Supervisors info:
1) Άννα Θέμου, Αναπλ.Καθ.Τμ.Ιταλικής Γλώσσας και Φιλολογίας Φιλοσοφικής Σχολής- Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
2) Ρουμπίνη Δημοπούλου, Επίκ.Καθ.Τμ.Ιταλικής Γλώσσας και Φιλολογίας Φιλοσοφικής Σχολής- Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Summary:
S y n o p s i s
It sounds as a cliché, but it is indeed true that just after Manuel Chrysoloras appeared in Florence in 1397, the Greek language and philosophy and the classical studies met an unprecedented revival. The Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438-1439) rose as a necessity to deal with the Turkish shadow which cast over more and more the Byzantine territory. That is why the Greeks became increasingly interested in the possible reunion of the Churches. From the early 15th century the Italian Signorie employed Greek scholars as their secretaries; and the latter pursued Greek with a sometimes furious intensity. Greek was not only becoming useful to the ecclesiastical or statal affairs, it was also fashionable, given that in the 15th cent. it is everywhere vociferously voiced the trend to endorse thoroughly the Ancient Greek writers-Philosophers.
During this time, either before or after the Fall of Constantinople (1453), many Greek scholars fled to Italy such as: George of Trebizond, George Gemistos-Plethon, Bessarion, Ioannis Argyropoulos, Dimitrios Chalkokondylis, Ianos Lascaris and many others that are known as Byzantine fugitives- Émigrés.
George of Trebizond (1395~1472) was born in Candia of Crete, where he received his early education, appearing in Italy in 1428, when he was in his early thirties. George studied Latin under both Vittorino da Feltre and Guarino da Verona. He became professor of Greek at Vicenza and later on, as the successor of Filelfo, at Venice. Afterwards, he was appointed as secretary of Popes Eugenius IV and Nicholas V. George was a fanatical Aristotelian. Regarding his work, a few words should be said of his Comparatio Philosophorum Platonis et Aristotelis. This work deals with his attack upon Pletho’s preference for Plato over Aristotle. George via this tract tried to prove the superiority of Aristotle compared to Plato. Actually, he was indefatigable worker of philosophy and that is why his work was pretty extensive.
