Marsilio Ficino in Germany from Renaissance to Enlightenment

The philosopher and humanist Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) has attracted scholarly attention as translator of Plato, the Corpus Hermeticum, Plotinus and other Neoplatonists, and for his complex synthesis of Platonism and Christianity. While most previous studies of Ficino’s reception have concentrated on Italy, France, England and Spain, this book presents a comprehensive study of his reception in Germany and neighbouring areas, examining how Northern writers between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries remembered and reinvented Ficino’s person and work. Focussed chapters examine the ways German authors adapted his theories of the Ancient Theology, melancholia, celestial influence and poetic inspiration, and used his writings in related fields such as alchemy and witchcraft. This book also examines the critiques of those who rejected Ficino’s work, providing context for those who embraced his ideas. The most comprehensive bibliography of printed editions of Ficino’s work since Kristeller forms the basis for a bibliometric analysis.