Paulina Piotrowska

The Anecdotes on Demosthenes – An Introduction

The following article is devoted to anecdotes on Demosthenes and consists of two parts. The first one is an introduction to the anecdotes themselves. Starting with a short biography of the pre-eminent Greek speaker, it discusses the rest of the content of a manuscript which clearly shows awakened interest in Antiquity. Consequently, the biography itself becomes a subject. Later the reception of Diogenes Laertius’s Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers is briefly discussed, highlighting the influence and evolution of ancient authors and ancient thought on, among others, Poggio Bracciolini and Petrarch. Then the author some introductory remarks on Renaissance attempts to translate and exemplify a stylised biography of the philosopher in Polish tradition. One of these attempts was made by Filippo Buonaccorsi, called “Callimachus”, who composed the Life of Gregory of Sanok, the archbishop of Lviv. Finally, the author poses the question of why Demosthenes appeared as a character interesting both in terms of a biography and anecdotes. According to Turasiewicz, it seems that people were filled with the ideals of Athenian democracy and let themselves be somehow charmed by the eloquence of Demosthenes. This did not happen through flattery but through honesty and clarity of thought and due to the idea of a kind of sacrifice entailed in the orator’s speeches. An admiration for the speaker’s political views was reflected not only in a golden wreath but mainly in the silent approval of the struggle for political sovereignty at the expense of “money, pleasure and life.” The wise people of Athens accepted without objection reprimand and instructions uttered by the speaker, but they did it only because it was honest criticism supported by reasonable arguments. With the fall of Constantinople, the works of Demosthenes returned to Europe and thanks to Byzantine scholars he found Ostroróg, Georges Clemenceau, Friedrich Nietzsche – these are just a few of the important people who found themselves influenced by him.

The introductory notes are followed by the second part of the paper, which consists of a translation of the anecdotes. Enriched with necessary footnotes, the translation attempts to provide an interesting insight into Demosthenes’ personality, since one might find there not only stories praising his qualities but also some anecdotes on his faults. All in all, the reader is left with a thorough, though not comprehensive, image of the famous Athenian orator.

De Demostene oratore et eius dictis

Przekład zbiorowy pod red. Pauliny Piotrowskiej

A letter by Niccolò Perotti

This paper is dedicated to a letter that Niccolò Perotti wrote to a friend. It is divided into two parts. The first part is an introduction to the letter. It presents an autobiography of the Renaissance humanist with special emphasis placed on his translations of ancient Greek texts into Latin. Jean-Louis Charlet, the leading researcher on the Italian’s works, highlights the importance of this particular letter for establishing the chronology of translations and Perotti’s other works, as well as his date of birth and other major events in his life. The introduction also discusses the epistolary art, which Perotti practiced and whose grammatical rules he wrote down so he could study them.
Next, the author considers the subject matter of the letter, which oscillates between the notions of vera nobilitas and homo novus. Perotti decides to give himself over to literary activities and he substantiates his choice in a form of examination of conscience. For him as a humanist, who often avails himself of quotes from Pliny the Younger, true nobility arises out of the virtues of reason and is not based on material goods. In his deliberations, Perotti follows such remarkable minds as Petrarch, Poggio Bracciolini and Buonaccorso da Montemagno. He quotes Petrarch on the magnitude of human thought, Bracciolini on the threats arising from the desire for wealth, and Montemagno on the true source of nobility lying in virtue and a person’s work, but not in the right of inheritance. Finally, these thoughts are collated with the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus. Having translated Encheiridion, Perotti filled his epistolary confessions with an echo of the Stoic’s teachings. These mostly concern taking care of one’s soul and not becoming attached to material goods, obtained by twist of fate.
In the second part, the author presents a collective translation of the discussed letter, preserved in manuscript in the Vatican Library (Vat. lat. 3027, f.115r–f.118r). It is a very important autobiographical document that allows the reader to look upon Perotti’s work in the context of the popularization of ancient Greek thought, as well as to his motivations and the internal dilemmas that were entailed in this undertaking.
 

Marsilio Ficino and Plato’s Charmides
The following article, devoted to Ficino’s interpretation of Plato’s Charmides, consists of two parts. The first one is an introduction to Ficino’s comment. It brings up Ficino’s stylistics and the place of Charmides among the Plato’s dialogues. It seems that the decision to translate the works of Plato was not accidental. Th e philosopher’s views on governance perfectly justified the strong power of Cosimo de’ Medici in Florence. Poliziano praised his rule in his own preface to Charmides. Charmides, in turn, is an interesting dialogue because it was followed by Ficino’s censorship where the philosopher tackles Plato’s homoerotic fascinations. Th e translator, so honest and conscientious in other translations, this time decides to pare down the content of the dialogue. However, a comment written by him becomes a valuable compensation for these shortcomings. Ficino’s main philosophical notions (above all the prisca theologia doctrine) bloom in every passage of the paper. The author interweaves the wisdom of Arab mystics with the wisdom of ancient Greek mystics in order to reconcile these thoughts with the Christian revelation. Particularly interesting is the psychosomatic approach to human nature, that is the interdependence of the health of body and soul. As by the means of sophrosyne full harmony is to be discovered between them, we can even reach immortality. We are like Adam Kadmon, who, though imperfect, can improve his own and the world’s nature.
The second part of the paper is a translation of Ficino’s synopsis of the dialogue, in which the author explains what can be understood under the term sophrosyne. Temperance needs to be instilled into a man’s mind early, as early as the patient is given medication. It should be given especially to young people, to those from noble families and to the beautiful. Physical beauty, in particular, hinders striking the right balance but, on the other hand, it can also stimulate insight into the beauty of the soul. The form allows us to explore the idea. When the violent desires are tamed, it is easier to balance all other activities. Th at is the reason why “moderation is best”, as Cleobulos of Lindos would say. When both the soul and body are healed, we achieve a harmonious consonance. In the spirit of this harmony, Pythagorean magical practices agree with the thoughts of Avicenna and Hippocrates’s medical practice to end up with the mysteries of Moses. That is what they have achieved – Enoch, Elijah and St. John the Evangelist. Enriched with necessary footnotes, the translation seems to represent an important example of Italian Renaissance interpretation of Platonic thought.