Teodoro Katinis | Ghent University (original) (raw)

Books by Teodoro Katinis

In Sperone Speroni and the Debate over Sophistry in the Italian Renaissance Teodoro Katinis mines... more In Sperone Speroni and the Debate over Sophistry in the Italian Renaissance Teodoro Katinis mines a number of little or unstudied primary sources and offers the first book on the rebirth of ancient sophists in the Italian literature of the 15th and 16th century, from Leonardo Bruni to Jacopo Mazzoni, with a focus on the Italian writer and philosopher Sperone Speroni (1500-1588). Katinis convincingly proves that Speroni is a unique case of early modern thinker who explicitly rejected Plato’s demonization and defended the public role of the sophistic rhetoric, which enhanced the debate over the sophistic arts and scepticism in a variety of fields and anticipated some of the most revolutionary modern thoughts.

Il volume è il risultato di una ricerca sull’atteggiamento di medici e filosofi di fronte alla pe... more Il volume è il risultato di una ricerca sull’atteggiamento di medici e filosofi di fronte alla peste, dalle prime reazioni nel ‘300 fino al maturo ‘400, con particolare attenzione all’umanesimo fiorentino e alla figura di Marsilio Ficino. Si è voluto mostrare come l’avvento del morbo abbia profondamente inciso sulla produzione della letteratura filosofica, accelerando l’osmosi tra i saperi e le tendenze culturali, calamitando l’attenzione di molti sull’urgenza medica. La trattazione si concentra sulle opere di Marsilio Ficino, soprattutto sul Consilio contro la pestilentia, pubblicato per la prima volta a Firenze nel 1481 e da allora testo di riferimento per la tradizione posteriore. Attraverso l’analisi delle fonti e della fortuna di quest’opera si possono rileggere le questioni fondamentali che sono al centro della letteratura medico-filosofica contro la peste. In Appendice si presenta un’edizione accompagnata da alcune annotazioni critiche, con un Glossario essenziale di termini notevoli.

Conference Presentations by Teodoro Katinis

My paper analyzes the use of terms related to the ancient sophistic tradition, such as "sofistica... more My paper analyzes the use of terms related to the ancient sophistic tradition, such as "sofistica" and "sofista", in the texts of three central figures of the sixteenth-century culture: Sperone Speroni, Torquato Tasso, and Jacopo Mazzoni. The paper both represents a first research achievement of my Marie Curie research project and contributes to the ERC Starting Grant project led by Marco Sgarbi in Venice. Click the link below to watch my complete presentation.

During the 1570s, a broad debate on the value of Dante's poetry, especially the Divine Comedy, bu... more During the 1570s, a broad debate on the value of Dante's poetry, especially the Divine Comedy, burst onto the scene of the Italian milieu and involved several authors, such as Rodolfo Castravilla, Belisario Bulgarini, Sperone Speroni, Jacopo Mazzoni, and Torquato Tasso, to mention the most renowned. While this matter has been a major scholarly subject since Michele Barbi published his Dante nel Cinquecento (1890), some aspects of the quarrel deserve a deeper analysis, which can reveal further fascinating aspects of the Renaissance culture. This paper will focus on three Aristotelian authors, Speroni, Mazzoni, and Bulgarini, who participated in the quarrel from different positions. In so doing, we will discover the richness of the less explored parts of their works, while we will confirm the existence of different Aristotelian perspectives on the subject and their links with other philosophical traditions. In these respects, Jacopo Mazzoni's two works in defense of Dante's Comedy, published in 1573 and 1587, are particularly interesting, since Mazzoni challenged the detractors of Dante by defending the agreement of the Comedy with Aristotle's Poetics from a point of view that was at the intersection of Aristotelianism, sophistry, and skepticism. By the analysis of some passages from both of Mazzoni's works, we will discover how much the interpretation of Aristotle's works, in particular the Poetics, can be far from orthodoxy.

Sperone Speroni (1500–88) was Pomponazzi's (1462-1525) pupil at the University of Bologna where h... more Sperone Speroni (1500–88) was Pomponazzi's (1462-1525) pupil at the University of Bologna where he was educated as an Aristotelian. He was one of the main members of Padua's Accademia degli Infiammati (Academy of the Burning Ones), taught logic and philosophy at the University of Padua, and became a major interlocutor in the Renaissance debate on language, philosophy and rhetoric. This paper analyses Speroni’s reevaluation of sophistic rhetoric in the Apologia dei dialoghi and two trattatelli surprisingly entitled In difesa dei sofisti and Contra Socrate. In these works Speroni carries on a defense of ancient sophists against their accusers Socrates and Plato. Speroni considers Gorgias of Leontini (ca. 483-ca. 376 BC) and Protagoras of Abdera (ca. 490-ca. 420 BC), among others, as great rhetoricians, who served public interests, and supports their anti-Platonic perspective regarding politics. This contribution is part of a broader research project on the rebirth of ancient sophistry in the Italian Renaissance.

Book Reviews by Teodoro Katinis

Articles and Essays by Teodoro Katinis

Aither, 2020

This paper contributes to the study of a mostly neglected work of the fifteenth-century Italian l... more This paper contributes to the study of a mostly neglected work of the fifteenth-century Italian literature: Sperone Speroni's collection of short treatises ("trattatelli") published in the fifth volume of his Opera in 1740. In particular, I focus on Della Pace (On Peace), probably a draft of a never-written longer treatise. I provide a transcription and English translation of the text as well as an analysis of its content and linguistic aspects. The focus of Speroni's text is the discussion of the meaning of 'concord', which goes beyond the classical definition and brings to an unconventional analysis of also its opposite terms: discord and conflict. Reading Speroni's writing we discover his original thought nurrished by Machiavelli's and pre-Socratic influences. This paper looks at Speroni not only as an author involved in literary debates, but also as a philosopher with an original perspective to be discovered.
(open access: https://international.aither.eu/)

Bruniana & Campanelliana, 2020

Revue Roman, 2020

This article contributes to the study of the relationship between Latin and Tuscan vernacular in ... more This article contributes to the study of the relationship between Latin and Tuscan vernacular in the 16th century. We examine a set of almost neglected grammatical works (the Concetti, Supplimento, and Il grammatico) published between 1557 and 1567, and related to the Italian humanist Aonio Paleario. We adopt both a linguistic and literary approach to shed light particularly on the humanistic perspectives on language education and proficiency. After presenting a brief outline of the content
of the three works and their problematic authorship, we focus on the dialogue Il grammatico. We conclude that, within the discussion on method for teaching Latin, the dialogue defines the humanist as the guardian of the best language for both Latin and vernacular.

The ancient sophists, such as Gorgias of Leontini and Protagoras of Abdera, are generally-and oft... more The ancient sophists, such as Gorgias of Leontini and Protagoras of Abdera, are generally-and often superficially-connected to relativism, immoralism, skepticism, and opportunism. Their historical and intellectual identity was recovered during the Renaissance along with other classical authors, especially Plato who built his philosophy against the sophistic tradition of the fifth and fourth century BC. Starting with the fifteenth-century translations and commentaries, from Leonardo Bruni to Marsilio Ficino, the sophistic writings resurfaced and played an important role in the philosophical and literary history of the European Renaissance. Several Renaissance authors provided original reinterpretations of the ancient sophists both in Neo-Latin and vernacular literature. International scholarship has recently started a detailed exploration of the rebirth of sophistry in early-modern era and has already provided important results that this entry intends to summarize.

Enhancing the Research on Sophistry in the Renaissance, 2019

This contribution introduces the proceedings of the international conference The Sophistic Renais... more This contribution introduces the proceedings of the international conference The Sophistic Renaissance: Authors, Texts, Interpretationsheld in Veniceon September 26th, 2016 as part of my Marie Skłodowska-Curie project Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) and the Rebirth of Sophistry in the Italian Renaissance at Ca’ Foscari University (2015-2016). This introduction briefly presents the status quaestionis and the essays collected herein, discusses the challenges scholars encounter while exploring the legacy of ancient sophists in early modern culture, and addresses some promising lines of research for deepening some aspects of the subject in the future.

With his Dialogo delle lingue, published in 1542, Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) contributed to the ... more With his Dialogo delle lingue, published in 1542, Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) contributed to the sixteenth-century " quarrel of language " as one of the most important interlocutors in the debate. He has also the merit of presenting the most relevant positions on the subject at his time. Indeed, among the characters of his dialogue one can find Pietro Bembo, Giano Lascaris, Pietro Pomponazzi, and Lazzaro Bonamico. While the first three authors are well known and studied by scholars, the latter is still relatively neglected, despite his very interesting defence of Latin as reported in Speroni's dialogue. This paper aims to deepen Lazzaro Bonamico (Lazzaro da Bassano, 1477-1552) as both character of the Dialogo delle lingue and actual protagonist of the Italian debate on Neo-Latin and vernacular. Furthermore, this paper will examine the relationship between Bonamico's advocacy of classical languages, as reported in Speroni's dialogue, and his original works, in particular his Latin letters, published in the collection Epistolae clarorum virorum selectae de quam pluribus optimae ad indicandam nostrorum temporum eloquentiam (Venetiis 1556). By exploring Bonamico's discourse in Speroni's work as well as his original works, this paper will contribute to broaden the understanding of 16 th-century debate on Latin and vernacular, while pointing out the richness of both Italian and Latin production on the subject.

This paper aims to explore the variety of sophistic argumentations that the Paduan philosopher an... more This paper aims to explore the variety of sophistic argumentations that the Paduan philosopher and writer Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) applies in the so-called paradoxical work Dialogo della Discordia (1542), in which style as well as content factor into the author's interest in ancient sophistic rhetoric. In analyzing the subject, the paper focuses on the influence of Erasmus' Praise of Folly (1511) in Speroni's dialogue. In so doing, the paper also intends to contribute to a deeper understanding of the impact of Erasmus' work in the Venetian area-in particular, the rebirth of ancient sophistic literature in the Italian Renaissance.

In Sperone Speroni and the Debate over Sophistry in the Italian Renaissance Teodoro Katinis mines... more In Sperone Speroni and the Debate over Sophistry in the Italian Renaissance Teodoro Katinis mines a number of little or unstudied primary sources and offers the first book on the rebirth of ancient sophists in the Italian literature of the 15th and 16th century, from Leonardo Bruni to Jacopo Mazzoni, with a focus on the Italian writer and philosopher Sperone Speroni (1500-1588). Katinis convincingly proves that Speroni is a unique case of early modern thinker who explicitly rejected Plato’s demonization and defended the public role of the sophistic rhetoric, which enhanced the debate over the sophistic arts and scepticism in a variety of fields and anticipated some of the most revolutionary modern thoughts.

Il volume è il risultato di una ricerca sull’atteggiamento di medici e filosofi di fronte alla pe... more Il volume è il risultato di una ricerca sull’atteggiamento di medici e filosofi di fronte alla peste, dalle prime reazioni nel ‘300 fino al maturo ‘400, con particolare attenzione all’umanesimo fiorentino e alla figura di Marsilio Ficino. Si è voluto mostrare come l’avvento del morbo abbia profondamente inciso sulla produzione della letteratura filosofica, accelerando l’osmosi tra i saperi e le tendenze culturali, calamitando l’attenzione di molti sull’urgenza medica. La trattazione si concentra sulle opere di Marsilio Ficino, soprattutto sul Consilio contro la pestilentia, pubblicato per la prima volta a Firenze nel 1481 e da allora testo di riferimento per la tradizione posteriore. Attraverso l’analisi delle fonti e della fortuna di quest’opera si possono rileggere le questioni fondamentali che sono al centro della letteratura medico-filosofica contro la peste. In Appendice si presenta un’edizione accompagnata da alcune annotazioni critiche, con un Glossario essenziale di termini notevoli.

My paper analyzes the use of terms related to the ancient sophistic tradition, such as "sofistica... more My paper analyzes the use of terms related to the ancient sophistic tradition, such as "sofistica" and "sofista", in the texts of three central figures of the sixteenth-century culture: Sperone Speroni, Torquato Tasso, and Jacopo Mazzoni. The paper both represents a first research achievement of my Marie Curie research project and contributes to the ERC Starting Grant project led by Marco Sgarbi in Venice. Click the link below to watch my complete presentation.

During the 1570s, a broad debate on the value of Dante's poetry, especially the Divine Comedy, bu... more During the 1570s, a broad debate on the value of Dante's poetry, especially the Divine Comedy, burst onto the scene of the Italian milieu and involved several authors, such as Rodolfo Castravilla, Belisario Bulgarini, Sperone Speroni, Jacopo Mazzoni, and Torquato Tasso, to mention the most renowned. While this matter has been a major scholarly subject since Michele Barbi published his Dante nel Cinquecento (1890), some aspects of the quarrel deserve a deeper analysis, which can reveal further fascinating aspects of the Renaissance culture. This paper will focus on three Aristotelian authors, Speroni, Mazzoni, and Bulgarini, who participated in the quarrel from different positions. In so doing, we will discover the richness of the less explored parts of their works, while we will confirm the existence of different Aristotelian perspectives on the subject and their links with other philosophical traditions. In these respects, Jacopo Mazzoni's two works in defense of Dante's Comedy, published in 1573 and 1587, are particularly interesting, since Mazzoni challenged the detractors of Dante by defending the agreement of the Comedy with Aristotle's Poetics from a point of view that was at the intersection of Aristotelianism, sophistry, and skepticism. By the analysis of some passages from both of Mazzoni's works, we will discover how much the interpretation of Aristotle's works, in particular the Poetics, can be far from orthodoxy.

Sperone Speroni (1500–88) was Pomponazzi's (1462-1525) pupil at the University of Bologna where h... more Sperone Speroni (1500–88) was Pomponazzi's (1462-1525) pupil at the University of Bologna where he was educated as an Aristotelian. He was one of the main members of Padua's Accademia degli Infiammati (Academy of the Burning Ones), taught logic and philosophy at the University of Padua, and became a major interlocutor in the Renaissance debate on language, philosophy and rhetoric. This paper analyses Speroni’s reevaluation of sophistic rhetoric in the Apologia dei dialoghi and two trattatelli surprisingly entitled In difesa dei sofisti and Contra Socrate. In these works Speroni carries on a defense of ancient sophists against their accusers Socrates and Plato. Speroni considers Gorgias of Leontini (ca. 483-ca. 376 BC) and Protagoras of Abdera (ca. 490-ca. 420 BC), among others, as great rhetoricians, who served public interests, and supports their anti-Platonic perspective regarding politics. This contribution is part of a broader research project on the rebirth of ancient sophistry in the Italian Renaissance.

Aither, 2020

This paper contributes to the study of a mostly neglected work of the fifteenth-century Italian l... more This paper contributes to the study of a mostly neglected work of the fifteenth-century Italian literature: Sperone Speroni's collection of short treatises ("trattatelli") published in the fifth volume of his Opera in 1740. In particular, I focus on Della Pace (On Peace), probably a draft of a never-written longer treatise. I provide a transcription and English translation of the text as well as an analysis of its content and linguistic aspects. The focus of Speroni's text is the discussion of the meaning of 'concord', which goes beyond the classical definition and brings to an unconventional analysis of also its opposite terms: discord and conflict. Reading Speroni's writing we discover his original thought nurrished by Machiavelli's and pre-Socratic influences. This paper looks at Speroni not only as an author involved in literary debates, but also as a philosopher with an original perspective to be discovered.
(open access: https://international.aither.eu/)

Bruniana & Campanelliana, 2020

Revue Roman, 2020

This article contributes to the study of the relationship between Latin and Tuscan vernacular in ... more This article contributes to the study of the relationship between Latin and Tuscan vernacular in the 16th century. We examine a set of almost neglected grammatical works (the Concetti, Supplimento, and Il grammatico) published between 1557 and 1567, and related to the Italian humanist Aonio Paleario. We adopt both a linguistic and literary approach to shed light particularly on the humanistic perspectives on language education and proficiency. After presenting a brief outline of the content
of the three works and their problematic authorship, we focus on the dialogue Il grammatico. We conclude that, within the discussion on method for teaching Latin, the dialogue defines the humanist as the guardian of the best language for both Latin and vernacular.

The ancient sophists, such as Gorgias of Leontini and Protagoras of Abdera, are generally-and oft... more The ancient sophists, such as Gorgias of Leontini and Protagoras of Abdera, are generally-and often superficially-connected to relativism, immoralism, skepticism, and opportunism. Their historical and intellectual identity was recovered during the Renaissance along with other classical authors, especially Plato who built his philosophy against the sophistic tradition of the fifth and fourth century BC. Starting with the fifteenth-century translations and commentaries, from Leonardo Bruni to Marsilio Ficino, the sophistic writings resurfaced and played an important role in the philosophical and literary history of the European Renaissance. Several Renaissance authors provided original reinterpretations of the ancient sophists both in Neo-Latin and vernacular literature. International scholarship has recently started a detailed exploration of the rebirth of sophistry in early-modern era and has already provided important results that this entry intends to summarize.

Enhancing the Research on Sophistry in the Renaissance, 2019

This contribution introduces the proceedings of the international conference The Sophistic Renais... more This contribution introduces the proceedings of the international conference The Sophistic Renaissance: Authors, Texts, Interpretationsheld in Veniceon September 26th, 2016 as part of my Marie Skłodowska-Curie project Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) and the Rebirth of Sophistry in the Italian Renaissance at Ca’ Foscari University (2015-2016). This introduction briefly presents the status quaestionis and the essays collected herein, discusses the challenges scholars encounter while exploring the legacy of ancient sophists in early modern culture, and addresses some promising lines of research for deepening some aspects of the subject in the future.

With his Dialogo delle lingue, published in 1542, Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) contributed to the ... more With his Dialogo delle lingue, published in 1542, Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) contributed to the sixteenth-century " quarrel of language " as one of the most important interlocutors in the debate. He has also the merit of presenting the most relevant positions on the subject at his time. Indeed, among the characters of his dialogue one can find Pietro Bembo, Giano Lascaris, Pietro Pomponazzi, and Lazzaro Bonamico. While the first three authors are well known and studied by scholars, the latter is still relatively neglected, despite his very interesting defence of Latin as reported in Speroni's dialogue. This paper aims to deepen Lazzaro Bonamico (Lazzaro da Bassano, 1477-1552) as both character of the Dialogo delle lingue and actual protagonist of the Italian debate on Neo-Latin and vernacular. Furthermore, this paper will examine the relationship between Bonamico's advocacy of classical languages, as reported in Speroni's dialogue, and his original works, in particular his Latin letters, published in the collection Epistolae clarorum virorum selectae de quam pluribus optimae ad indicandam nostrorum temporum eloquentiam (Venetiis 1556). By exploring Bonamico's discourse in Speroni's work as well as his original works, this paper will contribute to broaden the understanding of 16 th-century debate on Latin and vernacular, while pointing out the richness of both Italian and Latin production on the subject.

This paper aims to explore the variety of sophistic argumentations that the Paduan philosopher an... more This paper aims to explore the variety of sophistic argumentations that the Paduan philosopher and writer Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) applies in the so-called paradoxical work Dialogo della Discordia (1542), in which style as well as content factor into the author's interest in ancient sophistic rhetoric. In analyzing the subject, the paper focuses on the influence of Erasmus' Praise of Folly (1511) in Speroni's dialogue. In so doing, the paper also intends to contribute to a deeper understanding of the impact of Erasmus' work in the Venetian area-in particular, the rebirth of ancient sophistic literature in the Italian Renaissance.

"Self-Care and Self-Preservation, c. 1400-1650"

Traditional literary historiography is rooted in the 19 th-century construction of national liter... more Traditional literary historiography is rooted in the 19 th-century construction of national literatures based on the political desire to demarcate national states and their corresponding linguistic identities from each other. For the study of the literature that predates the 19 th-century nation-state – the literature of the period that will be central in this conference (1200-1800) – the taxonomy of literary phenomena on the basis of geographical frontiers that were in most cases non-existent at the time, is a highly artificial though very common practice. In our view, the study of literature in this long period is better served by a transnational perspective, if only because of the transnational character of its functioning. On account of their limiting focus, nationally oriented literary histories of the periods in question cannot but undervalue the actual cultural processes at work both in the international 'Republic of Letters' as well as in the language regions that exceed the borders of the current nation states.

With his Dialogo delle lingue, published in 1542, Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) contributed to the ... more With his Dialogo delle lingue, published in 1542, Sperone Speroni (1500-1588) contributed to the sixteenth-century “quarrel of language” as one of the most important interlocutors in the debate. He has also the merit of presenting the most relevant positions on the subject at his time. Indeed, among the characters of his dialogue one can find Pietro Bembo, Giano Lascaris, Pietro Pomponazzi, and Lazzaro Bonamico. While the first three authors are well known and studied by scholars, the latter is still relatively neglected, despite his very interesting defence of Latin as reported in Speroni’s dialogue. This paper aims to deepen Lazzaro Bonamico (Lazzaro da Bassano, 1477-1552) as both character of the Dialogo delle lingue and actual protagonist of the Italian debate on Neo-Latin and vernacular. Furthermore, this paper will examine the relationship between Bonamico’s advocacy of classical languages, as reported in Speroni’s dialogue, and his original works, in particular his Latin letters, published in the collection Epistolae clarorum virorum selectae de quam pluribus optimae ad indicandam nostrorum temporum eloquentiam (Venetiis 1556). By exploring Bonamico’s discourse in Speroni’s work as well as his original works, this paper will contribute to broaden the understanding of 16th-century debate on Latin and vernacular, while pointing out the richness of both Italian and Latin production on the subject.

Conference Abstract This International Conference aims at exploring the influence and diffusion o... more Conference Abstract This International Conference aims at exploring the influence and diffusion of the ancient sophistic traditions in early-modern Europe, fostering an interdisciplinary discussion among scholars and enhancing a new network for a future collaboration across fields. The Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage of Ca' Foscari University hosts a growing team of scholars working on early modern philosophy and literature. The conference will investigate the early-modern rebirth of ancient sophists in different linguistic areas, including but not limited to Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, and English, within all genres. Papers will examine ancient sophists' legacy, translations and interpretations of their works, and new forms of sophistry from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. The development of sophistry is tightly connected with Skepticism, Platonism, and Aristotelianism, and these traditions, therefore, might be addressed in papers and discussions. The participants will investigate the state-of-the-art and open new paths of research for the future. No conference on the sophistic tradition and its legacy has investigated Renaissance culture and only few, though important, studies have been dedicated to this topic. This conference on the sophistic Renaissance, supported by Teodoro Katinis' MSC research project at Ca' Foscari University, will contribute to fill the gap in international scholarship and enhance the research in the field. The Conference will be held in the Aula Baratto, one of the historical rooms of Palazzo Ca' Foscari. The papers will be in English, although papers in Italian are acceptable. The proceedings of the conference will be published in a special issue of the journal Philosophical Reading. The organizer and the Department invite proposals for 30-minute papers addressing, but not limited to, the following topics: · Latin translations and commentaries of sophists' works or texts related to sophistry. · Vernacular texts on any aspect of sophistry and sophists. · The legacy of philosophical perspectives and rhetoric of Gorgias, Protagoras, and other sophists. Platonic and Aristotelian interpretation of sophistry · Sophistic aspects of Baroque culture · Sophistry and scientific literature · Sophists and related works in private or public libraries · Literary genres related to the sophistic literature · Iconography of sophists · The sophists in Renaissance cities · Ancient and modern sophists · Sophistic legacy in debating philosophical aspects of knowledge, language, communication · Double arguments (dossoi logoi), paradoxes, and paralogisms · The condemnation or rehabilitation of sophists in any field, including logic, rhetoric, poetics, politics, ethics. · The debate over sophistry in European literature Scholars interested in participating are invited to send a 300-word abstract in English and CV to Teodoro Katinis (teodoro.katinis@unive.it) by April 5 th , 2016. Selected participants will receive partial funding for travel and accommodation.

GEMS (Ghent University's Early Modern Studies Centre) is proud to present the programme of this y... more GEMS (Ghent University's Early Modern Studies Centre) is proud to present the programme of this year's Histories and Theories of Reading Seminar. The Seminar is funded by Ghent University's Doctoral School-programme (Humanities and Law) and is open (and exclusively so) to PhD-students. Those of you who want to participate, please get in touch with jurgen.pieters@ugent.be. Students will earn a credit by participating in (at least) three out of six sessions. Below are the details of the programme (the dates for the spring semester have been finalised) and a description of the format. Histories and Theories of Reading: Fourth Series (2018) The specialist course consists of a series of seminars that cover a period from January 2018 to December 2018. As in the previous three successful series, each seminar focuses on the work of one of six eminent international literary scholars who play a leading role in the disciplines of literary and cultural theory and literary and cultural history and have made important theoretical and conceptual contributions to their respective disciplines and to the historiography of both the central object of study (literary writing) and the disciplinary attempts at writing its history. Each of the scholars central to the seminar are, first and foremost, experts in their disciplines and specialists of a particular literary historical moment (ranging from the early modernity to the twentieth century).

Conference Abstract. This International Conference aims at exploring the influence and diffusion... more Conference Abstract.

This International Conference aims at exploring the influence and diffusion of the ancient sophistic traditions in early-modern Europe, fostering an interdisciplinary discussion among scholars and enhancing a new network for a future collaboration across fields. The Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage of Ca' Foscari University hosts a growing team of scholars working on early modern philosophy and literature. The conference will investigate the early-modern rebirth of ancient sophists in different linguistic areas, including but not limited to Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, and English, within all genres. Papers will examine ancient sophists' legacy, translations and interpretations of their works, and new forms of sophistry from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. The development of sophistry is tightly connected with Skepticism, Platonism, and Aristotelianism, and these traditions, therefore, might be addressed in papers and discussions. The participants will investigate the state-of-the-art and open new paths of research for the future. No conference on the sophistic tradition and its legacy has investigated Renaissance culture and only few, though important, studies have been dedicated to this topic. This conference on the sophistic Renaissance, supported by Katinis' MSC research project at Ca' Foscari University, will contribute to fill the gap in international scholarship and enhance the research in the field. The Conference will be held in the Aula Baratto, one of the historical rooms of Palazzo Ca' Foscari. The papers will be in English, although papers in Italian are acceptable. The proceedings of the conference will be published in a special issue of the journal Philosophical Reading. The organizer and the Department invite proposals for 30-minute papers addressing, but not limited to, the following topics: · Latin translations and commentaries of sophists' works or texts related to sophistry. · Vernacular texts on any aspect of sophistry and sophists. · The legacy of philosophical perspectives and rhetoric of Gorgias, Protagoras, and other sophists. Platonic and Aristotelian interpretation of sophistry · Sophistic aspects of Baroque culture · Sophistry and scientific literature · Sophists and related works in private or public libraries · Literary genres related to the sophistic literature · Iconography of sophists · The sophists in Renaissance cities · Ancient and modern sophists · Sophistic legacy in debating philosophical aspects of knowledge, language, communication · Double arguments (dossoi logoi), paradoxes, and paralogisms · The condemnation or rehabilitation of sophists in any field, including logic, rhetoric, poetics, politics, ethics. · The debate over sophistry in European literature.
Scholars interested in participating are invited to send a 300-word abstract in English and CV to teodoro.katinis@unive.it by April 5 th , 2016. Selected participants will receive partial funding for travel and accommodation.

Project's abstract: How are rhetoric and medicine combined in the early modern Italian literature... more Project's abstract: How are rhetoric and medicine combined in the early modern Italian literature? What role does the vernacular play? Which is the legacy of this literature? This project will contribute to answer to these questions by focusing on the widespread literature of Secreti (books of secrets), which was a popular genre of medical texts that peaked in Italy between 1550 and 1600 and aimed at providing the readers of any social class, gender, or age with an encyclopedic compendium of the medical knowledge for self-healing and preservation. These books collect medical remedies to cure any kind of illness and imperfection using also magic, astrology and alchemy. The authors of these texts (Alessio Piemontese, Leonardo Fioravanti and Isabella Cortesi, among others) gather, organize and convey in the vernacular a paramount knowledge on how to defeat epidemies, poisons and other common diseases. The PhD student will study the rhetorical strategies and the use of vernacular in the 16-century books of secrets with a focus on the UGent Library's collection.

The Section of Italian Studies, Ghent University, is looking for competitive candidates to apply ... more The Section of Italian Studies, Ghent University, is looking for competitive candidates to apply for PhD (BOF and/or FWO) Fellowships. These two Flemish sources of PhD funding offer to the winning candidates a competitive salary (ca. 1900 EUR/month net, 2+2 years) and research funds. UGent, a top-100 institution worldwide, offers a dynamic and international academic environment where PhD students are involved in high quality training and research. Full information provided in the pdf.

Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy If you want to contribute please write to the Editor marc... more Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy

If you want to contribute please write to the Editor marco.sgarbi@unive.it or to teodoro.katinis@unive.it

The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern It... more The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern Italian literature, from Leonardo Bruni to Jacopo Mazzoni.

The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern It... more The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern Italian literature, from Leonardo Bruni to Jacopo Mazzoni.

The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern It... more The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern Italian literature, from Leonardo Bruni to Jacopo Mazzoni.

Fabrica Litterarum Polono-Italica

This contribution focuses on Sperone Speroni’s text Dell’arte oratoria (On the Oratory Art), one ... more This contribution focuses on Sperone Speroni’s text Dell’arte oratoria (On the Oratory Art), one of his short treatises dedicated to rhetoric. The main aim is to define the different aspects of the text’s style and content that make it a relevant source for exploring Speroni’s rhetorical thought. Combining classical sources with his original perspective, Speroni attempts to support rhetorical art by using rhetorical means. This text was not meant to be read by the public and it reveals an erratic argumentation looking for efficacious definitions of oratory to defend it from its detractors.

Renaissance and Reformation, Apr 24, 2023

BRUNIANA & CAMPANELLIANA, 2003

Sperone Speroni and the Debate over Sophistry in the Italian Renaissance, 2018

The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern It... more The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern Italian literature, from Leonardo Bruni to Jacopo Mazzoni.

Sperone Speroni and the Debate over Sophistry in the Italian Renaissance, 2018

The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern It... more The first study of the rebirth of ancient sophists in Speroni (1500-1588) and the early-modern Italian literature, from Leonardo Bruni to Jacopo Mazzoni.

La settimana di studi dedicata alla letteratura italiana e organizzata dall’università di Gent, i... more La settimana di studi dedicata alla letteratura italiana e organizzata dall’università di Gent, in collaborazione con il Collegio Nuovo di Pavia, giunge alla V edizione e si arricchisce della collaborazione con l’università di Groningen. Il tema del 2018 è il rapporto della letteratura con altre forme del sapere scientifico e artistico. Accanto alle lezioni di cultura letteraria la scuola offre workshops, incontri con le professioni e visite guidate.

During this GEMS seminar, Teodoro Katinis will present Robert Klein (1918-67), his work, and his ... more During this GEMS seminar, Teodoro Katinis will present Robert Klein (1918-67), his work, and his unique approach to the cultural phenomena of the Italian Renaissance and beyond. We will examine Klein’s methodology by reading one of his most inspiring essay, "L’imagination comme vêtement de l’âme chez Marsile Ficin et Giordano Bruno", in which he combines in a most original way his analysis of the sources with his own interpretation of the Renaissance.
Discussing some of his research outcomes, Katinis will show how Klein’s research topics and method can be inspiring for scholars from different fields.
For literary scholars, historians, philosophers and scholars interested in the Renaissance culture.

Registration is not required for GEMS-members. Non-members who wish to attend can sign-up with Ko... more Registration is not required for GEMS-members. Non-members who wish to attend can sign-up with Kornee van der Haven.
Teodoro Katinis – The Italian Medical Literature in Early Modern Europe (c.1500-c.1700): Authors, Texts, Public This project's main aim is to accomplish the first comprehensive analysis of the most widespread Italian medical works published and translated from 16 th to 17 th century. Any genre of medical literature may play a role in this project whose overall objective is twofold: 1) to provide an analysis of the rhetorical strategies and language that convey the contents of the most popular Italian works; 2) to examine how these works addressed the needs of a very broad public of any social class, gender, and age, anticipating the modern approach to the communication of scientific knowledge. Although the plague was the most urgent concern in the early modern age, the texts on plague were not the only ones to change in language, method, and content. Furthermore, several physicians also wrote works to improve the vernacular as a language for scientific knowledge. In the 16 th and 17 th century the most original Italian authors published their works in Venice from where the they spread through Europe thanks to the translation in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, and Latin. Indeed, this project has also the ambition to recover the legacy of these works abroad.

The event will be transmitted online via WebEx. Please register via email to bernhard.huss@fu-ber... more The event will be transmitted online via WebEx. Please register via email to bernhard.huss@fu-berlin.de until Nov. 3, 2020. You will receive all access details 24h before the event. / L'evento sarà trasmesso online via WebEx. È possibile registrarsi fino al 3 nov. 2020 (email a: bernhard.huss@fu-berlin.de). I dati di accesso saranno comunicati ai partecipanti un giorno prima dell'evento.
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Il convegno intende esaminare da una prospettiva nuova la ricezione dell’antichità nell’Italia e nella Francia del Quattro-Cinquecento, prendendo in considerazione anche e soprattutto le poetiche e le opere letterarie meno frequentemente associate alla imitatio di testi antichi (si pensi ad esempio al cosiddetto “anticlassicismo”). A tale scopo ci si interrogherà sia sulla ricezione di autori antichi ‘altri’ (vale a dire non canonici, come Luciano, Apuleio, Pindaro, o lo pseudo-Omero), sia sulla presenza di modalità ‘altre’ di ricezione dell’antico (in primo luogo quelle relative all’autorialità intesa quale espressione performativo-discorsiva di una determinata presa di posizione letteraria e culturale-sociale). ---
The conference aims at investigating the reception of antiquity in the early modern literature in Italy and France under a new perspective, taking into account also the poetics and literary works which are less frequently associated with the imitatio of ancient texts (as for instance the so-called “anti-classicism”). The focus will lie both on the reception of ‘other’ – non canonical – ancient authors (such as Lucian, Apuleius, Pindar, or the pseudo-Homer) and on ‘other’ modalities of reception (first of all those relating to authorship as the performative-discursive expression of specific literary and cultural-social stances).