Josef Förster

Sine experientia nihil sufficienter sciri potest

(Antiquity in Itinerarium of Remedius Prutký, 1713-1770)

The article deals with the reception of Antiquity in the Latin Itinerarium written by a Franciscan missionary of the Bohemian origin, Remedius Prutký (1713-1770), who visited Egypt and Ethiopia in the 1750ies. The article focuses on Prutký’s narrative elaboration of his direct observation and shows one conspicuous and important feature of the Itinerarium, viz. Prutký’s extraordinary interest in the search, exploration and description of every ancient remnant of the glorious Egyptian past. Prutký’s reflections are set against the historical context of the Egyptian Antiquity from the Hellenistic period up to the Arab conquest in 640. Prutký’s critical work with written (esp. ancient) sources dealing with some aspects of the lands he visited is mentioned in the conclusion.