The letters of Marsilio Ficino  v. 1 ~ v. 8

translated from the Latin by members of the Language Department of the School of Economic Science, London ; preface by Paul Oskar Kristeller

'[Ficino] was at the very fountainhead of some of the most characteristic and influential aspects of the Italian Renaissance' - "The Times Literary Supplement". Marsilio Ficino of Florence (1433-99) was one of the most influential thinkers of the Renaissance. He put before society a new ideal of human nature, emphasizing its divine potential. As teacher and guide to a remarkable circle of men, he made a vital contribution to changes that were taking place in European thought. For Ficino, the writings of Plato provided the key to the most important knowledge for mankind, knowledge of God and the soul. It was the absorption of this knowledge that proved so important to Ficino, to his circle, and to later writers and artists. As a young man, Ficino had been directed by Cosimo de' Medici towards the study of Plato in the original Greek. Later he formed a close connection with Cosimo's grandson, Lorenzo de' Medici, under whom Florence achieved its age of brilliance. Gathered round Ficino and Lorenzo were such men as Landino, Bembo, Poliziano (with whom Ficino maintains a correspondence in this volume) and Pico della Mirandola. The ideas they discussed became central to the work of Spenser, Shakespeare, Donne, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Durer, and many other writers and artists. This volume contains letters written in 1488 and 1489, with a preface added in the summer of 1490. There are also four important letters written in 1489 not included in the printed edition of his letters published in 1495, no doubt because they concern Ficino's "Three Books on Life (De vita)" and were published with it, together with a note to the reader printed there. These five items are appended to the present volume (Appendices A to E) as they help to complete the record of Ficino's engagement with other scholars at this period. In addition, some letters have been provided from his correspondents: Appendix F is Poliziano's reply to a request for help, G is a letter from Valori, and H is the covering letter Ficino wrote at the time he composed Book I of De vita. Appendix letters I to K are from Ermolao Barbaro, presenting the other side of the correspondence between him and Ficino. They date from 1484, 1488 and 1491 but are given together here. Appendix L presents another letter from Poliziano to Ficino, and M to Q are letters of dedication written by Filippo Valori for presentation copies of Ficino's work discussed in this volume. Valori personally paid for these presentation copies and for the publication in print of "De vita". Volume 8 in the Shepheard-Walwyn edition, the first English translation of "The Letters", corresponds with "Book IX" of the Latin edition.

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As leader of the Platonic Academy in Florence, Marsilio Ficino was teacher and guide to a remarkable circle of men. He inspired leading statesmen, scholars and churchmen throughout Europe, who travelled to meet him or conducted an extensive correspondence with him. The ideas they discussed appeared again and again and in the works of literature and art that followed: in Spenser, Shakespeare and Donne, in Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Durer and many more. Volume 7 (Book VIII of the Latin edition) is dedicated to one of Ficino's correspondents, King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. Most of the dated letters are from June 1487 to October 1488, part of Florence's "golden decade", when Lorenzo de' Medici's astute politicking made him not only the peacemaker of the warring states of Italy, but also virtually controller of papal foreign policy. Ficino made good use of his time. Between 1482 and 1484 his major works were published: the "Platonic Theology", the "Christian Religion" and his translation from Greek into Latin of Plato's "Dialogues". He then turned to the translation of Plotinus. Important letters in this volume include his oration "God is Love", delivered to the clergy and people of Florence on the occasion of his installation as a canon of the cathedral in 1487. There are also letters comparing Moses with Plato and Socrates with Christ.

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Chronologically, this translation comprises the third book of Ficino's letters ("Liber III"), as published during his lifetime, and dates from August 1476 to May 1477. They follow volume 1 and are therefore published as volume 2. Both book two and three of Ficino's Letters were dedicated to King Matthias of Hungary whom Ficino regarded as a model of the philosopher king referred to in Plato's "Republic". Indeed, Matthias was no ordinary king. He became one of the very few Christian leaders to defeat the Ottoman Turks decisively during the period of their empire's almost continuous growth from the early 1300s to the death of Suleiman I in 1566. King Matthias was also a devotee of philosophy, keenly interested in the practical study of Plato. Members of Ficino's Academy dwelt at this court, and an invitation to visit his court was extended to Ficino himself. Ficino's Academy was consciously modelled on the philosophical schools of antiquity. It was not merely an institute of learning. The bond between Ficino and the other members of the Academy was their mutual love, based on the love of the Self in each, a love capable of expression in all fields of human activity. It was because such love was the basis of his School that Ficnio could write (letter 21) - "the desire of him, who strives for anything other than love, is often totally frustrated by the event. But he alone who loves nothing more than love itself, by desiring immediately attains, and in always attaining continues to desire." It is the principle of unity to which Ficnio repeatedly returns in this volume. He returns to it not just as a philosophical concept, but as an immediate perception. In his letter to Paul of Middelburg ("distinguished scientist and astronomer"), Ficino observes - "If any age can be called a golden one it is undoubtedly the one that produces minds of gold in abundance. And no one who considers the wonderful discoveries of our age will doubt that it is a golden one. For this golden age has restored to the light the liberal arts that were almost extinct: grammar, poetry, rhetoric, painting, sculpture, architecture, music and the ancient art of singing to the Orphic lyre."

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Marsilio Ficino (1433-99) directed the Platonic Academy in Florence and it was the work of this Academy that gave the Renaissance in the 15th century its impulse and direction. During his childhood Ficino was selected by Cosimo de' Medici for an education in the humanities. Later Cosimo directed him to learn Greek and then to translate all the works of Plato into Latin. This enormous task he completed in about five years. He then wrote two important books, "The Platonic Theology" and "The Christian Religion", showing how the Christian religion and Platonic philosophy were proclaiming the same message. The extraordinary influence the Platonic Academy came to exercise over the age arose from the fact that its leading spirits were already seeking fresh inspiration from the ideals of the civilizations of Greece and Rome and especially from the literary and philosophical sources of those ideals. Florence was the cultural and artistic centre of Europe at the time and leading men in so many fields were drawn to the Academy: Lorenzo de' Medici (Florence's ruler), Alberti (the architect) and Poliziano (the poet). Moreover Ficino bound together an enormous circle of correspondents throughout Europe from the Pope in Rome to John Colet in London, from Reuchlin in Germany to de Ganay in France. Published during his lifetime, "The Letters" have not previously been translated into English. The letters in this volume cover the period from September 1477 to April 1478, months which culminated in the outcome of the Pazzi Conspiracy in which Guiliano de' Medici was assassinated in Florence Cathedral, and from which his brother Lorenzo only just escaped. Ficino, a non-political philosopher with no worldly amibions, yet found himself advising the two main factions struggling for political power in Florence. His appeal for respect for both human and divine law, and thus for a reawakening of spirituality was in marked contrast to the prevailing atmosphere of lawlessness and greed. It was symptomatic that those most involved in the Conspiracy included a pope, a cardinal, an archbishop and two priests. In his letter to the Venetian ambassador, Bernardo Bembo, Ficino commends him more than any of his correspondents for his humanity. Indeed, it is the Latin form of this word, humanitas, which Ficino uses to mean "the love of mankind", and speaks of its enormous power. Another aspect of the word humanity is that it is human beings alone who have this power, and the penalty for man is that if he does not set out to realize his "infinite nature", his lot is far worse than that of the beasts. In his letter to Lorenzo de' Medici (the younger), Ficino urges - "approach the task with good hope, free born Lorenzo: far greater than the heavens is He who made you; and you yourself will be greater than the heavens as soon as you resolve upon this task. For the celestial bodies are not to be sought by us outside in some other place; for the heavens in their entirety are within us, in whom the light of life and the origin of heaven dwell."

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Marsilio Ficino (1433-99) directed the Platonic Academy in Florence, and it was the work of this Academy that gave the Renaissance in the 15th century its impulse and direction. During his childhood Ficino was selected by Cosimo de' Medici for an education in the humanities. Later Cosimo directed him to learn Greek and then to translate all the works of Plato into Latin. This enormous task he completed in about five years. He then wrote two important books, "The Platonic Theology" and "The Christian Religion", showing how the Christian religion and Platonic philosophy were proclaiming the same message. The extraordinary influence the Platonic Academy came to exercise over the age arose from the fact that its leading spirits were already seeking fresh inspiration from the ideals of the civilizations of Greece and Rome and especially from the literary and philosophical sources of those ideals. Florence was the cultural and artistic centre of Europe at the time and leading men in so many fields were drawn to the Academy: Lorenzo de'Medici (Florence's ruler), Alberti (the architect) and Poliziano (the poet). Moreover Ficino bound together an enormous circle of correspondents throughout Europe, from the Pope in Rome to John Colet in London, from Reuchlin in Germany to de Ganay in France. Published during his lifetime, "The Letters" have not previously been translated into English. Following the Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478, Florence was at war with both the Pope (Sixtus IV) and King Ferdinand of Naples. Prompted by the appalling conditions under which Florence suffered as a result of the war, Ficino wrote eloquent letters to the three main protagonists. In his three letters to Sixtus, who was the main architect of the war, Ficino states in magnificent terms the true work of the Pope - to fish in the "deep sea of humanity", as did the Apostles. King Ferdinand of Naples spent most of his life in intrigue, not only against other states, but also against his own barons. Yet, Ficino addresses him in the words of his father, the admirable King Alfonso. This extraordinary letter, written in the form of a prophesy, speaks of his son's destiny on Earth. "In peace alone a splendid victory awaits you..., in victory, tranquility; in tranquility, a reverence and worship of Minerva" (wisdom). Negotiations for peace were in fact begun about five months later. In his letter to Lorenzo de 'Medici, Ficino presented, with dramatic clarity, the two sides of Lorenzo's nature. The letter may have prompted Lorenzo's bold visit to King Ferdinand's court and the ensuing negotiations for peace. In insisting on the reality of unity and peace in the face of war and division, Ficino uses a number of analogies. He speaks in at least two letters of all the colours emerging from simple white light, just as all the variety of the universe issues from one consciousness. "For the Sun, to be is to shine, to shine is to see, and to illuminate is to create all that is its own and to sustain what it has created."

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Marsilio Ficino (1433-99) directed the Platonic Academy in Florence, and it was the work of this Academy that gave the Renaissance in the 15th century its impulse and direction. During his childhood Ficino was selected by Cosimo de' Medici for an education in the humanities. Later Cosimo directed him to learn Greek and then to translate all the works of Plato into Latin. This enormous task he completed in about five years. He then wrote two important books, "The Platonic Theology" and "The Christian Religion", showing how the Christian religion and Platonic philosophy were proclaiming the same message. The extraordinary influence the Platonic Academy came to exercise over the age arose from the fact that its leading spirits were already seeking fresh inspiration from the ideals of the civilizations of Greece and Rome and especially from the literary and philosophical sources of those ideals. Florence was the cultural and artistic centre of Europe at the time and leading men in so many fields were drawn to the Academy: Lorenzo de'Medici (Florence's ruler), Alberti (the architect) and Poliziano (the poet). Moreover Ficino bound together an enormous circle of correspondents throughout Europe, from the Pope in Rome to John Colet in London, from Reuchlin in Germany to de Ganay in France. Published during his lifetime, "The Letters" have not previously been translated into English. The sixth volume is set against the backdrop of war between the Italian states in the period 1481-84. The disruption and suffering caused by these wars is reflected in some of the letters, which contain some of Ficino's finest writing.

「Nielsen BookData」より

Marsilio Ficino (1433-99) directed the Platonic Academy in Florence, and it was the work of this Academy that gave the Renaissance in the 15th century its impulse and direction. During his childhood Ficino was selected by Cosimo de' Medici for an education in the humanities. Later Cosimo directed him to learn Greek and then to translate all the works of Plato into Latin. This enormous task he completed in about five years. He then wrote two important books, "The Platonic Theology" and "The Christian Religion", showing how the Christian religion and Platonic philosophy were proclaiming the same message. The extraordinary influence the Platonic Academy came to exercise over the age arose from the fact that its leading spirits were already seeking fresh inspiration from the ideals of the civilizations of Greece and Rome,and especially from the literary and philosophical sources of those ideals. Florence was the cultural and artistic centre of Europe at the time and leading men in so many fields were drawn to the Academy: Lorenzo de' Medici (Florence's ruler), Alberti (the architect) and Poliziano (the poet). Moreover, Ficino bound together an enormous circle of correspondents throughout Europe, from the Pope in Rome to John Colet in London, from Reuchlin in Germany to de Ganay in France. Published during his lifetime, "The Letters" have not previously been translated into English. This third volume consists of the 39 letters Ficino published in his book IV, which he dedicated to Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary. During the period covered by the letters in this volume, Ficino was working on a revision of his translations of Plato's dialogues and his commentaries on them. Some of the letters consist largely of passages taken from the dialogues, for example, those in praise of matrimony, medicine and philosophy. the largest single letter is a life of Plato which furnishes some interesting parallels with Ficino's own life, as described in a near contemporary biography by Giovanni Corsi which is included, partly for this reason, at the end of the volume. Corsi comments - "The first thing which encouraged me to write about this man was that he himself not only investigated the precepts and mysteries (of the Platonic Academy) but also penetrated, laid open and expounded them to others. This was something which no one else for the previous thousand years so much as attempted, let alone accomplished."

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Marsilio Ficino (1433-99) directed the Platonic Academy in Florence, and it was the work of this Academy that gave the Renaissance in the 15th century its impulse and direction. During his childhood Ficino was selected by Cosimo de' Medici for an education in the humanities. Later Cosimo directed him to learn Greek and then to translate all the works of Plato into Latin. This enormous task he completed in about five years. He then wrote two important books, "The Platonic Theology" and "The Christian Religion", showing how the Christian religion and Platonic philosophy were proclaiming the same message. The extraordinary influence the Platonic Academy came to exercise over the age arose from the fact that its leading spirits were already seeking fresh inspiration from the ideals of the civilizations of Greece and Rome and especially from the literary and philosophical sources of those ideals. Florence was the cultural and artistic centre of Europe at the time and leading men in so many fields were drawn to the Academy: Lorenzo de' Medici (Florence's ruler), Alberti (the architect) and Poliziano (the poet). Moreover Ficino bound together an enormous circle of correspondents throughout Europe from the Pope in Rome to John Colet in London, from Reuchlin in Germany to de Ganay in France. Published during his lifetime, "The Letters" have not previously been translated into English.

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[目次]

  • Acknowledgments, Letter Titles, Introduction, Translators' Notes, The Letters, Appendix, Notes to the Letters, Chronology of Works by Ficino, Relevant Works in Ficino's Opera Omnia, Notes on Florentine Political Institutions, Notes on Astrolgical Terms, Note on the Latin Text,Latin Text, Biographical Notes: Notes on Contemporaries - Notes on Ancient & Medieval Authorities - Medici Family Trees
  • Bibliography, Index to the Letters

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この本の情報

書名 The letters of Marsilio Ficino
著作者等 Ficino, Marsilio
Kristeller, Paul Oskar
Salaman Clement
Language Department School of Economic Science
巻冊次 v. 1
v. 2
v. 3
v. 4
v. 5
v. 6
v. 7
v. 8
出版元 Shepheard-Walwyn
刊行年月 1975-
ページ数 v.
大きさ 24 cm
ISBN 0856830364
0856830453
0856830704
0856831298
0856831670
0856831921
0856830100
9780856832420
NCID BA07831691
※クリックでCiNii Booksを表示
言語 英語
原文言語 ラテン語
出版国 イギリス
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