Constantine Lascaris

Konstantinos Laskaris (medium Greek Κωνσταντίνος Λάσκαρις, * between 14 June 1433 and 14 June 1434 Konstantin Opel; † August 15, 1501 in Messina ) was a Byzantine scholar and humanist.

Konstantinos Laskaris was a pupil of John Argyropulos, one of the most important scholars of the Renaissance. 1453, after the fall of Constantinople Opel, he reached the mediation of Cardinal Basil Bessarion to Italy into exile. 1460 he went to Milan Herzogshof, where he was hired by Francesco Sforza as a tutor for his daughter Hippolyta.

Here he soon became the center of a circle of humanists. Laskaris taught Greek at the Universities of Rome and Naples ( 1465), and from 1468 to his death in Messina, where, among other Pietro Bembo was one of his students.

Konstantinos Laskaris was the author of Greek grammar Έρωτήματα ( Erotemata, Greek = questions ), which was printed in 1476 by ​​Dionysius Paravisinus for Demetrius Damilas in Milan. His grammar was the first printed book in Greek Italy. Further editions were Aldus Manutius of (1449-1515), first in 1494, together with a Latin translation, organized, who became known in connection with the history of typography. Konstantinos Laskaris left the city 76 books for the library.