- The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. The correct title is Wacław Potocki.
Wacław Potocki (1621-1696) was a nobleman (szlachcic), moralist, poet and writer in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Podczaszy of Cracow in 1678-1685. He is remembered as one of the most important baroque Polish arists. His most famous work are Transakcja wojny chocimskiej (also known as Wojna chocimska or The Chocim War) and his collection of epigrams, Ogród fraszek (Garden of Rhymes). They give a vivid picture of ideas and manners among the szlachta (Polish gentry) at a time of dusk of the Golden Age of the Commonwealth and many political and religious conflicts.
Biography
Wacław Potocki was born in the minor szlachta family, belonging to the Christian arian sect of Polish brethren. It is likely he attended the Polish brethren Racibórz academy. After The Deluge, Polish brethren were sentenced to be exiled from the Commonwealth for their support to the invading Sweden. Wacław was given a choice between exile and conversion to Roman Catholicism and he chose reluctantly to convert. His wife, however, refused at first and he spent many years fearing for her life.
After that he worked on his estate in Łuzna in Podkarpacie region of the Commonwealth. He participated in the fights against Cossacks uprisings in 1638, took part in the Battle of Beresteczko of 1651 and wars against Sweden (1656-1657). In 1665-1666 he supported the rokosz of Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski. Later he supported kings Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki and Jan III Sobieski.
He argued for the reforms of the Commonwealth political system and stabilisation by introducing heraditory monarchy insted of elective monarchy.
When the Polish brethren were exiled after The Deluge of 1658, he supported them and for this he was persecuted by some catholics fanatics among szlachta.
He has outlived his wife and children. Two of his sons died during the wars, and his daughter, rumoured to have inherited his writer's talents, died young. He libed with his family until his death in 1686. He was buried in Biecz.
Works
He started writing around 1646, mostly for his own pleasure and initially with no intent of any publication, but was convinced to share his works by his relative, Samuel Przypkowski. He created many classical poems and novels about life of szlachta. During his life only Poczet herbów and two smaller works were publised in print. He wrote approximately 300,000 lines.
His most famous work, Transakcja wojny chocimskiej, was written during 1669-1672 and first printed in 1850. It is his bigger novel and is considered the best epic novel written in the Commonwealth. Historically accurate, though somewhat idealizing the Polish heroes, it describes the battle of Chocim from 1621.
His epigrams eere written around 1670-1595 and first published in 1907.
Notes
- 9 August is not certain date of his death. Several sources indicate earlier dates.
See also
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