Theodorus Gaza

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Aristotle , Politics II 4 in the manuscript written by Gazes Udine , Biblioteca Arcivescovile, 258, fol. 24r (mid 15th century)
The beginning of Gaza's preface to his Latin translation of Theophrast's Historia plantarum in the manuscript Budapest, Egyetemi Könyvtár, Cod. Lat. 1, fol. 1r

Theodorus Gaza ( Middle Greek Θεόδωρος Γαζῆς Theódōros Gazḗs , Latin also Thessalonicensis , Thessaloniceus , Italian Teodoro Gaza ; * around 1410 in Thessaloniki , † around 1475 in San Giovanni a Piro in Campania ) was a Byzantine emigrant and one of the revivals of Greek literature in Italy.

Live and act

Probably for study purposes he moved to Constantinople around 1422/23 , where he worked as a copyist of the manuscript Vaticanus graecus 1334 before 1427 , on behalf of the humanist Francesco Filelfo , whom he had met during his stay in the Byzantine capital. In 1440 he came to Italy, probably already in possession of a remarkable number of Greek manuscripts, where he first reached Pavia via Palermo and Pisa to study there, possibly medicine. In 1442 he worked as a copyist for Filelfo in Milan . The writing of a Greek elegy dedicated to Cyriacus of Ancona also belongs to this period . In 1443 Gazes went to Mantua to Vittorino da Feltre to teach Greek and to train himself in the knowledge of the Latin language. In 1446 Giovanni Aurispa brought him to Ferrara . There he became a professor of the Greek language at the newly founded University of Ferrara , but also studied medicine and was elected rector by the artists from 1448 to 1449. He turned down a call to Florence on the grounds that he wanted to return to his homeland soon. His Greek grammar, which was printed by Aldo Manuzio in Venice in 1495, was probably created in Ferrara .

In the first months of 1450 Gazes went to Rome. There he belonged to a group of leading humanists who were entrusted with the translation of ancient Greek writers by the educated Pope Nicholas V. He was also accepted into the circle of scholars around Cardinal Bessarion . After the Pope's death, Gazes moved to the court of Naples . He was involved in controversy with Georgios Trapezuntios . After the death of King Alfonso I of Naples, Gazes retired to the Diocese of Policastro , but the timing is disputed. In the monastery of San Giovanni he acted as procurator of the commander abbot Bessarion. From 1467 Gazes was back in Rome. After Bessarion's death, his economic situation became increasingly critical, as he did not receive the support he had hoped for from Sixtus IV . In 1474 he therefore withdrew to Campania. The time of his death is uncertain, in 1477 his testamentary dispositions are carried out. Various memorial writings suggest that 1475 was the year of death. The books went to Demetrios Chalkondyles .

He made the Aristotelian writings known through translations and research. He also translated Theophrastus and Hippocrates into Latin, and Cicero from Latin into Greek.

reception

The plant genera Gazania Gaertn are named after Gaza . and Gazaniopsis C.Huber from the sunflower family (Asteraceae).

Text output

literature

Web links

Commons : Theodorus Gaza  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lotte Burkhardt: Directory of eponymous plant names - Extended Edition. Part I and II. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin , Freie Universität Berlin , Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5 doi: 10.3372 / epolist2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Gaza, Theodorus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gazes, Theodoros; Gazḗs, Theódōros; Gaza, Teodoro; Thessaloniceus; Thessalonicensis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek humanist
DATE OF BIRTH around 1410
PLACE OF BIRTH Thessaloniki
DATE OF DEATH around 1475
Place of death San Giovanni a Piro