Ermolao Barbaro

Hermolaus Barbarus the Younger ( also: Ermolao Barbaro, born May 21, 1454 Venice, † June 14, 1493 in Rome ) was an Italian humanist.

Life and work

From about 1462 he met in Rome by Julius Pomponius Laetus and Theodorus Gaza. Emperor Frederick III. appointed him in 1468 to the poet laureate. In Padua he began to study in 1471, in 1474, in the arts, in 1477 received his doctorate in two rights. In 1479 he returned briefly to his hometown of Venice, left this but due to the outbreak of the plague. In the following decade his hometown served in various political offices, including as messenger.

From Pope Innocent VIII in 1491 he received the office of Patriarch of Aquileia offered. The Venetian Senate refused him the commencement of this position since Barbarus was contrary to the law already pledged, without waiting for the official consent. He was therefore banished and forced to abandon the patriarchate, in the event of refusal threatened confiscation of her father's estate. Barbarus remained in Rome and lived until his death from a small pension, which paid the papal administration.

Barbarus translated Aristotle paraphrases of Themistius, as well as several works of Aristotle. 1492/1493 he published at his Eucharius silver Castigationes Plinianae, a text- critical edition of Pliny's Natural History, in which he proved over 5000 errors in the Latin version of this work. In addition to speeches and letters Barbarus wrote a book about celibacy and one of the duties of the Messenger.