Chrysoloras, Manuel

Manuel Chrysoloras, (born c. 1350, Constantinople—died April 15, 1415), Greek scholar who was a pioneer in spreading Greek literature in the West.

The Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaeologus sent him to Italy to get help against the Ottoman Turks. From 1394 onward he travelled in Europe and accompanied Manuel on his tour of the European countries. After Manuel’s return to Constantinople in 1403, Chrysoloras remained for the most part in the West; he taught Greek at Florence and was well known as a translator of Homer and Plato. He was also active in trying to arrange for a general council to consider union of the Greek and Latin churches. He was on his way to the Council of Constance, having been chosen to represent the Greek Church, when he died. He left the Erotemata (“Questions”), a Greek grammar based on the question and answer method; some letters; the Syncrisis, a comparison of old and new Rome; and a Latin translation of Plato’s Republic.