Manuel Chrysoloras

Manuel Chrysoloras or Emmanuel Chrysoloras ( gr Μανουήλ Χρυσολωράς, ) (* 1353 probably in Constantinople Opel, † April 15 1415 in Konstanz ) was a Byzantine diplomat and supporter of Greek literature in Western Europe.

1393 sent by the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus Chrysoloras on a diplomatic mission to Western Europe. Politically, this step was deemed necessary because the threat of the Turks put the continued existence of the kingdom seriously questioned. The diplomatic mission was in cash collections and in the search for potential allies in the event of armed conflict.

Chrysoloras first settled in Italy. With its Erotemata sive Quaestiones ( printed in 1496 ), he created the first common in Western Europe Greek grammar. Among his students, among others, Uberto Decembrio, Guarino da Verona and perhaps included Ambrogio Traversari. This has grown out of a diplomatic mission culture contact between Byzantium and the Latin West came at a time when the various circles of scholars and artists in Italy began increasingly to be interested in classical antiquity. So you justified the spiritual flow of Renaissance humanism. Chrysoloras it is probably to thank also to a large extent, that in the Latin West could read again for the Greek and so interested in the written classical texts again. He promoted the construction of Greek manuscript collections in Italy. These efforts took another student of him, Niccolò Niccoli, significant share. With the purchase of these manuscripts mainly from konstantinopolitischen stocks end it was possible that these have been handed down through copies of the humanists. Chrysoloras also had significant contribution to the emergence of classical philology at this time.

Finally Chrysoloras was also ambassador to the Council of Constance, was burned on his decision to go Jan Hus. In Constance remembers a grave plate to Chrysoloras, who died there during the Council.