Word of the day: philanthropist

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In this section, Lifehacker finds out the meanings of not the simplest words and tells where they came from.

History

Gaius Cilny Maecenas, friend and advisor to Emperor Octavian Augustus, lived in the 1st century BC. He was very rich, collected art and supported the creators in every possible way, providing them with everything they needed. His literary circle included prominent poets of the era, including Virgil and Horace, who praised their patron in their works. The name of the Patron became a household name after a century. For the first time in a general meaning it is found in the lines of the poet Martial.

The word came to the Russian language at the beginning of the 18th century thanks to Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. Now the patron is still called a person who donates his own funds for the development of science and art.

Usage examples

• "The bankrupt philanthropist and one of the discoverers of Monet died in a house on Rue Lafite - on the very street where the artist himself, his friend and happy rival, was born 51 years ago." Michel de Decker, Claude Monet.
• "Despite the excellent sales and support of patrons, Joyce was afraid of need - he translated, wrote reviews, despite the fact that he was not a very attentive critic." Alan Kubatiev, Joyce.
• “But even the highest price only indicates that the work of art is invaluable. Because a genius, even if patrons or princes pamper him, works for free. " Ernst Jünger, Eumeswil.