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Signature of Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes

Hobbes's own handwritten signature, 'Tho: Hobbes,' a direct trace of his hand.

This is Hobbes's own handwritten signature, a direct physical trace of the philosopher.

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Black ink handwritten signature in flowing cursive script reading 'Tho: Hobbes', with a long underline stroke beneath it on a white background.
Signature of Thomas Hobbes.

About this source

What it is

This image shows the autograph signature of Thomas Hobbes, written as 'Tho: Hobbes' in flowing cursive ink with a long underline stroke.

Why it matters

A signature is a small but personal trace of a historical figure—proof of their physical presence and participation in the documents they signed. For Hobbes, whose philosophy shaped political thought for centuries, this signature connects his abstract ideas to the real person who held the pen.

Look closer

  • What can a signature tell us about a person that their writings cannot?
  • Why might historians value an authentic signature as evidence?
  • What questions does a signature alone leave unanswered about a person's life?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Hobbes on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Engraved title page of Hobbes's Leviathan: a giant crowned figure made of many tiny people holds a sword and crozier over a landscape of hills and a city. Below, a central banner bears the title and author's name, flanked by vignettes of castle, church, crown, mitre, cannon, weapons, battle, and a council.Book

Primary source

Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes · 1651

Engraved frontispiece of the 1642 Paris edition of Hobbes's De Cive. Top panel shows a crowded scene of figures in clouds and a fiery landscape with a winged angel and a group of people. Bottom panel has a central banner titled Elementorum Philosophiae Sectio Tertia De Cive with Latin text, flanked by a crowned female figure holding scales labeled Imperium and a figure with a bow and spear labeled Libertas, with a landscape and the word Religio across the middle.Book

Primary source

De Cive

Thomas Hobbes · 1642

Line engraving portrait of Thomas Hobbes, a man with long wavy hair, a large white collar, and dark robes, shown in an oval frame inscribed with his name in Latin. Below is a Latin inscription and the printer's line 'London, Printed for Will. Crooke'.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Thomas Hobbes, Line Engraving

Book

Primary source

The Elements of Law

Thomas Hobbes · 1640

Engraved title page reading 'The Workes of Homer Engl: by T: Hobbes', with a bust of Homer above, two armoured warriors with spears flanking the title, and an oval portrait of Hobbes below. Imprint reads London, printed for W. Crooke, 1677.Artifact

Secondary source

Title Page of The Workes of Homer, Translated by Thomas Hobbes

1677

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