Mariana, Juan de (c. 1535-1624)

Spanish historian. A Jesuit priest, he taught in Rome, Sicily, Paris, Flanders, and Spain, his most important work being his Historiae de rebus Hispaniae/History of Spain (1592). This drew together every source available and included a wealth of legendary and anecdotal material from the earliest times to the death of Ferdinand in 1516. His works reflect an enlightened and liberal point of view in Spanish scholarship.

He also wrote a number of essays on political theory and other subjects, including the controversial study of kingship De rege et regis institutione (1599), which contained arguments in favour of violent opposition to tyrannical kings. This tract was thought to have inspired the Gunpowder Plot.

The illegitimate son of the dean of the collegiate church of Talavera de la Reina, Mariana entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1554, studied at Alcalá, and was ordained in 1561.

The first edition of Historiae de rebus Hispaniae appeared in 20 volumes, and was enlarged to 30 volumes in the 1605 edition, the expanded text now covering the reigns of Charles V and Philip II. The book was noted in particular for its impeccable style, modelled on that of the Roman historian Livy.