GEMIINIIS (Lat., from Gk. rep.ipos). A Greek writer, probably of the first half of the first century B.C. His birthplace is unknown, although Rhodes is often given. It is equally un certain where he lived, the claim on behalf of Rome being insufficiently established. Of his works only one is extant, the Introduction to Phenomena, an astronomical work, published with Latin translation by Hilderic (Altorf, 1590), and by Petau, in his Dranologian (Paris, 1630), and with a French translation by Halma, in his Chronologie de Ptolemee .(Paris, 1819). Of his best works, the Arrangement of Mathe matics, comprising at least six books, was the most important. Fragments of this work have been preserved by Pappus, Eutocius, and espe cially by Proclus, and form one of the chief sources for the study of the early mathematical history of the Greeks.
GEMISfTITS (Lat., from Gk. I' cp,turbs), GEORGE, called GEORGICS PLETHON, and more commonly GEMISTUS PLETHON. A Byzantine philosopher. The exact dates of his birth and death are un certain, but he is known to have lived between 1350 and 1450. He was probably born at Con stantinople, and the greater part of his life was passed in the Peloponnesus, where he probably died, almost a centenarian. He was one of the deputies sent by the Greek Church to the council which was held at Ferrara and Florence in 1438 39, for the purpose of arranging a union be tween the Latin and Greek churches. Gemistus
was more celebrated as a philosopher than as a theologian. In his time the Aristotelian phi losophy reigned supreme; but it had degenerat ed into a mere science of words, from the study of which Gemistus turned away disgusted, and applied himself to Plato. Plato's philoso phy so charmed him that thenceforward he devoted himself to its propagation; and in fur therance of this view, when in Italy, induced Cosmo de' Medici to embrace it. Cosmo's ex ample was followed by others in Florence, and thus a Platonic school was founded in the West which flourished for nearly 100 years afterwards. During the latter part of his life Gemistus was engaged in bitter conflicts with the most eminent of the Aristotelians, among whom George of Trebizond held a high position, and the discus sion was carried on with unseemly violence. Con sult: Geschichte der Philosophie der Renaissance, vol. i. (Jena, 1874) ; Fabricius, Bibliothece Grceca, vols. viii., xii.; Migne, Patrologia Grceca, vol. cix.