University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--History History 2013 Honor, Reputation, and Conflict: George of Trebizond and Humanist Acts of Self-Presentation Karl R. Alexander University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Alexander, Karl R., "Honor, Reputation, and Conflict: George of Trebizond and Humanist Acts of Self- Presentation" (2013). Theses and Dissertations--History. 14. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/history_etds/14 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the History at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--History by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. 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REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s dissertation including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Karl R. Alexander, Student Dr. Gretchen Starr-LeBeau, Major Professor Dr. David Hamilton, Director of Graduate Studies HONOR, REPUTATION, AND CONFLICT: GEORGE OF TREBIZOND AND HUMANIST ACTS OF SELF-PRESENTATION _____________________________________ DISSERTATION _____________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Karl R. Alexander Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Gretchen Starr-LeBeau, Associate Professor of History Lexington, Kentucky Copyright Karl R. Alexander 2013 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION HONOR, REPUTATION, AND CONFLICT: GEORGE OF TREBIZOND AND HUMANIST ACTS OF SELF-PRESENTATION The present study investigates the verbal strategies of self-presentation that humanist scholars employed in contests of honor during the early fifteenth century. The focus of this study is George of Trebizond (1395-1472/3), a Cretan scholar who emigrated to Italy in 1416, taught in Venice, Vicenza, and elsewhere, served as an apostolic secretary in Rome, and composed the first major humanist treatise on rhetoric, his Rhetoricorum libri quinque, in 1433/34. Trebizond feuded with many prominent humanists during his career, including Guarino of Verona (1374-1460) and Poggio Bracciolini (1380-1459). His quarrels with both men illustrate how humanist conflicts were the sites upon which Quattrocento scholars won or lost honor via literary activities designed to appeal to a public audience of peers and patrons. Humanists wrote to denigrate publicly their competitors, casting them as ignorant and morally corrupt, and to praise themselves as eloquent and virtuous. Although Renaissance scholarship has long acknowledged the humanist pursuit of glory, the linguistic means by which humanists contested honor remains understudied. The present study contends that Quattrocento contests of honor were conducted using standard sets of oppositional categories, themes, and literary models. Additionally, I argue that an analysis of the linguistic strategies of self-presentation provides a more complex and complete picture of Quattrocento humanism and of individual humanists as historical figures. Following an introductory discussion of George of Trebizond and Quattrocento humanism in Chapter One, the next three chapters of this dissertation address individual themes evident in Trebizond’s correspondence. Chapter Two examines the anti-Greek language that dominated Trebizond’s dispute with Guarino in 1437. Chapter Three explores the language of restraint and rational self-control in Trebizond’s feud with Poggio between 1452 and 1453. Chapter Four evaluates humanist concepts of masculinity in Trebizond’s feuds with both men. Chapter Five steps back from a deep thematic reading of Trebizond’s correspondence to consider invective as a literary genre that was a preferred vehicle for humanist self-presentation. This final chapter studies two additional feuds, between Guarino and Niccolò Niccoli, and Poggio and Lorenzo Valla, to understand better Trebizond’s experiences as a reflection of the broader culture of which he was a part. KEYWORDS: Humanism, Self-Presentation, Honor, Invective, George of Trebizond Karl R. Alexander ___________________________ Student Signature 12/12/13 ___________________________ Date HONOR, REPUTATION, AND CONFLICT: GEORGE OF TREBIZOND AND HUMANIST ACTS OF SELF-PRESENTATION By Karl R. Alexander Dr. Gretchen Starr Le-Beau ___________________________________ Director of Dissertation Dr. David Hamilton ______________________________________ Director of Graduate Studies 12/13/12 ______________________________________ Date ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I cannot imagine having completed this project without the guidance and wisdom of a number of people. My dissertation director Dr. Gretchen Starr-LeBeau has been a perpetual, calming presence and influence during my graduate career. It was in her Readings in Early Modern Europe course during my first semester that I became interested in Renaissance humanism. I haven’t looked back since. I thank Dr. Starr- LeBeau for her support and for helping me navigate through innumerable chapter drafts. I owe a great debt to Dr. Jane Phillips who put me through my first paces with the Latin language in my second semester. Her notes on each of my chapters were wonderfully insightful and led to some very important changes along the way. The dissertation would look very different were it not for her. My dissertation committee has played an important role in the development of this project and of myself as a scholar. Dr. Abigail Firey oversaw my very first graduate research project on Guido Faba, a thirteenth-century dictator from Bologna. She has been a key part of my development as a researcher and writer from the beginning and I owe her a great deal. Dr. Daniel Gargola’s comments on earlier chapter drafts were a great aid in helping me find my voice in this project. I wish to express my gratitude to the entire dissertation committee, including my outside reader Dr. Janice W. Fernheimer, for their participation and contributions to this project. The dissertation has also benefitted from the feedback of Dr. Phyllis Jestice at the College of Charleston. Dr. Jestice graciously agreed to read the project in its late stages and her suggestions have added polish to the final project. I want to thank the Department of History at the University of Kentucky more generally as well, the faculty and the staff— iii the latter including but not limited to Tina Hagee and Carol O’Reilly. They have all, each in their own way, helped me get to this point. This project simply would not have been possible without the support of my partner, Carrie Brown. She has read every word of this dissertation many times over as well as hundreds of pages that have long since been set aside. She now knows more about fifteenth-century rhetoricians than any counseling psychologist could possibly need or want to know. Her empathy and patience, particularly in the last eighteen months, have been remarkable and much appreciated, certainly more than words can describe. Special thanks are due to Stephen Pickering for his comments and advice. In addition to its helpfulness, Stephen’s feedback on this project also brought a bit of much needed levity to the revision process. My family—the Alexanders and the Browns—and friends from New York to Kentucky have my eternal gratitude for their enduring emotional support. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ iii Chapter One: Humanism in the Early Quattrocento ....................................................... 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 George of Trebizond and Humanist Contests of Honor ...................................... 3 Historiography ................................................................................................... 10 Sources ............................................................................................................... 18 Chapter Outline .................................................................................................