The Fate of the Greek Oneirocriticon of Pseudo-Achmet in the Latin West: Progress on the Latin Critical Edition

Under the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143–1180), a significant translation movement from Greek into Latin was underway. While major Aristotelian and theological translations received considerable scholarly attention, other works remain relatively understudied. One such text is the Latin translation of the Oneirocriticon attributed to the Pseudo-Achmet, produced in 1176 by Leo Tuscus, an imperial secretary at the Byzantine court. This treatise on oneiromancy was translated in the context of Manuel’s military campaigns against the Turks. Through this translation effort, Leo contributed to the transmission of Greek dream knowledge to the Latin intellectual sphere. Recent studies by Maria Mavroudi and Ambrogio Camozzi Pistoja have shed light on the importance of Leo’s translation. However, the full extent of its diffusion and impact in the Latin Middle Ages remains difficult to assess in the absence of a critical edition. Without a clearer understanding of how the text circulated, any evaluation of its reception remains provisional. This communication exposes current doctoral research aiming to address this lacuna by focusing on both the context of the translation — particularly through a close reading of the prologue — and the manuscript tradition in the Latin West. To date, over twenty Latin manuscripts have been identified, as well as several vernacular versions. This communication also presents the initial steps toward the establishment of a critical edition, emphasizing its scholarly value. Notably, the Latin witnesses predate the most complete Greek manuscripts, making this undertaking also valuable towards a new critical edition of the Greek text. Beyond its textual and philological significance, this study not only enhances our understanding of Leo Tuscus’ work and its reception but also contributes to a broader understanding of cross-cultural intellectual exchanges between Byzantium and the Latin World in the twelfth century.