Friends and enemies of Poggio

Thesis

This thesis assembles articles on Italian humanists (chiefly Tuscan and Roman) of the fifteenth century. Their origin lay in research into the letters of Poggio (1380-1459) and the context in which they were written. Chapter 1, designed as an introduction to those that follow, examines the nature of Poggio's epistolario and suggests ways of presenting it, with reference to a new edition. An appendix describes some unknown manuscripts of the letters. The first part of Chapter 2 publishes an early letter (1416) of Poggio, hitherto assigned to another humanist; the second prints and reconsiders the unpublished remnant of his history of Europe, which death cut short in 1459.

Chapter 3 discusses the invectives aroused by Poggio's closest friend Niccoli, and tries to assess the reality behind the persona of this enigmatic scholar. Emphasis is laid upon the attacks of another of Poggio's friends, Leonardo Bruni, and the defences mounted by Poggio himself. Chapter 4 prints a new letter of Bruni which refers to his feud with Niccoli, and thereafter disinters the figure of the bearer of the letter, the grammarian Mattia Lupi. The next chapter deals with another acquaintance of Bruni, Niccoli and Poggio, the scribe Giovanni Aretino, in an examination of two of Bruni's letters. Evidence of the relations of humanists with Poggio's colleague Giacomo Languschi is brought together in a second section of the chapter, which is completed by three appendices: a letter of Giovanni Aretino, the 'biography' of a manuscript written by him, and a new list of all manuscripts attributable to him.

The last chapter does not directly concern Poggio, but publishes letters between two of his most bitter enemies, Niccolo Perotti and Lorenzo Valla. They date from the period of the protracted polemics exchanged between them and him (1451-54). An effort is made to characterise the scribe of these letters, and to place him in the context of humanist education. New information on Valla and Perotti is also integrated into their biographies.

Authors: Davies, M; Davies, Martin

• Alternative title: studies in Quattrocentro humanist literature
• Publication date: 1986
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-eoxx7rme4
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: Latin, English
• Subjects: 15th century; Italian literature; Humanists; Italy