The image of Alfonso the Magnanimous in Bessarion’s Prefatory Letter to the Translation of Aristotle’s Metaphysics

Abstract

In addition to an overview of the Latin translations of Greek works dedicated, rededicated or otherwise disseminated at the court of Alfonso the Magnanimous in Naples, the paper offers an analysis, along with the Italian translation, of the prefatory epistle to the Latin translation of Aristotle’s Metaphysics made by Cardinal Bessarion and dedicated to Alfonso in 1451. The comparison with Alexander the Great at the center of Bessarion’s preface contributes to the construction of Alfonso’s image as an ideal king. This image is fuelled by a cultural policy, promoted by the Aragonese court, which is also expressed through the commissioning of Latin translations of Greek works: for this reason, the prefaces to these works deserve a more in-depth study.