Simplicius Simplicissimus (1668) is a semi-autobiographical and picaresque novel written by German author Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmeslhausen.

The novel follows in the style of Spanish picaresque novels, which are defined largely by their lower-class, roguish, and often darkly appealing heroes as they expose the corrupt nature of society through their courage and cunning. The novel follows the titular Simplicius, a wanderer who is so simple that he does even know his own name, leading to his acquiring the now-famous moniker. Simplicius roams the chaotic landscape brought on by the Thirty Year’s War, learning about the nature of the world from different teachers and pursuits. After his family is killed, he is taken in by a hermit before being conscripted to fight for the Imperial Army upon the hermit’s death. Combat, as it so often does, acts as a means of advancement for the young Simplicius and leads him towards a life of bourgeois decadence. In the end, he resolves to become a hermit himself, convinced the evils of the world were widespread and root deep.

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