Michael Apostolius
Encyclopedia
Michael Apostolius was a Greek theologian and rhetoric
ian of the 15th century.
, his native city, he fled to Italy
, and there obtained the protection of Cardinal Bessarion. But engaging in the great dispute that then raged between the upholders of Aristotle
and Plato
, his zeal for the latter led him to speak so contemptuously of the more popular philosopher and of his defender, Theodorus Gaza
, that he fell under the severe displeasure of his patron.
He afterwards retired to Crete
, where he earned a scanty living by teaching and by copying manuscripts. Many of his copies are still to be found in the libraries of Europe. One of them, the Icones of Philostratus at Bologna
, bears the inscription: "The king of the poor of this world has written this book for his living."
Apostolius died about 1480, leaving two sons, Aristobulus Apostolius
and Arsenius Apostolius
. The latter became bishop of Malvasia (Monemvasia
) in the Morea
.
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
ian of the 15th century.
Life
When, in 1453, the Turks conquered ConstantinopleFall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
, his native city, he fled to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and there obtained the protection of Cardinal Bessarion. But engaging in the great dispute that then raged between the upholders of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
and Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, his zeal for the latter led him to speak so contemptuously of the more popular philosopher and of his defender, Theodorus Gaza
Theodorus Gaza
Theodorus Gaza or Theodore Gazis also called by the epithet Thessalonicensis and Thessalonikeus was a Greek humanist and translator of Aristotle, one of the Greek scholars who were the leaders of the...
, that he fell under the severe displeasure of his patron.
He afterwards retired to Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, where he earned a scanty living by teaching and by copying manuscripts. Many of his copies are still to be found in the libraries of Europe. One of them, the Icones of Philostratus at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, bears the inscription: "The king of the poor of this world has written this book for his living."
Apostolius died about 1480, leaving two sons, Aristobulus Apostolius
Aristobulus Apostolius
Aristobulus Apostolius was a son of Michael Apostolius and brother of Arsenius Apostolius. The time of his birth and death is not known. He became an archdeacon of Rome. He edited with a Greek preface the first edition of the Galeomyomachia, an imitation of the Batrachomyomachia. His work was...
and Arsenius Apostolius
Arsenius Apostolius
Arsenius Apostolius was a Greek scholar who lived for a long time in Venice. He was also bishop of Monemvasia in the Peloponnese.-Life:Arsenius Apostolius was a son of Michael Apostolius and brother of Aristobulus Apostolius...
. The latter became bishop of Malvasia (Monemvasia
Monemvasia
Monemvasia is a town and a municipality in Laconia, Greece. The town is located on a small peninsula off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The peninsula is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200m in length. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 metres above sea level, up to...
) in the Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
.
Writings
Of his numerous works a few have been printed:- Παροιμίαι (Paroemiae, Greek for "proverbs"), a collection of proverbs in GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
- an edition published in BaselBaselBasel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
in 1538, now exceedingly rare - a fuller edition edited by Daniel Heinsius ("Curante Heinsio") and published in Leiden in 1619
- an edition published in Basel
- "Oratio Panegyrica ad Fredericum III." in Freher's Scriptores Rerum Germanicarum, vol. ii. (Frankfort, 1624)
- Georgii Gemisthi Plethonis et Mich. Apostolii Orationes funebres duce in quibus de Immortalitate Animae exponitur (Leipzig, 1793)
- a work against the Latin Church and the council of FlorenceCouncil of FlorenceThe Council of Florence was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It began in 1431 in Basel, Switzerland, and became known as the Council of Ferrara after its transfer to Ferrara was decreed by Pope Eugene IV, to convene in 1438...
in Le MoineLe MoineLe Moine is a mountain in the Pennine Alps, situated near Bourg Saint Pierre in Switzerland. It is located on the ridge Les Maisons Blanches in the Grand Combin massif.-External links:*...
's Varia Sacra.
See also
- Byzantine scholars in Renaissance