Leo Tuscus (or Leo the Tuscan, fl. 1160/66–1182/83) was an Italian writer and translator who served as a Latin–Greek interpreter in the imperial chancery of the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Manuel Komnenos.
Leo was born in the first half of the twelfth century in Pisa. He was the younger brother of Hugo Etherianus. Nothing about his early life or education is known, nor where he and his brother acquired Greek. He probably arrived in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, with his brother around 1160. They were certainly there when the controversy around Demetrius of Lampe broke out in 1166. They were not the first Pisan translators with knowledge of Greek to live in Constantinople; Burgundio of Pisa had gone before.[1]
Leo is attested between 1171 and 1182 as a translator and interpreter in the Byzantine chancery. He bore the Latin title imperialis aule interpres (translator of the imperial court) or imperalium epistolarum interpres (translator of imperial letters).[1] He accompanied Manuel II on his campaign against the Sultanate of Rum in 1173–1176, culminating in his defeat in the Battle of Myriokephalon.[1][2] He used his influence at court in 1177 to secure his brother's freedom after the latter was imprisoned by the tax collector Astaforte.[1]
In 1176, Leo sent his brother a translation of the Oneirocriticon of Achmet, a treatise on oneiromancy.[1][2] For this work he acknowledged the assistance of his nephew Fabrizio. He was not the only westerner interested in magic and the occult in Constantinople at the time. Pascalis Romanus wrote his Liber thesauri occulti in 1165 based on the ancient Greek Oneirocritica and in 1169 made a translation of the Cyranides. One copy of the Liber thesauri occulti was even expanded with material from Leo's Oneirocriticon. Leo's translation circulated widely in manuscript and was translated and printed in Italian (1546) and French (1552).[1]
In the latter half of the 1170s, Leo wrote a treatise on the heresies and prevarications of the Greeks, De haeresibus et praevaricationibus Graecorum, related in content to his brother's theological writings. The first part, which details the errors of the Greek church, was used by the anonymous Dominican author of the Tractatus contra Graecos (1252). The second part, which lists twelve reasons for the East–West Schism, was summarized by the Dominican Humbert of Romans (died 1277).[1]
In 1177 or 1178, Leo translated the liturgy of John Chrysostom at the request of the Aragonese ambassador Ramon de Montcada, who was in Constantinople to negotiate the marriage of Count Ramon Berenguer III of Provence and Manuel's daughter, Eudokia Komnene. A copy of Leo's translation was acquired by William of Aversa, archbishop of Otranto, and brought to Italy before 1198. His interest piqued, William then asked Nicholas of Otranto to translate for him the liturgy of Saint Basil.[1]
Leo survived the Massacre of the Latins in April 1182. On 7 December 1182, Pope Lucius III wrote a letter informing him of his brother's death in Italy. He sent the letter with Fabrizio and asked Leo to give him details of the massacre. There is no further information about Leo (who must have received the letter in early 1183) and it is unknown if he died in Constantinople or if he ever returned to Italy.[1]
LeoTuscus (or Leo the Tuscan, fl. 1160/66–1182/83) was an Italian writer and translator who served as a Latin–Greek interpreter in the imperial chancery...
Etherian, also called Hugo Etherianus, 12th-century scholar Leo Etherian, called LeoTuscus, 12th-century scholar Etherian, of the dimension of Etheria...
Western Rites. The liturgy of Chrysostom was translated into Latin by LeoTuscus in the 1170s. Besides numerous traditional chants of several schools,...
. 1182." The Italian-born translator and Byzantine chancery official LeoTuscus was among the Latins who survived the massacre. Venetian–Genoese Wars...
apart from a letter sent after his death by the Pope to his brother Leo, nicknamed Tuscus, which mentions a "nephew", possibly Hugh's son. He studied under...
of Canute for Fécamp," The English Historical Review, Vol. 33, 1918. "LeoTuscus," The English Historical Review, Vol. 33, 1918. "The Greek Element in...
he commissioned a translation of the liturgy of John Chrysostom from LeoTuscus. Ramon I de Montcada married Ramona de Tornamira and the couple had the...
ancient Romans referred to the Etruscans as the Tuscī or Etruscī (singular Tuscus). Their Roman name is the origin of the terms "Toscana", which refers to...
by friends and relatives of the imperial family. Lucius Dasumius Tullius Tuscus, a distant relative of Hadrian, was in Upper Pannonia, succeeding the experienced...
with Maximian Succeeded by Constantius I, Galerius Preceded by Nummius Tuscus, Gaius Annius Anullinus Roman consul 296 with Constantius I Succeeded by...
Maximian Roman consul 294 with Constantius Chlorus Succeeded by Nummius Tuscus G. Annius Anullinus Preceded by Diocletian Constantius Chlorus Roman consul...
294 with Galerius Augustus Succeeded by Nummius Tuscus G. Annius Anullinus Preceded by Nummius Tuscus G. Annius Anullinus Roman consul II 296 with Diocletian...
perspectives, 1978. Mauro Cristofani, Introduction to the study of the Etruscan, Leo S. Olschki, 1991. Romolo A. Staccioli, The "mystery" of the Etruscan language...
Acilius Glabrio Roman consul 257 with Valerian Succeeded by Marcus Nummius Tuscus Mummius Bassus Preceded by Publius Cornelius Saecularis Gaius Iunius Donatus...
Cosimo I, who placed it publicly in the Palazzo Vecchio in the hall of Leo X. Cosimo also placed the smaller bronzes from the trove in his own studiolo...
Biblioteca di «Studi Etruschi» (in Italian). Vol. 31. Florence: Casa Editrice Leo S. Olschki. ISBN 978-88-222-4432-1. De Simone, Carlo (2011). "La nuova Iscrizione...
Etruscan genetic affinity]. Appunti di Morfologia Etrusca (in Italian). Leo S. Olschki: 111–150. ISBN 978-88-222-5138-1. Marchesini, Simona (2009). Le...
the Circus Flaminius, proceeded into the Forum, passed along to the Vicus Tuscus, Velabrum, through the Forum Boarium, and finally ended at the Temple of...
inscriptions: Venerius, Velabrus, Aediculus, Patricius, Cermalus, Salutaris and Tuscus, but their extent has yet to be established. One of the two principal streets...
publication of the annual journal "Studi Etruschi", published by the publisher Leo S. Olschki in Florence, and the publisher Giorgio Bretschneider in Rome....
Anastasius Augustus 716: Theodosius Augustus 718: Leo Augustus 742: Constantinus Augustus 776: Leo Augustus 780: Constantinus Augustus & Eirene Augusta...
controlled by the Golden Horde. Nevertheless, the contemporary Thomas Tuscus's reference to the Romanians' conflict with the Ruthenians in 1277 suggests...
Facchetti, G. Μ. (2000) Frammenti di diritto privato etrusco, Firenze: Leo S. Olschki. Facchetti, G.M.(2002a) Appunti di morfologia etrusca. Con un’appendice...
Global Information