Debtors and Decoctores in the Travelogue of Christopher Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice. Some Examples of How a Humanist Scholar Worked with Primary and Secondary Sources

The article analyses a selected text of the travelogue of Czech nobleman and humanist Christopher Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice (1564–1621). Harant’s information on the ancient Roman custom of punishing debtors by mocking them in the theatre as instituted by the Lex Roscia or Iulia is confused. It is claimed that even though he gives exact bibliographic citations of several ancient authors he most probably did not misinterpret primary sources but a secondary source. Some general conclusions relevant for assessing Harant’s work with primary sources are drawn.