Oporinus’ Dramata Sacra anthology (Basel, 1547): a historical and educational reading

The article analyses the anthology Dramata Sacra (1547) published in Basel by the influential publisher Johannes Oporinus. The massive 2-volume collection includes the most renown German and Dutch playwrights active in the field of Latin school drama. Even if not all authors were committed Protestants, the anthology offers a glance on the practices of school drama, especially in the reformed city of Augsburg, and is precious for a study on the main political and educational features of the texts. The themes of good Christian government, the permanence of social order and the duties of the ruling class were the themes preferred by the authors, which were faithful to the Humanist tradition of classical verse but did not refrain from elaborating heavily on the Biblical text in order to develop the pedagogical content of the plays. For this reason, the anthology is a valuable source not only for the history of German Latin drama but also for the history of 16th-century education.