Gemistus Pletho c. 1355 – 1452
Gemistus Pletho (c. 1355 – 1452) was a Byzantine philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Platonism and Renaissance.
George Gemistos, who took the name Plethon to recall his master Plato, was a late-Byzantine philosopher of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the most original Platonist of the Greek-speaking world on the eve of the fall of Constantinople. His Book of Laws, condemned and partially burned after his death, projected a comprehensive Platonist political and religious order for a renewed Greek state, organized around the worship of the ancient Olympian gods reinterpreted as Platonic divine principles. His teaching at the Council of Florence in 1438-39 helped to ignite the Italian Platonic revival around Marsilio Ficino and the Florentine Academy.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Byzantine
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Platonism, Renaissance
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Gemistus Pletho:
“Plato should be set above Aristotle; the master is greater than the pupil.”
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Attributed to Gemistus Pletho:
“Religion, philosophy, and law belong to a single rational order, or to none.”
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Attributed to Gemistus Pletho:
“The gods are the names by which the One is differentiated for our understanding.”
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Attributed to Gemistus Pletho:
“A people that has lost its philosophical memory has lost the means of its political renewal.”
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Attributed to Gemistus Pletho:
“Constantinople may yet be saved by the same wisdom by which Athens once was great.”
Frequently asked about Gemistus Pletho
- When did Gemistus Pletho live?
- Gemistus Pletho was born in c. 1355 and died in 1452.
- Where was Gemistus Pletho from?
- Gemistus Pletho was a Byzantine philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Gemistus Pletho associated with?
- Gemistus Pletho was associated with Platonism and Renaissance.
- What was Gemistus Pletho known for?
- George Gemistos, who took the name Plethon to recall his master Plato, was a late-Byzantine philosopher of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the most original Platonist of the Greek-speaking world on the eve of the fall of Constantinople.
- How many quotes are attributed to Gemistus Pletho?
- There are 8 attributed quotations from Gemistus Pletho in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.