GENNADIUS. Georgius Scholari or Scholarius, better known as Gennadins, a learned Greek and for some time patriarch of Constantinople, obtains a place in history through the important part played by him in the contest between Platonism and Aris totelianism which marks the transitions from medimval to modern thought. Extremely little is known of his life, and so contradictory arc some of the accounts bearing on detached facts in it that it has often been supposed that there were two writers of she same name living at the same period. Scholarius first appears in history as assisting at the great council held in 1438 at Ferrara and Florence with the object of bringing about a union between the Greek and Latin churches. At the same council was present the celebrated Platonist, George; Pletho Gemistus, the most powerful opponent of the then dominant Aristotelianism, and consequently the special object of reprobation to Gen nadius. In church matters, as in philosophy, the two were opposed—Pletho maintain ing strongly the principles of the Greek church, and being unwilling to accept union through compromise, Gennadius, more politic and cautious, pressing the necessity for union, and becoming instrumental in drawing up a form, which from its vagueness and ambiguity, might be accepted by both parties. It would seem that at Florence Pletho
published. the work on the difference between Aristotle and Plato, which afterwards called forth a reply from Gennadins. Of this reply only the arguments quoted by Pletho in his counter-argument have been preserved. They show that Gennadius, though Aristotelian throughout, had an accurate knowledge of Aristotle, and was more mod erate than some of his contemporaries, e.g., George of Trebizond. The next appearance of Gennadius is in 1453. After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, Mahomet, that the patriarchal chair had been vacant for some time, resolved to elect some One to the office. The choice fell on Scholarins, who is described as a layman. While holding the episcopal office, Gennadius drew up, apparently for the use of Mahomet, a symbol or confession of faith, which is very valuable as the earliest expression of the principles of the Greek church. He also at this time had the pleasure of condemning. to the flames the great work of his old opponent Pletho, the treatise on Laws, of which conkiderable fragments have come down.to us. After a at Con stantinople, Gennadius is said to have resigned the episcopal dignity and ta have retired into a convent.