Translation Techniques in 15th-Century Rome: Theodore Gaza’s Versions of Aristotle’s Zoological Treatises

Theodore Gaza (1408/10–1475)—one of the most important Byzantine Greek émigrés to 15th-century Italy and one of the most notable scholarly personalities at the papal court of Nicholas V in Rome—is particularly renowned for his activity as a translator of scientific and technical literature. His extensive work in this field is highlighted by his Latin translations of three texts from Aristotle’s zoological corpus (De animalibus, De partibus animalium, and De generatione animalium), which were dedicated to pope Sixtus IV in the early 1470s. Following their first printing in 1476, these texts received significant critical acclaim and widespread circulation, ultimately replacing earlier medieval and former Renaissance versions of the same treatises. However, Gaza’s translation of Aristotle’s De animalibus has largely been overlooked with regard to methods, goals, and strategies, both in their own right and in comparison with George of Trebizond’s concurrent work. This paper will examine this topic by providing a linguistic analysis of Gaza’s versions, focusing on vocabulary, syntax and stylistic features.