one of the latest of the scholars and writers of the Byzantine empire, was a native, not of
Athens, as some have erroneously supposed, but of Thessalonica; and on the capture of that
city by the Turks (A. D. 1430), he fled into Italy. He appears to
have gone first to Mantua, where he studied the Latin tongue, under Victorinus of Feltre, who
was then teaching at Mantua. In A. D. 1439 he was at the council of
Florence ; and in 1440 he was at Sienna. He afterwards settled at Ferrara, where he was
appointed rector and professor of Greek in the Gymnasium on its establishment (which took
place under duke Lionel, who occupied the duchy from 1441 to 1450); and, by his talents and
reputation, attracted students thither from all parts of Italy. At Ferrara he composed his
elements of grammar. It has been said that before this appointment he was reduced to the
greatest destitution; but this is doubtful, though he has himself recorded that he gained his
subsistence at one time by transcribing books; and a copy of the
Politica of
Aristotle and of the Iliad of Homer, transcribed by him, were, a century since,
and perhaps still are, extant at Venice.
In 1450 he was, with several other Greeks, invited to Rome by Pope Nicholas V., and was
employed in translating the works of Greek authors into Latin. After the death of Nicholas,
Theodore went (A. D. 1456) to Naples, where he obtained an
honourable appointment from the king, Alfonso the Magnanimous, to whose favour he was
recommended by Panonnita, the king's secretary. On the death of Alfonso (A.
D. 1458), he returned to Rome, where he remained, under the patronage of Cardinal
Bessarion, by whose recommendation he was provided with a benefice in the southern part of the
kingdom of Naples; according to some statements, in Apulia, according to others in the country
of the Bruttii, i. e. in Calabria. The benefice was itself small; and the
fraud or carelessness of those who received the in come for him (as he continued to reside at
Rome), made it still less. Disappointed in the hope of a reward for his literary labours
(especially for his translations of Aristotle's De Historia Animalium)
from the Pope (Sixtus IV.), whose niggardly recompense he is said to have thrown indignantly
into the Tiber, he retired (according to the account most commonly received) to his benefice,
and there ended his days. He was certainly buried there. Hody has, however, shown reason to
doubt the truth of the story of his indignation at the Pope's niggardliness (although this
niggardliness is made the subject of an indignant remonstrance by Melancthon, and of some
bitter verses by Jul. Caes. Scaliger); and several authorities of the period in which he lived
state that he died at Rome. It is remarkable that the place of the death of a man so eminent
should be thus doubtful. Melchior Adam (Vitae Germanor. Philosoph., ed.
3d, p. 7) states that Rudolphus Agricola heard him (A. D. 1476 or
1477) " Aristotelis scripta enarrantem ;" an obscure expression, but which, if founded in
fact, shows that he must have at least paid a visit to Ferrara during or after his second
residence at Rome. His death occurred A. D. 1478, when he must have
been far advanced in years.
Assessment
The ability and learning of Theodore Gaza received the highest praise in his own and the
succeeding age. His accurate acquaintance with the Latin language, and his ready and elegant
employment of it, made it doubtful whether his Latin versions of Greek writers or his Greek
versions of Latin writers were the more excellent. Hody has collected the eulogies passed
upon him in prose and verse by many scholars, including Politian, Erasmus, Xylander, Jul.
Caes., and Jos. Scaliger, Melancthon, and Huet. He was, however, severely criticised in his
own day by Georgius Trapezuntius and his son Andreas. He had incurred the enmity of George by
making new Latin versions of writings which George had already translated ; and Politian,
though elsewhere the eulogist of Theodore, charges him with having concealed the obligations
which he owed to the versions of his predecessor.
Works
Original Works
His works are as follows :--
1. Γραμματικῆς εἰσαγωγῆς τὰ εἰς τέσσαρα, or
Introductivae Grammatices Libri IV.
Editions
This Greek grammar was first printed by Aldus Manutius at Venice A. D. 1495 : it long enjoyed a high reputation, and was
repeatedly reprinted, entire or in separate portions. A Latin version was also made of the
first and second books by Erasmus, and of the other parts by others.
2. Περὶ μηνᾶν, or De
Mensibus
A treatise on the months of the Athenian calendar, first printed, with the grammar, by
Aldus, as above.
Editions
This also has been repeatedly reprinted, either by itself, or with a Latin version
by Perellus; the version has also been separately printed, and
is inserted in the Thesaurus of Gronovius. (Vol. ix.
col. 977-1016.)
3. Περὶ Ἀπχαιογονίας Τον́ρκων, Epistola ad Franc. <pb n="233"/> Philelphum de Origine
Turcarum
Editions
Published with a Latin version by Allatius, in his Σύμμικτα. 8vo. Colon. Ag. 1653. vol. ii. p. 381, &c.A Latin version by Castalio had been previously published with the version of the
History of Laonicus Chalcocondyles, by Clauserus. Fol. Basil, 1556, p. 181,
&c.
4. Epistola Latina ad Christophor. Personam
Editions
printed in the Giornale de' Lett. d' Italia, vol. xix. p. 337,
12mo. Ven. 1714; and in the Dissertazioni
Vossiane of Apostolo Zeno, 4to. Ven. 1753, vol. ii. p. 139.
Other Works
Some other letters of his are mentioned by Allatius,
Contra
Creygthon. p. 18 ; and a Commentarius ad Statuas
Philostrati is noticed by Nic. Comnenus, Praenotion
Mystagog. p. 187. He also took part in the controversy on the comparative merits
of the Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy; but his Contradictorius
Liber ad Bessarionem, pro Aristotele, in Plethonem, has never been printed. Some
other unpublished writings of his are noticed by Fabricius.
Translations from Greek into Latin
His principal translations from Greek into Latin were as follows:--
1. Aristotelis de Historia Animalium Libri IX.; de Partibus
Animallium Libri IV. ; De Generatione Animalium Libri V.
Editions
In the preface he calls himself " Theodorus Graecus Thessalonicensis." Fol. Venet. 1476.
These translations have been frequently reprinted among the works of Aristotle, with or
without the original.
2. Aristotelis Problemata.
Editions
This version was made under the pontificate of Nicholas V., and revised under that of
Sixtus IV.; and was printed at Rome A. D. 1475. The earliest edition mentioned by
Fabricius is that of Venice. Fol. A. D. 1493.
3. Theophrasti Historia Plantarum Libri X.,
Editions
and
De Causis Plantarum Libri VI. This version, prepared
during the pontificate of Nicholas V., was first printed at Treviso, A.
D. 1483. (Panzer, Annal. Typog. vol. iii. p. 40.) It
has been repriced, with corrections, by Heinsius and Bodaeus. The little book, Theophrasti de Suffructibus, Theodoro Gaza Interprete, published by
H. Sybold, at Strasburg, is merely a reprint of the last four books of the Historia
Plantarum.
4. Alexandri Aphrodisiei Problematum Libri II.,
Editions
printed at Venice (fol. A. D. 1501); and often reprinted.
Gaza, in his preface to this translation, rejects the common opinion, that it was the work
of Alexander Aphrodisiensis, and ascribes it to some later writer; but he does not name
Alexander Trallianus. [ALEXANDERAPHRODISIENSIS].
5. Aelianus de Instruendis Aciebus.
Editions
Fabricius does not mention any earlier edition of this version than that of Cologne,
A. D. 1524; but it was printed at Rome as early as 1487, in
4to., by Eucherius Silberus. (Panzer, Ann. Typ. vol. ii. p. 491.)
6. Chrysostomi Homiliae quinque de Incomprehensibili Dei
Natura.
Editions
This version is found in several of the editions of Chrysostom's works. In Fabricius
there is a notice of some other unpublished translations by Gaza, as of the
Aphorismi of Hippocrates, and the Libri de Re Militari of
the emperor Maurice.
Translations from Latin into Greek
His versions from Latin into Greek were:--
1. Μάρκου Τυλλίου Κικέρωνος Ῥωμαίου Κάτων ἢ
περὶ Γήρως, M. T. Ciceronis Cato sive de Senectute
; and 2. the Ὄνειρος τοῦ Σκιπίωνος,
Somnium Scipionis, of the same author.
Editions
These were both printed by Aldus Manutius at Venice, A. D.
1519.
3. A letter of Pope Nicholas V. to Constantine Palaeologus, the last emperor of
Constantinople.
Editions
Both the original and the version are given in the Opuscula Aurea
Theologica of Arcudius, 4to. Rome, A. D. 1630, and
again A. D. 1670.
Further Information
Hody,
De Graecis Illustribus Linguae Graecae, &c.
Instauratoribus. 8vo. Lond. 1742. C. F. Boerneri, De Doctis Hominibus Graecis. 8vo. Lips. 1750; Fabric. Bibl. Gr. vol. x. pp. 388-395.