Renaissance Discoveries: Plato

This episode looks at the rediscovery and revival of Plato in Florence during the fifteenth century. Western philosophy might now be ‘a series of footnotes to Plato’, but it wasn’t always so. For many centuries Plato was a shadowy presence in European philosophy and culture-a figure whose writings were largely unknown. His fortunes began to turn when a complete copy of his dialogues arrived in the West, in Florence, in 1439. But the ‘Plato gap’ was soon replaced by a ‘Plato panic’ as the philosopher came to be seen by some as a dangerous figure whose writings could undermine civilisation. Enter the brilliant Florentine philosopher and translator Marsilio Ficino, who would give Plato his proper position at the heart of Western culture.

[@annemariaclarke]

I love your ending - Cosimo listening to Plato being read to him as he died - beautiful ❤

[@rossking3163]

Thank you!

[@ellenwoodoff5145]

Fascinating. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@rossking3163]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@ChornyAnton]

Brilliant!

[@amind1317]

Fantastic work! Love the on screen annotations!

[@becnal]

Great stuff!

[@dondriving]

Excellent; I always learn something new. Great voice, podcast would be great.

[@athenassigil5820]

I just purchased your book The Bookseller of Florence and immediately looked up You Tube to see if there were any interviews of the story behind the writing of the book. Well, needless to say, not only did I find several interviews of you promoting the book, but this channel, too.. This was a most excellent introduction on the history of Plato and his influence through the ages. Your very clear, direct and did an excellent presentation and I look forward to watching more of your content....and then reading your latest book. Cheers!

[@rossking3163]

Thank you. I hope you enjoy the book!

[@ricardocima]

I'm reading Kristeller's "Renaissance and it's sources" and watching your videos, it's been great. Thanks!

[@rossking3163]

Thanks, Ricardo. Kristeller is the master. Another book of his I'd recommend is "Renaissance Thought and the Arts."

[@ricardocima]

@@rossking3163 there's a video here on KZbin of Eugenio Garin talking about Erasmus & War. It's amazing to see these legends on film.

[@unlivegrif]

Brilliant. Thank you!

[@rossking3163]

Thanks - you're very welcome!

[@klarafall4281]

Where do I get more information on ficino reading plato to the dying cosimo? Thanks for the great historical lesson. It is enriching my knowledge of Plato's pieces.

[@rossking3163]

Thank you. The image of little Marsilio reading to the dying Cosimo is a compelling one. We only have Ficino’s word for this episode, and it was part of his campaign, in later years, to earn the patronage of Cosimo’s grandson Lorenzo the Magnificent. He only wrote about it much later, in the early 1490s - but even so, it seems believable enough. For the best accounts and discussions, see Paul Oskar Kristeller, in Studies in Renaissance Thought and Letters (Rome, 1956), pp. 196 ff; and James Hankins, Plato in the Italian Renaissance (Leiden, 1989), vol. 1, pp. 267-68. Hankins also has a good article on the subject: ‘Cosimo de' Medici and the “Platonic Academy”’, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes (1990), pp. 144-162. I hope this helps!

[@RebootingHistoryz]

Great show! Any idea how Plato's letters came down through the Renaissance?

[@redox066]

Epic story! Cheers!

[@rossking3163]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@xmaseveeve5259]

TOO QUIET.