Latin Translations of Greeks Works in the 12th and 13th Centuries in Relation to Southern Italy, Sicily and Nort-Italian City-States: Preconditions, Nature, Subsequent Development and Parallels to Another Contemporary Translation Schools (in: Parrésia, 2014, VIII, pp. 373-438). Full text in Czech. (original) (raw)

The study aims to delineate the translation activities focused on the translations of Greek works into Latin language within a time span from 11th until 14th century, while the primary emphasis is put on the so-called renaissance of the twelfth century (roughly defined as a period between the years 1050 – 1210). The authors of these Latin versions were Italians living for some time in Constantinople (Burgundio of Pisa, Moses of Bergamo, Cerbanus Cerbani, Leo Tuscus, Hugo Etherianus, Paschalis Romanus and maybe also James of Venice) or were Greeks by birth, who were linked to the area of the Apennine peninsula and Sicily. In this context we are relatively sure in case of Henricus Aristippus and Eugenius of Palermo, the main figures of intellectual life at the Panormitan court of William II., but in case of James of Venice there is unconfirmed hypothesis considering his Greek origin. It is a matter of fact that not all the ways of this pioneer period of exploring the ancient Greek unknown wisdom by Middle Age scholars are entirely clear. In this context we must not omit an anonymous Salernitan student, who arrived as soon as possible to Sicily (when he found out the new information on arriving Greek manuscript) with a strong intent to translate from Greek famous Almagest of Ptolemy into Latin, or a translator, whom we know just by his first name, Ioannes, who decided to make a Latin version of one of Aristotle's treatises. Undercurrent of this study is represented by the comparison of translation activities of the so-called Toledo translation school (focusing eminently on ancient Greek authorities) with the translation achievements in Italy, Sicily and Constantinople. Notwithstanding, the relevant amount of information is hidden or is entirely lost for us, we are able to make a picture of a great thirst for ancient Greek knowledge, deep commitment, persistent efforts and considerable achievements of the scholars in question, who prepared a solid soil for philosophical, scientific and theological development in the 13th century in Western Europe. Culture development was maintained at this time in the kingdom of Sicily under Norman's successors, Hohenstaufen rulers, Frederick II. and his son Manfred, whose collection of Greek manuscripts later became an important core of Greek works of the papal library in Vatican. Nevertheless translation activities at the court of above mentioned Hohenstaufen kings is outlined in short, because they are connected mainly with Latin translations based on Arabic versions. In this period the translation work of Flemish Dominican friar William of Moerbeke, archbishop of Corinth, highly dominated in the field of translation activities from Greek into Latin and represents an impressive step ahead considering the reception of Aristotle's work within a contemporary intellectual milieu of Western Europe from this time onward. In the first half of the following century we meet Nicholas da Reggio di Calabria, personality linked with the court of Angevin kings in Naples, who focused on the translation of Greek works relating to the field of medicine.