La traduzione latina dell’Etica Nicomachea di Argiropulo e le sue fonti letterarie

This paper focuses on the Latin translation of Nicomachean Ethics by the Byzantine scholar John Argyropoulos (c. 1415-1487), a text which affected the Aristotelian interpretation in the modern era. In particular, the Latin sources used by Argyropoulos will be analysed to explore the reception of the classics in the Renaissance from a particular perspective, namely that of a Greek who engages with the Roman literary heritage. Through the analysis of selected passages from Argyropoulos’ translation and his other writings, it will be demonstrated that the use of the classics is not only a stylistic choice, but implies an assimilation of their lexicon and thought. In doing so, an innovative reading of the relationship between Argyropoulos and Cicero will be proposed with respect to the interpretation given so far by scholars. In addition, it will be highlighted how the reappropriation of ancient languages and literatures through translations was not an one-way process (the knowledge of Greek through Latin translations), but also proceeded in the opposite direction (translation from Greek to reflect on the Latin language).