I Memorabili di Senofonte: sullo scrittoio di Bessarione traduttore

The reception of Greek authors in the 15th century was also made possible thanks to the Latin versions that started at the beginning of the century in the circle of Manuel Chrysoloras and continued in the following decades, taking on a programmatic character in Rome under Pope Nicholas V. The Pope sponsored the translation of numerous Greek texts, including the works of Aristotle, Theophrastus, and Alexander of Aphrodisias by Theodore Gaza, who proved to be an excellent interpreter in Latin, especially with regard to language. By 1444, Bessarion had completed his translation of Xenophon's Memorabilia, De factis et dictis Socratis memoratu dignis, a work which, in the words of one of its first readers, the Benedictine Jean Jouffroy, was “eleganter traducta” (elegantly translated). This translation stands as one of the most successful examples of interpretation, being at the same time faithful to the original text and rigorously attentive to the stylistic movements typical of Latin prose of a high formal level. A leading figure in the cultural milieu of mid-15th-century Rome, Bessarion shows an excellent command of Latin, which is superior to that of many of his countrymen. It is probably due to this command that he was able to digest the teachings of Leonardo Bruni, who had outlined in his work De interpretatione recta the new guidelines for humanistic translation practice.