BESSA'RION, JOHANNES, or BASIL'IUS (1305-1472). A Greek scholar. He was born at Trebizond, on the Black Sea, 1395. He is remem bered as one of the earliest of those scholars who, in the Fifteenth Century, transplanted Greek literature and philosophy into the West, and rescued the mind of Christendom from the trammels of scholasticism. Bessarion imbibed his love of Plato's writings from his tutor. Gemistus Pletho. He became a Basilian monk; in 1437 Archbishop of Nic:ea, and in 1438 ac companied the Greek Emperor, John VII. Pa Iwologus, to Italy, and effected, at the Council of Florence in 14:39, a union between the Greek and Roman Churches, which, however, was of short duration. Soon afterwards he joined the Roman Church, but always retained a glow ing love of his native land. Ile was made car dinal by Pope Eugenius IV. in 1439. Ten years after Nicholas V. created him Cardinal-Bishop
of Sabina, and in the same year Bishop of Fras cati. He was Papal legate at Bologna (1451-55). After the fall of Constantinople (1453), Bessa rion visited Germany, and at the diets of Nu remberg, Worms, and Vienna endeavored to pro mote a crusade against the Turks. In 1463 he was made titular Patriarch of Constantinople by Pius II. Di philosophy he professed to be a fol lower of Plato, hut without depreciation of Aris totle. Hiswritings consisted of Latin translations of Greek authors, etc. He (lied at Ravenna, No vember 19, 1472. Consult: Inrentairc des manu serits grecs et latins donni's it Saint-Mare de l'enise par le cardinal Bessarion en 1468 (Venice, 1894) ; and for his life. Henri Vast (Paris, 1878). His works are in Migne, Pat. Or., CLXI.