Translations of Scholastic Works in Fourteenth-Century Byzantium: Intellectual Dissidence?

Abstract

This article examines the activity of the fourteenth-century Byzantine intellectuals in translation into Greek of the works of Latin scholastics, particularly Thomas Aquinas. The author of the article notes that, before these translations, in Byzantium there was no public demand for the study of the Latin language and acquaintance with Western theological thought. The interest in Latin Scholasticism was born primarily as a response to the ideological crisis caused by the Palamite disputes and the victory of hesychasm. Political contacts with the West were another stimulus to the interest in Latin culture and theology. The first translator of the scholastic works was Demetrios Kydones: in cooperation with his brother Prochoros, he translated the main works of Aquinas. However, the colleagues, state authorities, and church evaluated the activities of Demetrios Kydones and his followers in different ways. When the Byzantines got acquainted with the scholastic works, it aggravated the disputes concerning the Church union and the anti-Latin polemics. The Latinophiles’ translation activity became a form of manifestation of their dissent, as they conceded religious rapprochement with the papacy and recognized the achievements of the Western theological thought. Generally, the appearance of the works of Latin theologians in the Christian East had a strong impact on the intellectual and ideological-political life of Byzantium.