From Library Journal
Ficino (1433-99), a philosopher, translator, and commentator on Plato and founder of the Platonic Academy of Florence, was one of the most influential thinkers of the Renaissance. Artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael, writers such as Spenser and Milton, and rulers such as the Medici were influenced by Ficino's neoplatonic theology of love. Despite that, little of his work is easily available for modern readers. This selection of Ficino's letters, edited by British instructor Salaman, goes a long way toward making him more accessible. The letters, ranging in topics from virtue, the soul, and love and friendship to astrology, are really miniature essays summarizing Ficino's views. Also included are textual notes and biographies of the correspondents. This book is a profound service both to the student of Renaissance culture and to those interested in spirituality.? Thomas L. Cooksey, Armstrong State Coll., Savannah, Ga.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Marsilio Ficino was at the very fountainhead of some of the most characteristic and influential aspects of the Italian Renaissance."
(
Times Literary Supplement )
"Certainly among the most important philosophers of European history, Marsilio Ficino represents the reinterpretation of platonism and, in concert with this, is a central figure in what has come to be known as the Renaissance."
(
Parabola )
"This book is a profound service to the student of Renaissance culture and to those interested in spirituality."
(
Library Journal )
