POLITIANUS, po-lish-I-Vniis, Angelus (Latinized form of ANGELO POLIZIANO), Italian scholar and poet: b. Montepulciano, Tuscany, 14 July 1454; d. Florence, 24 Sept. 1494. His name was taken from his native town, the family name having been Antbrogini. He was educated at Florence, where he acquired great proficiency in the classics and in Hebrew ; and studied the philosophy of Plato under Marsilio Ficino, and the philosophy of Aristotle under Argyropulo. The first production which brought him into notice was a Latin poem on the tour nament of Giulio de' Medici. He assumed the ecclesiastical habit, and acquired by his accom plishments the favor of Lorenzo de' Medici, who made him tutor to his children, and pre sented him with a canonry in the cathedral of Florence. In 1484 he visited Rome, and met with a flattering reception from Pope Innocent VIII. After his return to Florence he lectured with distinguished success on the Latin and Greek languages. Among the most famous of his writings are an account of the conspiracy of the Pazzi; a Latin translation of Herodian; a collection of Greek epigrams; the Latin poem 'Rusticus' ; 'Paulpistemon) ; and 'Sylva,' a collection of odes, epigrams and short Latin poems; beside some miscellaneous works in prose and verse, and a drama on the story of Orpheus, printed in 1475. This latter piece
was set to music, of the science of which he was passionately fond, and is considered the earliest specimen of the opera, or Italian musi cal drama. As a Latin writer he may be reck oned one of the first who introduced that age of revived classical Latinity which forms so prominent a feature in modern literary history. He was an industrious and skilful collator of ancient manuscripts, and gave great assistance to the editors in the early period of typography. He also extended his researches to jurispru dence, and contributed greatly to the correction and illustration of the 'Pandects.' His Latin works, including 12 books of 'Letters,' were published in Paris, 1512. Consult Gresswell, 'Life of Politian> (1805) ; Serassi, 'Vita di Angelo Polizian0 (1808) ; Roscoe, 'Life of Lorenzo de' Medici' (10th ed. 1851) ' • Symonds, 'The Renaissance in Italy' (1875-86), and 'Sketches and Studies in Italy' (1879).