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Poliziano, Angelo
1454–1494
Italian scholar and poet

Angelo Poliziano was one of the leading classical* scholars of Renaissance Italy. He gained fame both for his scholarly works and for his poetry. Born in Siena, Poliziano later settled in Florence, where he studied ancient Greek. The year 1473 marked a turning point in his life. That year Poliziano translated the Iliad, an ancient Greek epic*, into Latin. He dedicated the work to Lorenzo de' MEDICI, a wealthy statesman and patron* of learning. In response, Lorenzo invited Poliziano to live in his palace. There the scholar continued his studies while serving as Lorenzo's private secretary and the tutor of his son.

In 1475 Poliziano began writing a poem in honor of Giuliano de' Medici, Lorenzo's brother, who had just won a jousting match. He called the work Stanzas Begun for the Jousting Match of the Magnificent Giuliano di Piero de' Medici. Poliziano kept adding to the poem until Giuliano's death in 1478. Scholars have described the unfinished work as the most extraordinary work of Italian poetry from the late 1400s.

Poliziano later became a priest and took up an academic career. In the early 1480s he served as a professor at the University of Florence. His major scholarly work, known as the Miscellanea, appeared in 1489. The work included revolutionary new ideas on how to determine which version of an ancient text was the most accurate. Although many people admired the work, others attacked it.

(See also Classical Scholarship; Italian Language and Literature.)

* classical

in the tradition of ancient Greece and Rome

* epic

long poem about the adventures of a hero

* patron

supporter or financial sponsor of an artist or writer