1516 in literature

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This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1516.

Events

Illustration for 1516 first edition of More's Utopia

• March 1 – Desiderius Erasmus publishes a new Greek translation of the New Testament, Novum Instrumentum omne, in Basel. This year Erasmus also writes The Education of a Christian Prince although it is not published until 1532.
• c. December – Thomas More's Utopia, combining fiction and political philosophy and completed this year, is published in Leuven in Latin.
• unknown dates
  • Samuel Nedivot's the 14th century Hebrew Sefer Abudirham in Fez is the first book printed in Africa.
  • Paolo Ricci translates the 13th century Kabbalistic work Sha'are Orah by Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla into Latin, as Portae Lucis.

New books

Prose

• Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
  • Dialogus de homine (published in Casale)
  • De triplici ratione cognoscendi Deum
• Bartolomé de las Casas – Memorial de Remedios para las Indias
• Erasmus – Novum Instrumentum omne
• Robert Fabyan (anonymous; died c. 1512) – The New Chronicles of England and France (published by Richard Pynson in London)
• Marsilio Ficino – De triplici vita
• Thomas More – Utopia
• Andre Pauernfeindt – Ergründung der ritterlichen kunst des fechtens durch freyfechter czu Vienn (Foundation of the knightly art of combat by the fencing guild of Vienna)

Poetry

Main article: 1516 in poetry

• Ludovico Ariosto – Orlando Furioso (first version, April)
• Baptista Mantuanus (published in France)
  • Agellaria
  • De sacris diebus (published in Lyon)

Births

• March 26 – Conrad Ges(s)ner, Swiss naturalist, bibliographer and poet (died 1565)
• April 23 – Georg Fabricius, Saxon historian, classical archaeologist and epigrapher and poet (died 1571)
• December 21 – Giuseppe Leggiadri Gallani, Parmese-born poet and dramatist (died c. 1590)

Deaths

• March 22 – Baptista Mantuanus, Mantuan Carmelite reformer, humanist and Latin poet (born 1447)
• December 13 – Johannes Trithemius, German lexicographer and chronicler (born 1462)