John Argyropulus

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John Argryopulus, or Argyropulos, or Argyropulo, (’Αργυροπουλος, Argiropulo, Giovanni) (c. 1416 – 1486), Greek humanist, one of the earliest promoters of the revival of learning in the West, was born in Constantinople, and became a teacher there, Constantine Lascaris being his pupil. He then appears to have crossed over to Italy, and taught in Padua in 1434, being subsequently made rector of the university. About 1441 he returned to Constantinople, but after its capture by the Turks, again took refuge in Italy. About 1456 he was invited to Florence by Cosimo de' Medici, and was there appointed professor of Greek in the university. In 1471, on the outbreak of the plague, he moved to Rome, where he continued to act as a teacher of Greek till his death. Among his pupils were Leonardo Da Vinci^[1], Angelo Poliziano and Johann Reuchlin. His principal works were translations of the following portions of Aristotle, Categoriae, De Interpretatione, Analytica Posteriora, Physica, De Caelo, De Anima, Metaphysica, Ethica Nicomachea, Politica; and an Expositio Ethicorum Aristotelis. Several of his writings exist still in manuscript.

[edit] References

^ Deno Geanakoplos .'Constantinople and the West: Essays on the Late Byzantine (Paleologan) and Italian Renaissances and the Byzantine and Roman Churches', University of Wisconsin Press, 1989