John Lucic

Lucic (or Lucius), JOHN, Croatian historian, b. early in the seventeenth century, at Trojir, or Tragurion, in Dalmatia; d. at Rome, January 11, 1679. He was descended from an ancient and noble Croatian family. After making his college course at his birth-place, he took up the study of law, first at Padua (1620) and later at Rome, where he received the degree of Doctor Utriusque Juris. Returning to Trojir in 1633, he resided there until 16.54, and there discovered the manuscript of the “Ceena Trimalchionis”, known as the “Traguriensis”, which was afterwards published by Statilie at Padua, 1664. At Trojir he began his researches into the history of his native country, to which he chiefly devoted the rest of his life, and which gained for him the title of “Father of Croatian History”. When, in 1654, he returned to Rome to continue his historical studies, he gained the friendship and protection of many men of eminence, among them several cardinals. To Ughelli, the author of “Italia Sacra”, he furnished much of the material relating to Croatian history. In April, 1663, he was named president of the “Congregatio S. Hieronymi nationis Illyricorum de Urbe”, by Cardinal Julius Sacchetti. Lucie also wrote various works on ecclesiastical history, most of which are lost. A few of them are still preserved in the Vatican Library.

Lucie was never married. He resided at Rome until his death, and was buried there, in the church of St. Jerome, where a monument was erected to his memory in 1740. The following are his principal published works: “De Regno Dalmatiae et Croatiae libri sex” (6 vols., Amsterdam, 1666 and 1668; Frankfort, 1667); “Memorie storiche di Tragurio ora detto Trail” (6 vols., Venice, 1673); “Inscriptiones Dalmaticae, notie ad memoriale Pauli de Paulo, not ad Palladium Fuss cum, addenda eel corrigenda in opere de regno Dalmatiae et Croatiae, varisi lectiones Chronici Ungarici manuscripti cum editis” (Venice, 1673).

ANTHONY-LAWRENCE GANCEVIO