Gardens of Philosophy: Ficino on Plato (1)

Commentaries by Ficino on Plato's Writing #1

by Marsilio Ficino, Arthur Farndell (Translation)

Under the patronage of the Medici family, Marsilio Ficino translated into Latin and commentated on the meaning and implications of key works by Plato—including 25 of Plato’s dialogues and 12 letters ascribed to the philosopher. The 40 concise articles in this collection comprise the first English translation of Ficino’s works and provide an insightful glimpse into the philosophy that contributed to the Renaissance.

Genres: Philosophy

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Marsilio Ficino (Italian: [marˈsiːljo fiˈtʃiːno]; Latin name: Marsilius Ficinus; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was also an astrologer, a reviver of Neoplatonism in touch with every major academic thinker and writer of his day and the first translator of Plato's complete extant works into Latin. His Florentine Academy, an attempt to revive Plato's Academy, had enormous influence on the direction and tenor of the Italian Renaissance and the development of European philosophy.

Reviews

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 5 out of 5]

Det ficino har skrivit här är något mitt emellan en exegetisk text och en summering av några av Platons viktigare skrifter. Den är läsvärd, och betydligt mer lättläst än själva dialogerna eftersom den betonar genomlyslighet där Platons minnesanteckningar betonar sammanhang. Starkt rekommenderad.

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marsilio Ficino was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance, an astrologer, a reviver of Neoplatonism who was in touch with every major academic thinker and writer of his day, and the first translator of Plato's complete extant works into Latin. His Florentine Academy, an attempt to revive Plato's school, had enormous influence on the direction and tenor of the Italian Renaissance and the development of European philosophy.
In 1462 Cosimo Medici commissioned Ficino to translate PLato's works from Greek into Latin, an undertaking that took him five years to complete. For each dialogue, Ficino wrote an interpretive commentary or summary. This book contains those introductions along with an index and an introduction by the translator, Arthur Farndell. This book is a delight for anyone interested in Plato's dialogues and in their dissemination in Renaissance Europe. Ficino's Latin translations were influential on writers across Europe including Spenser and possibly Shakespeare.