Bálint Balassi (1554-1594) was born into a Hungarian aristocratic family during the turbulent years of the Turkish wars. Educated in the best of contemporary schools, his early tutor was the Lutheran bishop and Humanist scholar, a man of Renaissance culture and noted poet, translator, and dramatist, Péter Bornemissza. At the age of eleven, Bálint was sent to Nuremberg to study and probably visited other European centers of learning as well. Court politics derailed what seemed to be a brilliant career. When captured by István Báthory, the Transylvanian prince, he was treated well and formed a long-lasting relationship with the Hungarians who opposed Habsburg rule over Hungary, though he never seemed to renounce his loyalty to the Habsburg emperors. The Renaissance court of Báthory,…
2903 words
Citation: Basa, Enikő. "Bálint Balassi". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 August 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13625, accessed 31 October 2024.]
