. The variations in the Dietrich
legend in the Latin historians, in Old and Middle High German
literature, and in the northern saga, can be studied in W. Grimm's
_Deutsche Heldensage_ (2nd ed., Berlin, 1867). There is a good account
in English in F. E. Sandbach's _Heroic Saga-cycle of Dietrich of Bern_
(1906), forming No. 15 of Alfred Nutt's _Popular Studies in
Mythology_, and another in M. Bentinck Smith's translation of Dr O. L.
Jiriczek's _Deutsche Heldensage_ (_Northern Legends_, London, 1902).
For modern German authorities and commentators see B. Symons,
"Deutsche Heldensage" in H. Paul's _Grd. d. german. Phil._
(Strassburg, new ed., 1905); also Goedeke, _Geschichte der deutschen
Dichtung_ (i. 241-246).

DIEZ, FRIEDRICH CHRISTIAN (1794-1876), German philologist, was born at
Giessen, in Hesse-Darmstadt, on the 15th of March 1794. He was educated
first at the gymnasium and then at the university of his native town.
There he studied classics under Friedrich Gottlieb Welcker (1784-1868)
who had just returned from a two years' residence in Italy to fill the
chair of archaeology and Greek literature. It was Welcker who kindled in
him a love of Italian poetry, and thus gave the first bent to his
genius. In 1813 he joined the Hesse corps as a volunteer and served in
the French campaign. Next year he returned to his books, and this short
taste of military service was the only break in a long and uneventful
life of literary labours. By his parents' desire he applied himself for
a short time to law, but a visit to Goethe in 1818 gave a new direction
to his studies, and determined his future career. Goethe had been
reading Raynouard's _Selections from the Romance Poets_, and advised the
young scholar to explore the rich mine of Provencal literature which the
French savant had opened up. This advice was eagerly followed, and
henceforth Diez devoted himself to Romance literature. He thus became
the founder of Romance philology. After supporting himself for some
years by private teaching, he removed in 1822 to Bonn, where he held the
position of privatdocent. In 1823 he published his first work, _An
Introduction to Romance Poetry_; in the following year appeared _The
Poetry of the Troubadours_, and in 1829 _The Lives and Works of the
Troubadours_. In 1830 he was called to the chair of modern literature.
The rest of his life was mainly occupied with the composition of the two
great works on which his fa