Bessarion

Bessarion, who lived from 1403 to 1472 and was baptized Basil before taking the name Bessarion on entering monastic life, was a Byzantine Greek scholar and Catholic cardinal remembered as a Renaissance humanist and theologian who helped revive classical letters in the fifteenth century. Educated in Neoplatonic philosophy by Gemistos Plethon, he became metropolitan of Nicaea in 1437, was created cardinal by Pope Eugene IV in 1439 for his prominent role at the Council of Ferrara-Florence, was appointed Latin Patriarch of Constantinople in 1463, and was twice considered for the papacy. His most important philosophical work, In Calumniatorem Platonis, or Against the Slanderer of Plato, defended Plato against George of Trebizond, and he also translated Aristotle's Metaphysics and Xenophon's Memorabilia into Latin. Settling in Italy, his residence became a gathering place for Greek scholars and refugees, and in 1468 he donated his library of 482 Greek and 264 Latin manuscripts to Venice, forming the founding collection of the Biblioteca Marciana.