«The Letters of Manuel Chrysoloras (1360–1415): A Critical Edition and a Study of Their Reception in 16th-Century Europe»
Manuel Chrysoloras (Constantinople, 1360 – Constance, 1415) was one of the most renowned scholars and diplomats of the late Byzantine period. He is best known as the first distinguished professor of Greek language and literature in Italy and played a pioneering role in the revival and spread of Greek studies in Renaissance Europe. In addition to the Erotemata, the most influential Greek grammar textbook of the early modern period, Chrysoloras’ oeuvre consists almost entirely of a small collection of Greek and Latin letters. These texts have received only limited scholarly attention, as evidenced in particular by the lack of a comprehensive critical edition. Moreover, in the context of reception studies, Chrysoloras has generally been regarded as an ‘icon’ of (Italian) humanism and a forerunner of the Byzantine émigrés of the 15th century. Not enough attention, instead, has been paid to the transmission, interpretation, and dissemination of his literary works, which were an integral part of the reception of Hellenism in the Latin world. With the research project I present here, I aim to fill these lacunae in current research on Chrysoloras. On the one hand, I will provide a reliable text, translation, and commentary for all of his letters, which are essential for a broader reassessment of Chrysoloras’ impact on Greek Humanism. Additionally, I intend to explore the dissemination and reception of Chrysoloras’ letters within the cultural milieu of 16th-century Europe, focusing on how these texts circulated in scholarly circles and how the encounter with them affected their readers.
Chiara Gazzini is a postdoc at IFIKK.