Erdély elfelejtett „Tacitusa” – bethleni és keresdi Bethlen János (1613–1678) kancellár
The Forgotten “Tacitus of Transylvania” – Chancellor János Bethlen (1613-1678) of Bethlen and Keresd

Summary/Abstract: Descended from one of the most prestigious and wealthiest families in Transylvania, the Bethlen family of Bethlen and Keresd, János Bethlen was a leading figure and politician in Transylvania in the mid-17th century. Many of his contemporaries accused him of disloyalty, based on the fact that Bethlen had served each of the princes who succeeded to the Transylvanian throne in rapid succession in the years 1657-1661. Bethlen also became famous as a historian with his work Rerum Transylvanicarum libri quatuor... ab a.1629 usque ad a. 1663, written in 1662-1663, whose first publisher, József Benkő called the author “the Tacitus of Transylvania”. Historical sources suggest that the main aim of Bethlenʼs political activity was to ensure the survival of his country, the Principality of Transylvania, and to survive the campaign launched against it by the Ottoman Empire between 1658 and 1661. Chancellor János Bethlen proved to be a prudent, rational and level-headed politician who always put the public interest before his individual goals and served his country well.

• Details
• Contents