (no. cp013036); Plautus, 1566 (no. cp011120).
- cp012258: Emblemata, cum aliquot nummis antiqui operis, 1564.
- cp011917: Emblemata et aliquot nummi antiqui operis, 1566.
- cp012285: Emblemata et aliquot nummi antiqui operis, 1569.
- cp011226: Emblemata et aliquot nummi antiqui operis, 1576.
- cp010304: Emblemata et aliquot nummi antiqui operis. Leiden, 1584.
- cp013106: Emblemata et aliquot nummi antiqui operis. Antwerp, 1584.
- cp011576: Emblemata, in Nederlantsche tale ghetrouwelick overgheset, [translated by M.A. van Diest], 1566.
- cp012652: Les emblesmes, [translated by J. Grévin], 1567.
- cp010962: Icones veterum aliquot ac recentium medicorum, 1574.