George Gemistos Plethon - Revision history

Irlandos at 20:07, February 25, 2012

2012-02-25T20:07:53Z

Irlandos at 10:25, September 14, 2006

2006-09-14T10:25:00Z

Irlandos at 10:23, September 14, 2006

2006-09-14T10:23:13Z

Irlandos at 08:36, September 10, 2005

2005-09-10T08:36:07Z

New page

'''Georgius Gemistos Plethon''' , (c. [[1355]]-[[1452]]), Greek [[Neoplatonism|Neoplatonist]] philosopher and scholar, one of the chief pioneers of the revival of learning in Western Europe, was a [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] by birth who settled at [[Mystras]] in the [[Peloponnesus]], near the site of ancient [[Sparta]].

As a young man he began to study [[Plato]], and was so enamoured with the philosopher that he took the similar-sounding name ''Plethon'' ("the full"). Plethon is also an archaic translation of the modern greek gemistos (full, stuffed).

Plethon was the author of ''De Differentiis'', a description of the differences between Plato's and Aristotle's conceptions of God. George Scholarios (who became [[Patriarch Gennadius II|Gennadius II]], Patriarch of Constantinople) later defended Aristotle and convinced the Byzantine emperor [[Manuel II Palaeologus]] that Plethon's support for Plato amounted to heresy. Manuel had Plethon confined in Mystras, though he remained somewhat of a celebrity. In Mystras he wrote pamphlets to Manuel II describing how the Empire could be reorganized according to [[Plato's Republic]]. He also wrote a ''Summary of the Doctrines of Zoroaster and Plato'', which detailed his own pseudo-[[polytheism|polytheistic]] beliefs. Knowledge of Zoroastrianism most likely came from contact with Muslim scholars. These works did not help to clear him of the charge of heresy. He also wrote about the condition of the [[Peloponnesus]], compiled several volumes of excerpts from ancient authors, and wrote a number of works on geography, music and other subjects.

Byzantine scholars had been in contact with their counterparts in Western Europe since the time of the Latin Empire, and especially since the Byzantine Empire had begun to ask for Western help against the Ottomans in the [[14th century]]. The West had some access to ancient Greek philosophy through the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the Muslims, but the Byzantines had many documents and interpretations that they had never seen before. Byzantine scholarship became more fully available to the West after [[1438]], when [[Byzantine emperor]] [[John VIII Palaeologus]] attended the [[Council of Ferrara]] and the [[Council of Florence]] to discuss a union of the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Greek]] and Roman churches. Accompanying John VIII were Plethon, his student [[Ioannes Bessarion]], as well as George Scholarios.

As a secular scholar Plethon was often not needed at the council. Instead, he set up a temporary school to teach interested Florentines about previously unknown (to them) works of Plato. He essentially introduced Plato to the Western world, and shook the exclusive domination which [[Aristotle]] had exercised over European thought for eight centuries. Cosimo de' Medici attended these lectures and later founded an academy in Florence, where Italian students of Plethon continued to teach after the conclusion of the council. Because of this Plethon is considered one of the most important influences on the Italian Renaissance.

He died in Mystras in [[1452]], just before the [[fall of Constantinople]] to the Ottomans. His ''Summary'', considered the most heretical of his works, was later burned by Gennadius II. Many of his other works still exist in manuscript form in various European libraries. Most of Plethon's works can be found in [[Jacques Paul Migne|JP Migne]], ''[[Patrologia Graeca]]'', collection; for a complete list see [[Johann Albert Fabricius|Fabricius]], ''Bibliotheca Graeca'' (ed. Harles), xii.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:07, February 25, 2012
Line 13:		Line 13:
	[[Category:Byzantine philosophers\|Gemistos]]		[[Category:Byzantine philosophers\|Gemistos]]
	[[Category:1452 deaths\|Gemistos]]		[[Category:1452 deaths\|Gemistos]]
		+	[[Category:Scholars\|Gemistos]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:23, September 14, 2006
Line 10:		Line 10:

	He died in Mystras in [[1452]], just before the [[fall of Constantinople]] to the Ottomans. His ''Summary'', considered the most heretical of his works, was later burned by Gennadius II. Many of his other works still exist in manuscript form in various European libraries. Most of Plethon's works can be found in [[Jacques Paul Migne\|JP Migne]], ''[[Patrologia Graeca]]'', collection; for a complete list see [[Johann Albert Fabricius\|Fabricius]], ''Bibliotheca Graeca'' (ed. Harles), xii.		He died in Mystras in [[1452]], just before the [[fall of Constantinople]] to the Ottomans. His ''Summary'', considered the most heretical of his works, was later burned by Gennadius II. Many of his other works still exist in manuscript form in various European libraries. Most of Plethon's works can be found in [[Jacques Paul Migne\|JP Migne]], ''[[Patrologia Graeca]]'', collection; for a complete list see [[Johann Albert Fabricius\|Fabricius]], ''Bibliotheca Graeca'' (ed. Harles), xii.
		+
		+	[[Category:Byzantine philosophers\|Gemistos]]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 As a young man he began to study [[Plato]], and was so enamoured with the philosopher that he took the similar-sounding name ''Plethon'' ("the full"). Plethon is also an archaic translation of the modern greek gemistos (full, stuffed).
-Plethon was the author of ''De Differentiis'', a description of the differences between Plato's and Aristotle's conceptions of God. George Scholarios (who became [[Patriarch Gennadius II|Gennadius II]], Patriarch of Constantinople) later defended Aristotle and convinced the Byzantine emperor [[Manuel II Palaeologus]] that Plethon's support for Plato amounted to heresy. Manuel had Plethon confined in Mystras, though he remained somewhat of a celebrity. In Mystras he wrote pamphlets to Manuel II describing how the Empire could be reorganized according to [[Plato's Republic]]. He also wrote a ''Summary of the Doctrines of Zoroaster and Plato'', which detailed his own pseudo-[[polytheism|polytheistic]] beliefs. Knowledge of Zoroastrianism most likely came from contact with Muslim scholars. These works did not help to clear him of the charge of heresy. He also wrote about the condition of the [[Peloponnesus]], compiled several volumes of excerpts from ancient authors, and wrote a number of works on geography, music and other subjects.
+Plethon was the author of ''De Differentiis'', a description of the differences between Plato's and Aristotle's conceptions of God. George Scholarios (who became [[Patriarch Gennadius II|Gennadius II]], Patriarch of Constantinople) later defended Aristotle and convinced the Byzantine emperor [[Manuel II Palaeologus]] that Plethon's support for Plato amounted to heresy. Manuel had Plethon confined in Mystras, though he remained somewhat of a celebrity. In Mystras he wrote pamphlets to Manuel II describing how the Empire could be reorganized according to [[Plato's Republic]]. He also wrote a ''Summary of the Doctrines of Zoroaster and Plato'', which detailed his own pseudo-polytheistic beliefs. Knowledge of Zoroastrianism most likely came from contact with Muslim scholars. These works did not help to clear him of the charge of heresy. He also wrote about the condition of the [[Peloponnesus]], compiled several volumes of excerpts from ancient authors, and wrote a number of works on geography, music and other subjects.
-Byzantine scholars had been in contact with their counterparts in Western Europe since the time of the Latin Empire, and especially since the Byzantine Empire had begun to ask for Western help against the Ottomans in the [[14th century]]. The West had some access to ancient Greek philosophy through the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the Muslims, but the Byzantines had many documents and interpretations that they had never seen before. Byzantine scholarship became more fully available to the West after [[1438]], when [[Byzantine emperor]] [[John VIII Palaeologus]] attended the [[Council of Ferrara]] and the [[Council of Florence]] to discuss a union of the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Greek]] and Roman churches. Accompanying John VIII were Plethon, his student [[Ioannes Bessarion]], as well as George Scholarios.
+Byzantine scholars had been in contact with their counterparts in Western Europe since the time of the Latin Empire, and especially since the Byzantine Empire had begun to ask for Western help against the Ottomans in the [[14th century]]. The West had some access to ancient Greek philosophy through the Roman Catholic Church and the Muslims, but the Byzantines had many documents and interpretations that they had never seen before. Byzantine scholarship became more fully available to the West after [[1438]], when [[Byzantine emperor]] [[John VIII Palaeologus]] attended the [[Council of Ferrara]] and the [[Council of Florence]] to discuss a union of the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Greek]] and Roman churches. Accompanying John VIII were Plethon, his student [[Ioannes Bessarion]], as well as George Scholarios.
 As a secular scholar Plethon was often not needed at the council. Instead, he set up a temporary school to teach interested Florentines about previously unknown (to them) works of Plato. He essentially introduced Plato to the Western world, and shook the exclusive domination which [[Aristotle]] had exercised over European thought for eight centuries. Cosimo de' Medici attended these lectures and later founded an academy in Florence, where Italian students of Plethon continued to teach after the conclusion of the council. Because of this Plethon is considered one of the most important influences on the Italian Renaissance.
-He died in Mystras in [[1452]], just before the [[fall of Constantinople]] to the Ottomans. His ''Summary'', considered the most heretical of his works, was later burned by Gennadius II. Many of his other works still exist in manuscript form in various European libraries. Most of Plethon's works can be found in [[Jacques Paul Migne|JP Migne]], ''[[Patrologia Graeca]]'', collection; for a complete list see [[Johann Albert Fabricius|Fabricius]], ''Bibliotheca Graeca'' (ed. Harles), xii.
+He died in Mystras in [[1452]], just before the [[fall of Constantinople]] to the Ottomans. His ''Summary'', considered the most heretical of his works, was later burned by Gennadius II. Many of his other works still exist in manuscript form in various European libraries. Most of Plethon's works can be found in JP Migne, ''Patrologia Graeca'', collection; for a complete list see Fabricius, ''Bibliotheca Graeca'' (ed. Harles), xii.
 [[Category:Byzantine philosophers|Gemistos]]