Ioannes Italos E / L XI
Ἰωάννης Ἰταλός (Skoulatos 90) (Ioannes 66)
(Unspecified)
(null)
Narrative
(24)
Authorship
(2)
He ascribed a work on the immortality of the soul to the inspiration of a question from
Michael 7
Πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα κῦρ Μιχαήλ. Ioannes Italos 123
He claimed that his Peri dialektikes and a Homeric explanation were written in response to questions of
Andronikos 62
πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα κῦρ ᾿Ανδρόνικον. Ioannes Italos 1, 111
Death
(null)
Description
(5)
He taught philosophy, and could be described as "teacher of philosophy", "teacher of the philosophers" or "maistor of philosophy"
διδασκάλῳ τῆς φιλοσοφίας, φιλοσόφων διδασκάλῳ, μαΐστωρα ... τῶν φιλοσόφων. Italos trial ll. 82, 437, 441
He had a violent temper, speaking as much with his hands as with his tongue - a clear sign that he was unfit to be a real philosopher
καὶ ἀκάθεκτος ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν. Anna Komnene 164.23-24
A physical description: large head, prominent forehead, expressive face, flaring nostrils, rounded beard, broad-chested, with well-made limbs ...
μεγάλη μὲν αὐτοῦ ἡ κεφαλή, τὸ μέτωπον προπετέσατον, πρόσωπον ἐμφανὲς καὶ ὁ μυκτὴρ ἐλεύθερόν τε καὶ ἄνετον ἀπέπνει τὸν ἀέρα καὶ περιφερὴς ὁ πώγων, τὰ στέρνα εὐρὺς καὶ εὐπαγὴς τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος .... Anna Komnene 164.27-30
A native of Longobardia
τὸν Λογγίβαρδον. Psellos Oratoria minora 65.1
A native of Italy
τοῦ Ἰταλοῦ. Psellos Oratoria minora 69.1
Dignity/Office
(2)
Hypatos and didaskalos of the philosophers
ὑπάτου καὶ διδασκάλου τῶν φιλοσόφων. Ioannes Italos 42, 49
Hypatos of the philosophers
ὕπατος τῶν φιλοσόφων. Anna Komnene 163.93
Education
(1)
He was very learned in philosophy - Plato and especially Aristotle - giving an impression of unrivaled competence; to begin an argument with him was to get lost in a web of dialectic; but in other areas of education, e.g. grammar and rhetoric, he was much less effective
Anna Komnene 163.94-165.38
Ethnic label
(2)
Italian (Italian)
τοῦ Ἰταλοῦ. Psellos Oratoria minora 69.1
Ἰταλῷ. Italos trial ll. 12, 25, 61
Second Name
(2)
Italos (?)
Ἰταλοῦ. Psellos Oratoria minora 69
Italos
Ίταλῷ. Italos trial ll. 12, 25, 61
Kinship
(null)
Language Skill
(1)
Latin
His Greek was what you would expect from a foreigner who came to Byzantium speaking a Latin language and learned our tongue but did not really purify his pronunciation, so he sometimes rather cut off syllables τὴν δὲ φωνὴν τοιοῦτος οἷος ἂν ἀπὸ τῶν Λατίνων ἐλελυθὼς νεανίας εἰς τὴν ἡμεδαπὴν γῆν τὰ Ἑλλήνων μὲν ἐκμάθοι, οὐ πάνυ δὲ καθαριεύοι τί τὴν φωνήν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔστιν οὗ καὶ κολοβωτέρας ἐκφέροι τὰς συλλαβάς. Anna Komnene 164.31-165.34
Location
(9)
Constantinople: Hagia Sophia
was confined by
Eustratios 11
to the buildings of Hagia Sophia περὶ τὰς οἰκοδομὰς τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλησίας. Anna Komnene 167.95
Constantinople: Hagioi Tessarakonta
when allowed to return to the capital, stayed at the church of Hagioi Tessarakonta τῶν Ἁγίων Τεσσαράκοντα. Anna Komnene 163.91
Constantinople: Pege monastery and palace
when allowed to return to the capital, lived at the Pege monastery τὴν μονὴν ... Πηγήν. Anna Komnene 163.90
Dyrrachion
was sent as an Italian expert in a crisis to Dyrrachion Ἐπίδαμνον. Anna Komnene 163.85
Italy
was a native of Italy τοῦ Ἰταλοῦ. Psellos Oratoria minora 69.1
Longibardia
was a native of Longibardia τὸν Λογγίβαρδον. Psellos Oratoria minora 65.1
was a refugee in his native land of Longibardia Λογγιβαρδίαν. Anna Komnene 162.47
Rome
when he was detected as a traitor, he took refuge in Rome ῾Ρώμην. Anna Komnene 163.88
Sicily
spent considerable time in Sicily τῇ Σικελίᾳ. Anna Komnene 161.37
Occupation/Vocation
(null)
Possession
(null)
Religion
(null)
Eunuchs
(null)
Alternative Name
(null)