Translations of Scholastic Works in Fourteenth-Century Byzantium: Intellectual Dissidence?

This article examines the activity of the fourteenth-century Byzantine intellectuals in translation into Greek of the works of Latin scholastics, particularly Thomas Aquinas. The author of the article notes that, before these translations, in Byzantium there was no public demand for the study of the Latin language and acquaintance with Western theological thought. The interest in Latin Scholasticism was born primarily as a response to the ideological crisis caused by the Palamite disputes and the victory of hesychasm. Political contacts with the West were another stimulus to the interest in Latin culture and theology. The first translator of the scholastic works was Demetrios Kydones: in cooperation with his brother Prochoros, he translated the main works of Aquinas. However, the colleagues, state authorities, and church evaluated the activities of Demetrios Kydones and his followers in different ways. When the Byzantines got acquainted with the scholastic works, it aggravated the disputes concerning the Church union and the anti-Latin polemics. The Latinophiles’ translation activity became a form of manifestation of their dissent, as they conceded religious rapprochement with the papacy and recognized the achievements of the Western theological thought. Generally, the appearance of the works of Latin theologians in the Christian East had a strong impact on the intellectual and ideological-political life of Byzantium.

Keywords

Late Byzantium, Byzantine intellectuals, translation activity, scholasticism, Thomism in Byzantium

Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the grant of the President of the Russian Federation for leading academic schools of the Russian Federation, project no. NSh-1548.2022.2 Late Byzantium: Political and Sociocultural Challenges and Responses to Them.

Received

01.09.2022

Publication date

15.12.2022

Number of characters

25165

Cite

GOST	Kushch T. Translations of Scholastic Works in Fourteenth-Century Byzantium: Intellectual Dissidence? // ISTORIYA – 2022. – V. 13. – Issue 11 (121) [Electronic resource]. URL: https://history.jes.su/S207987840023064-9-1 (circulation date: 28.07.2024). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840023064-9
MLA	Kushch, Tatiana "Translations of Scholastic Works in Fourteenth-Century Byzantium: Intellectual Dissidence?." ISTORIYA 13.11 (121) (2022) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840023064-9
APA	Kushch T. (2022). Translations of Scholastic Works in Fourteenth-Century Byzantium: Intellectual Dissidence?. ISTORIYA 13(11 (121)) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840023064-9

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 131

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Kusch T. V. Latinyane v vospriyatii latinofilov // Antichnaya drevnost' i srednie veka. 2006. Vyp. 37. S. 318—328.

2. Smetanin V. A. Vospriyatie obschestvennykh problem ortodoksal'no-pravoslavnym myslitelem (Iosif Vriennij) // Antichnaya drevnost' i srednie veka. 1990. Vyp. 25. S. 136—150.

3. Apologia I // Mercati G. Notizie di Procoro e Demetrio Cidone, Manuele Caleka e Teodoro Meliteniota ed altri appunti per la storia della teologia e della letteratura bizantina del secolo XIV. Città del Vaticano, 1931.

4. Barbour H. Chr. The Byzantine Thomism of Gennadios Scholarios and his Translation of the Commentary of Armandus de Bellovisu on the «De Ente et Essentia» of Thomas Aquinos. Città del Vaticano, 1993.

5. Beck H.-G. Besonderheiten der Literatur der Paläologenzeit // Art et société à Byzance sous les Paléologues. Venice, 1971.

6. Beck H.-G. Humanismus und Palamismus // XIIe Congrès International des Etudes Byzantines. Belgrade; Ochride, 1961. Rapp. III. S. 63—82.

7. Beck H.-G. Kirche und theologische Literatur im byzantinischen Reich. München, 1959.

8. Benakis L. G. Lateinische Literatur in Byzanz. Die Übersetzungen philosophischer Texte // Φιλέλλην. Studies in Honnor of Robert Browning / ed. C. Constantinides, N. M. Panagiotakes, E. Jeffris, A. D. Angelou. Venice, 1996. P. 35—42.

9. Constantinides C. N. Higher Education in Byzantium in the Thirteenth and Early Fourteenth Centuries (1204 — ca. 1310). Nicosia, 1982.

10. Démétrius Cydonès. Correspondance / publ. par R.-J. Loenertz. Città del Vaticano, 1960. Vol. 2.

11. Fischer E. Planoudes, Holobolos, and the Motivation for Translation // Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies. 2003. Vol. 43. No 1. P. 77—104.

12. Geanakoplos D. J. Byzantine East and Latin West: Two Worlds of Christendom in Middle Ages and Renaissance. Oxford, 1966.

13. Geanakoplos D. J. Constantinople and the West: Essays on the Late Byzantine (Palaeologan) and Italian Renaissances and the Byzantine and Roman Churches. Madison, 1989.

14. Glycofrydi-Leontsini A. Demetrius Cydones as a Traslator of Latin Text / Porphyrogenita. Essays on the History and Literature of Byzantium and Latin East in Honor of Julian Chrysostomides / ed. Ch. Dendrinos, J. Harris, E. Harvalia-Crook, J. Herrin. Aldershot and Burlington, 2003. P. 175—185.

15. Halecki O. Un empereur de Byzance à Rome. Vingt ans travail pour l’union des églises et pour défense de l’empire d’Orient. 1355—1373. Warszawa, 1930.

16. Ἰωσήφ μοναχοῦ τοῦ Βρυεννίου τὰ Παραλειπόμενα / ed. E. Boulgaris. Thessalonika, 1991. Vol. 3.

17. Karpozilos A. Thomas Aquinas and the Byzantine East // Ἐκκλησιαστικὸς Φάρος. 1970. Vol. 52. P. 133—143.

18. Kianka F. Demetrius Cydones and Thomas Aquinas // Byzantion. 1982. T. 52. P. 264—284.

19. Papadopulos S. Thomas in Byzanz. Thomas–Rezeption und Thomas–Kritik in Byzanz zwischen 1354 und 1453 // Theologie und Philosophie. 1974. Bd. 49. S. 274—304.

20. Podskalsky G. Theologie und Philosophie in Byzanz. Munich, 1977.

21. Rackl M. Die griechische Übersetzung der Summa theologiae des. hl. Thomas von Aquin // Byzantinische Zeitschrift. 1923/4. Bd. 24 (1). S. 48—60.

22. Runciman S. The Last Byzantine Renaissance. Cambridge, 1970.

23. Russel N. Palamism and the Circle of Demetrius Cydones // Porphyrogenita. Essays on the History and Literature of Byzantium and Latin East in Honor of Julian Chrysostomides / ed. Ch. Dendrinos, J. Harris, E. Harvalia-Crook, J. Herrin. Aldershot and Burlington, 2003. P. 153—174.

24. Ryader J. R. The Career and Writings of Demetrius Cydones: A Study of Fourteenth-Century Byzantine Politics, Religion and Society. Leiden, 2010.

25. Sapientissimi Cardinalis Domini Bessarionis refutatio syllogismorum Maximi Planudae De processione Spiritus sancti contra latinos // Patrologiae cursus completus. Series graeca / ed. J. P. Migne. Paris, 1866. Vol. 161. Col. 309—318.

26. Schmitt W.O. Lateinische Literatur in Byzantz: Die Übersetzungen des Maximos Planudes und die moderne Forschung // Jahrbuch der Österreichischen byzantinistischen Gesellschaft. 1968. Bd. 17. S. 127—147.

27. Ševčenko I. Renaissances before the Renaissance. Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. California, 1984.

28. Sinkewicz R. A New Interpretation for the First Episode in the Controversy between Barlaam the Calabrian and Gregory Palamas // Journal of Theological Studies. 1980. No 31. P. 489—500.

29. Tomos syndicos II / Patrologiae cursus completus. Series graeca / ed. J. P. Migne. Paris, 1865. Vol. 151. Col. 693—716.

30. Translation Activity in Late Byzantium. Proceedings of the International Conference (Ca’Foscari University of Venice, June 11th — 13th, 2018). Venice, 2018.

31. Triantafyllopoulos Ch. The Thomist Basis of Prochoros Kydones’ anti-Palamite Treatise “De essentia et operatione Dei” and the Reaction of the Byzantine Church // Knotenpunkt Byzanz. Wissensformen und kulturelle Wechselbeziehungen / hrsg. A. Speer und Ph. Steinkrüger. Berlin; Boston, 2012. P. 411—430.