FICI'NO, DIARSILIO, born at Florence in 1433, was the son of Ficino, the physician of Cosmo do Medici, who perceiving the happy dispositions of the youth, generously provided for his education. Pichler studied Greek, and applied himself especinlly to the works of Plato, which he translated into Latin. He afterwards translated Pietism; Jamblichua, Proclus, and Porphyrius, and became a great admirer of the late PlaEonioiaes of the Alexandrian school. He was one of the preceptors of young Lorenzo, Cosuro's graudeon. Cosmo appointed him president of the literary society which ho assembled at his house, and which was called Academia Platonic; having for its object to explain the doctrines of the Platonist& Its meetings, which were greatly encouraged by Lorenzo, were cheered by symposia, or annual banquets, on the anniversary of Plato's birthday, of one of which, held at the villa of Careggi, Ficino has given an interesting description. The Academicians were divided into three classes : 1, the Mecenati, being the family of the Medici; 2, the teachers, who consisted of the most learned men of the time, such as Pico della Mirandola, Poliziano, Leon Battista Alberti, Landino, and others; 3, of pupils. (Bandini, 'Specimen Literaturx Florentines; vol. ii.; Brucker, Histor. Philos.,' tom. iv., period the third, b. 1.) At the age of forty Ficino resolved to devote himself to the church, and being ordained, his patron Lorenzo conferred upon him a canonry in the cathedral of Florence. He now made an attempt to amalgamate the theology of Plato with Christianity, and in so doing was carried by his zeal beyond the limits of sound judgment or propriety. He is said however to have been sincere and single
minded, exemplary in his private conduct, mild and moderate in his temper, and averse from literary feuds and polemics. But his writings savour everywhere a great deal more of the heathen philosopher than of the Christian divine. Being of a diminutive size, and of very precarious health, ho says himeelf that be hardly passed a day without bodily pain, and yet he constantly applied to study. Much of his time was spent at the various country residences of the Medici near Florence, in which he composed his works. He died in 1499, at the age of sixty-six, and his countrymen raised to him a monument in the cathedral of Florence, with his bust, and an epitaph written by his friend Poliziano. His works were collected and published at Baael, 2 vols. folio, 1491. They consist of translations from the Greek philosophers, original treatises on metaphysics and ethics, his Theologia Platonica,' and other writings. His Latin epistles, which were published separately at Venice, 1495, are interesting on account of the details which they contain concerning the distinguished scholars collected at Florence by the fostering patronage of Lorenzo. Ficino wrote also a work 'De Religione Christiank' and a commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul. (Roscoe, Lorenzo the Magnificent ; Corniani, Secoli della Letteratura Italiana.)