Psellos, Michael Konstantinos

Japanese: プセロス（英語表記）Psellos， Michael Konstantinos

[Born] 1018. Constantinople
[Died] 1079?
Byzantine humanist and politician. He excelled in philosophy, theology, literature, and rhetoric, and served as head of the philosophy department at the University of Constantinople (1045-51). He aimed to fuse Platonic philosophy with Christianity, and worked to revive the Greek classics, especially Homer, making a great contribution to the development of Byzantine culture. His influence extended to the Italian Renaissance. As a politician, he served as chief cabinet secretary to Michael V and Constantine IX, and as prime minister to Empress Theodora and Michael VII, and influenced national politics. Although he was later criticized for his ambition and political unprincipledness, his main work, the Chronographia (covering the years 976-1078), is a first-class literary work in terms of its skillful psychological depiction and sharp insight, and is also an important historical source of the period. In addition to his book Didaskalia pantodapē (On the Various Doctrines), in which he attempted to systematize his scientific, philosophical, and theological worldviews, his literary activities were diverse, including commentaries on Platonic philosophy, a collection of eulogies, and over 500 letters.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

[生]1018. コンスタンチノープル
[没]1079?
ビザンチンの人文主義者，政治家。哲学，神学，文学，修辞学にすぐれ，コンスタンチノープル大学の哲学部門の指導者 (1045～51) をつとめ，プラトン哲学とキリスト教の融合を目指し，またギリシア古典，特にホメロスの復活に努力，ビザンチン文化の発展に大きく寄与した。その影響はイタリア・ルネサンスに及んだ。政治家としてはミカエル5世，コンスタンチヌス9世に官房長官として，また皇妃テオドラ，ミカエル7世には宰相として仕え，国政を左右した。出世欲と政治的無節操のため後世の批難を受けたが，その主著『年代記』 Chronographia (976～1078年を扱う) は，心理描写の巧みさと洞察の鋭さにおいては第一級の文学作品であり，同時にこの時代の重要な歴史史料である。自然科学的・哲学的・神学的世界観の体系化をはかった著書『種々の学説について』 Didaskalia pantodapēのほかにプラトン哲学の解説書，弔辞集，500を数える書簡などその文筆活動は多岐にわたっている。

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