Studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in Lorenzo’s Florence: Pico, Poliziano, and Ficino

as I will argue in this article, the rekindling of Greek patristics in Lorenzo de’ Medici’s intellectual circle evinced notably different motivations and circumstances, as well as a deeper cultural significance. The thorough training in ancient philosophical texts by Marsilio Ficino and his follower...

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Autor principal: Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: University of Pennsylvania Press 2025
Materias:
LITERATURA GRIEGA
TRADUCCION LITERARIA
EDICION
Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494
Poliziano, Angelo, 1454-1494
Ficino, Marsilio, 1433-1499
Acceso en línea:https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/20069
Aporte de:
Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) de Universidad Católica Argentina
id I33-R139-123456789-20069
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spelling I33-R139-123456789-200692025-07-11T05:02:29Z Studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in Lorenzo’s Florence: Pico, Poliziano, and Ficino Bastitta Harriet, Francisco LITERATURA GRIEGA TRADUCCION LITERARIA EDICION Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494 Poliziano, Angelo, 1454-1494 Ficino, Marsilio, 1433-1499 as I will argue in this article, the rekindling of Greek patristics in Lorenzo de’ Medici’s intellectual circle evinced notably different motivations and circumstances, as well as a deeper cultural significance. The thorough training in ancient philosophical texts by Marsilio Ficino and his followers demanded a refined and speculative version of Christianity, sensitive both to the heights of metaphysical contemplation and to the beauty and elegance of style.3 Ficino’s engagement with the Greek Fathers progressed from the beginning of his studies of the Greek language under the auspices of Cosimo il Vecchio and through the years of Lorenzo’s regime. In this last period, he wrote some of his most important works, including De christiana religione, Theologia platonica, and his translation and commentary on part of the Corpus Dionysiacum. For Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Greek patristics were even more important, providing fundamental guiding principles and methodological tools. As a result of Lorenzo’s industriousness—and his deep pockets—hundreds of new Greek manuscripts entered the libraries of the Medici and other members of Ficino’s circle, including numerous patristic sources hitherto unknown in the West. Following a brief presentation of the cultural context of Lorenzo’s Florence and its literary treasures, I will turn to the reception of the Greek Fathers in Marsilio Ficino, Poliziano, and Pico, to understand their aspirations, their mutual influences, and their differences. While Ficino primarily viewed the Fathers through the lens of their alignment with the Platonic tradition and Poliziano approached their works as a repository of classical references and eloquence, Pico pursued a more comprehensive engagement with the Greek Fathers, valuing their philosophical insights beyond the confines of Platonism and integrating their perspectives into his broader intellectual endeavors. 2025-07-10T14:21:46Z 2025-07-10T14:21:46Z 2025 Artículo 1086-3222 0022-5037 https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/20069 10.1353/jhi.2025.a959038 eng Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ application/pdf University of Pennsylvania Press Journal of the History of Ideas. 86(2), 2025.
institution Universidad Católica Argentina
institution_str I-33
repository_str R-139
collection Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA)
language Inglés
topic LITERATURA GRIEGA
TRADUCCION LITERARIA
EDICION
Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494
Poliziano, Angelo, 1454-1494
Ficino, Marsilio, 1433-1499
spellingShingle LITERATURA GRIEGA
TRADUCCION LITERARIA
EDICION
Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494
Poliziano, Angelo, 1454-1494
Ficino, Marsilio, 1433-1499
Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
Studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in Lorenzo’s Florence: Pico, Poliziano, and Ficino
topic_facet LITERATURA GRIEGA
TRADUCCION LITERARIA
EDICION
Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494
Poliziano, Angelo, 1454-1494
Ficino, Marsilio, 1433-1499
description as I will argue in this article, the rekindling of Greek patristics in Lorenzo de’ Medici’s intellectual circle evinced notably different motivations and circumstances, as well as a deeper cultural significance. The thorough training in ancient philosophical texts by Marsilio Ficino and his followers demanded a refined and speculative version of Christianity, sensitive both to the heights of metaphysical contemplation and to the beauty and elegance of style.3 Ficino’s engagement with the Greek Fathers progressed from the beginning of his studies of the Greek language under the auspices of Cosimo il Vecchio and through the years of Lorenzo’s regime. In this last period, he wrote some of his most important works, including De christiana religione, Theologia platonica, and his translation and commentary on part of the Corpus Dionysiacum. For Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Greek patristics were even more important, providing fundamental guiding principles and methodological tools. As a result of Lorenzo’s industriousness—and his deep pockets—hundreds of new Greek manuscripts entered the libraries of the Medici and other members of Ficino’s circle, including numerous patristic sources hitherto unknown in the West. Following a brief presentation of the cultural context of Lorenzo’s Florence and its literary treasures, I will turn to the reception of the Greek Fathers in Marsilio Ficino, Poliziano, and Pico, to understand their aspirations, their mutual influences, and their differences. While Ficino primarily viewed the Fathers through the lens of their alignment with the Platonic tradition and Poliziano approached their works as a repository of classical references and eloquence, Pico pursued a more comprehensive engagement with the Greek Fathers, valuing their philosophical insights beyond the confines of Platonism and integrating their perspectives into his broader intellectual endeavors.
format Artículo
author Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
author_facet Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
author_sort Bastitta Harriet, Francisco
title Studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in Lorenzo’s Florence: Pico, Poliziano, and Ficino
title_short Studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in Lorenzo’s Florence: Pico, Poliziano, and Ficino
title_full Studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in Lorenzo’s Florence: Pico, Poliziano, and Ficino
title_fullStr Studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in Lorenzo’s Florence: Pico, Poliziano, and Ficino
title_full_unstemmed Studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in Lorenzo’s Florence: Pico, Poliziano, and Ficino
title_sort studying, translating, and editing the greek fathers in lorenzo’s florence: pico, poliziano, and ficino
publisher University of Pennsylvania Press
publishDate 2025
url https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/20069
work_keys_str_mv AT bastittaharrietfrancisco studyingtranslatingandeditingthegreekfathersinlorenzosflorencepicopolizianoandficino
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