Philosopher, Scholar (1423 – 1511)
Humanist, writer and professor of Classical studies, Demetrios Chalcocondyles was one of the chief representatives of the Renaissance. Having fled from Athens to Rome during the final years of the Byzantine Empire, Chalcocondyles became one of the core members of the Platonists of the West, who revived Hellenism in Italy and subsequently in entire Europe.
The Chalcocondyles was a noble family from Athens, many of which members, including Demetrios and his cousin Laonicus, became scholars in the largest universities of Italy. His family first fled from Athens in 1435 after the city fell in the hands of the Acciaioli dynasty and settled in Mystras. There, Demetrios studied philosophy next to Georgios Plethon – Gemistus, the greatest philosopher of the Middle Ages, until in 1449 when he went to Rome. There he was taught Latin by Theodore Gazis. The two men formed a strong friendship and Demetrios inherited Gazis’ entire library after his death.
Chalcocondyles taught Greek language and philosophy in Perugia, Italy and in 1463 he became chairman of the department of Classical studies in the University of Padua. Greek language, philosophy and mathematics began forming an important part of the schools’ curriculum with Plato and Aristotle being Chalcocondyles’ primary teachings.
In 1472 he abandoned his position from the university and settled in Florence. 3 years later he was appointed chairman of the department of Classical studies in the University of Florence, a position which he held for 16 years. During his years as chairman, he published the very first edition of the complete works of Homer, accompanied with his notes. The treatise was called Homerou Sozomena; it marked the first time that the West came into contact with the insuperable wisdom of the Homeric epics after thousands of years.
The third major city where Chalcocondyles taught was Milan, where he published the works of Isocrates and the Suda Lexicon. He unsuccessfully ran as candidate for the department of Greek philosophy in Venice and went to Ferrara, where he continued teaching until his death in 1511 at the age of 88.
Demetrios Chalcocondyles taught tirelessly for over 35 years in the most significant spiritual centers of the Renaissance, achieving widespread fame and recognition. He had hundreds of students, the most notable ones being Angelo Poliziano, his long-time friend and assistant Marcilio Ficino and the philhellene printer Aldus Manutius, who attended his lectures in Milan. The West got to know Homer once again thanks to Chalcocondyles, as well as Plato, Aristotle and Isocrates. The dissemination of the Greek knowledge which he and the other great Teachers of humanity had brought together with them from the fallen Byzantium broke the shackles of religion and ultimately led to the Renaissance, the revival of human thought and Hellenism.
Bibliography
- “Chalkokondylis, Dimitrios”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens, 1946. Print.
- Christou, Eirini. Χαλκοκονδύλης Δημήτριος (1423 – 1511). Αργολική Αρχειακή Βιβλιοθήκη Ιστορίας και Πολιτισμού. Argolokivivliothiki.gr. Web. July 22, 2011. Retrieved on December 9, 2016.