A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

59)-JOANNES. JOANNES.
ferred on him (Dec. 1439) a cardinal's hat. This public affairs, and devoted himself to literary purhonour, following so close upon his embracing the suits. About the end of 1468 he took part in the
side of the Latins, and the fact that the pope had solemn reception of the emperor Frederic III. at
previously granted him an annuity, gave colour to Rome.
the report that his change had not been wholly On the death of Paul II., A. D. 1471, Bessarion
disinterested. Hody rejects the story of his elec- was again near being elected pope, but jealousy or
tion to the patriarchate, but his arguments are not accident prevented it, and Francesco della Rovere
convincing: the facts urged by him only show that was chosen, and took the title of Sixtus IV. Sixthe patriarchate was vacant at the dissolution of the tus, anxious to remove Bessarion from Rome, encouncil, which it would be in consequence of Bes- trusted to him the legation to Louis XI. of France,
sarion's declining it. that he might effect a reconciliation between Louis' From this time he resided ordinarily at Rome, and the Duke of Burgundy, and induce them to
where his house became the resort and asylum of join the league against the Turks. Bessarion, who
men of letters. Filelfo (Philelphus), Poggio Fio- was now far advanced in age, and afflicted with a
rentino, Lorenzo or Laurentius Valla, Platina, and disease of the bladder, was anxious to decline the
others, were among his intimate friends, and he appointment, but the pope was pressing; and early
was the patron of the Greek exiles, Theodore in the spring of 1472 he set out for the NetherGaza, George of Trebizond, Argyropulus, and lands, to confer with the Duke of Burgundy. His
others. In A. D. 1449 he was appointed by making the first application to the Duke excited the
Nicolas' V. bishop of Savina, and shortly after- jealousy of Louis, and Bessarion failed in his obwards of Frascati, the ancient Tusculum. About ject. Bessarion died at Ravenna 18th Nov. 1472,in
the same time he was appointed legate of Bo- the 77th year of his age, on hisreturn from France.
logna: he retained this office about five years, and His body was conveyed to. Rome, and buried there
succeeded, by his prudence and moderation, in re- in a tomb which he had prepared in his lifetime, in
storing the tranquillity of the district. He exerted a chapel of the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles, the
himself also to revive the former splendour of the pope himself attending his funeral obsequies. The
university, which had much decayed. On the year of Bessarion's death has been variously stated,
death of Nicolas V. (A. D. 1455), he returned to but the date given above is correct.
Rome, to the great grief of the Bolognese; and Bessarion was held in great respect by his conwould probably have been chosen to the vacant temporaries, and deservedly so. With the exceppapacy but for jealousy of his Greek origin enter- tion of his opportune conversion at Florence, in
tained by a few of the cardinals. Cardinal Alfonso which, after all, nothing can be urged against him
Borgia was therefore chosen, and assumed the name but the suspiciousness which attaches to every Conof Callistus or Calixtus III. During the papacy version occurring at a convenient time, his career
of Callistus, and of his successor, Pius II., Bessarion was exempt from reproach. He supported, by every
was very earnest in rousing the princes and states exertion that his position allowed, the cause of his
of Italy to defend what remained of the Greek falling country, and was a generous patron to his
empire after the fall of Constantinople. He visited exiled fellow-countrymen. His literary labours
Naples, where he was honourably received by the and his important services in the revival of clasking, Alfonso; and attended the congress of sical literature, entitle him to the gratitude of subMantua, held A. D. 1458 or 1459, soon after the sequent ages. His valuable library he gave in his
election of pope Pius II., for the purpose of forming lifetime (A. D. 1468) to the library of St. Mark,
a league against the Turks. He shortly after belonging to the republic of Venice; and it was
visited Germany as papal legate, to unite, if pos- deposited first in the ducal palace, and then in a
sible, the Germans and Hungarians in a league building erected for the library, of which the Latin
against the same enemy; but his efforts on all these and Greek MSS. of Bessarion are among the most
occasions failed of their purpose, and he returned to precious treasures.
Rome before the end of 1461. In 1463 he was The works of Bessarion are numerous: they
appointed by the pope bishop of Chalcis, in Negro- comprehend original works and translations from
ponte (Euboea), and soon after titular patriarch of Greek into Latin. Of the original works several
Constantinople, in which character he addressed an exist only in MS. in various libraries, especially in
encyclical letter to the clergy of his patriarchate, that of St. Mark at Venice. We give only his
in which he exhorted them to union with the Latin published works: the others are enumerated by
church, and submission to the papal authority. It Bandini, Hody, Cave, and Fabricius. I. THEOLOis remarkable that in this letter, according to the GICaL WORKS: 1. A&yos, Serrno; a discourse in
version of Arcudio, he styled himself " oecumenical honour of the Council of Ferrara, delivered at the
patriarch," notwithstanding the umbrage which that opening of the council, A. D. 1438, and printed in
ambitious title had formerly given (See Nos. 27, the Concilia (vol. xiii. col. 35, &c., ed. Labbe; vol.
28, JOANNES CA.PPADOX, 1, 2) to the Roman ix. col. 27, ed. Iardouin; vol. 31, col. 495, &c., ed.
see, under subjection to which he was now living. Mansi). 2. AoypaT'lKos 4 irspl E vdeosow Aoyos,
During the pontificate of Pius he was made dean Oratio Dogmatica, sive de Unione; called also De
of the College of Cardinals. In the same year, Compunctione (Panzer, vol. viii. p. 271); delivered
1463, Bessarion was sent as legate to Venice, to at the same council (col. 391, &c., Labbe; col. 983,
prevail on the Venetians to unite in a league with &c., Mansi). 3. Declaratio aliquorum quae in dicta
the pope against the Turks. His efforts on this Oratione Dogmatica continentur, quae Graecis nooccasion were successful, and he induced the Vene- tissima, Latinis ignota sunt, written in Latin and
tians to fit out a fleet, in which he returned to subjoined to the preceding oration. 4. Ad Aleium
Ancona, just in time to attend the dying bed of the Lascarim Epistola, de Successu Synodi Florentinae
pope, Pius II., and the election of his successor, et de: Processione Spiritus Sancti. The Greek
Paul II., A. D. 1464. During the papacy of the original, with two'Latin versions, one by Bessaripn
latter (1464-1471) Bessarion mingled little in himself, and one by Pietro Arcudio, was published