Hugo Grotius, Annals of the War in the Low Countries: Edition, Translation, and Introduction

Hugo Grotius' Annals of the War in the Low Countries is a lesser-known work that presents a complex and controversial vision of the early revolt of the Dutch Republic. He modeled his work on the worldview and prose style of Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus, but the States of Holland did not publish it until 1657. This first edition presents a critical edition of the Latin text, a fresh modern English translation, and an introduction that highlights the importance of reason of state for Grotius' thought.

Format: Hardback
Length: 456 pages
Publication date: 14 February 2023
Publisher: Leuven University Press

One of Hugo Grotius' lesser-known works is The Annals of the War in the Low Countries. Grotius presents a distorted view of the early revolt, which he portrays not as a united struggle for the true faith and the ancient liberties of the land but as a protracted and painful struggle, not only with the great power of Spain but also with discord, selfishness, and religious fanaticism among the Dutch. To convey this complex and controversial vision of the foundational years of the Dutch Republic, Grotius chose the worldview and prose style of the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus as his model. His commissioners, the States of Holland, did not publish the work when it was finished in 1612; it appeared in print posthumously in 1657. This is the first edition of Grotius' then-influential and well-known Annals of the Dutch Revolt since its initial publication. It presents a critical edition of the Latin text, a fresh modern English translation, and an introduction that covers all aspects of the work, from its conception to its modern reception, underlining the importance of the reason of state for Grotius' thought in general.

The Annals of the War in the Low Countries is one of Hugo Grotius' lesser-known works.

Grotius expresses a wayward view of the early revolt, which he presents not as a united battle for the true faith and the ancient liberties of the land but as a protracted and painful struggle, not only with the great power of Spain but also with discord, selfishness, and religious fanaticism among the Dutch.

To convey this complex and controversial vision of the foundational years of the Dutch Republic, Grotius chose the worldview and prose style of the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus as his model.

His commissioners, however - the States of Holland - did not publish the work when it was finished in 1612; it appeared in print posthumously in 1657.

This is the first edition of Grotius' then-influential and well-known Annals of the Dutch Revolt since its initial publication.

It presents a critical edition of the Latin text, a fresh modern English translation, and an introduction that covers all aspects of the work, from its conception to its modern reception, underlining the importance of the reason of state for Grotius' thought in general.

Weight: 1002g
Dimension: 246 x 179 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789462703513