In Light of Bessarion’s Astronomical Manuscripts. A Global Microhistory of Science

This book challenges the narrative of the revival of Greek science during the early modern age and offers a global microhistory of the cross‑cultural legacy between the Arabo‑Persian and Hellenistic astronomical traditions, which converged through the efforts of Byzantine émigrés such as Bessarion. An examination of Bessarion’s life and manuscripts demonstrates that Byzantine astronomical texts were part of a rich hybrid culture that emerged from the encounter of these two traditions. This work intends to illustrate the global significance of this coexistence in light of Bessarion’s activities and their symbolic and cultural meanings, and aims to reshape our understanding of science in the transition from the Middle Ages to Modernity.