Factional Identity In Fifteenth-Century Florence, Brian Maxson
Oct 2015
Factional Identity In Fifteenth-Century Florence, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
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The 'Schemes' Of Piero De' Pazzi And The Conflict With The Medici (1461–2), Oren J. Margolis, Brian Maxson
Oct 2015
The 'Schemes' Of Piero De' Pazzi And The Conflict With The Medici (1461–2), Oren J. Margolis, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
This article opens up an important but overlooked chapter in the political and diplomatic history of Florence, as well as that of fifteenth-century Franco-Italian relations more broadly. In late 1461, the city of Florence elected ambassadors to go to France to congratulate King Louis XI on his accession to the throne. Intended as a purely ceremonial mission, the Florentine diplomat Piero de' Pazzi ignored his commission and pursued policies that explicitly promoted French interests in Italy. By doing so, Piero sought to improve the standing of his own family, both domestically and abroad, at the expense of the Medici regime …
Review Of The Cambridge Companion To The Italian Renaissance, Ed. By Michael Wyatt., Brian Maxson
Jan 2015
Review Of The Cambridge Companion To The Italian Renaissance, Ed. By Michael Wyatt., Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
The reviewed book's organization around themes reflects the domination of cultural history in the field of Renaissance Studies today.
After Civic Humanism: Learning And Politics In Renaissance Italy, 1300-1600
Dec 2014
After Civic Humanism: Learning And Politics In Renaissance Italy, 1300-1600
Brian J. Maxson
The thirteen essays in this volume demonstrate the multiplicity of connections between learning and politics in Renaissance Italy. Some engage explicitly with Hans Baron's "civic humanism" thesis illustrating its continuing viability, but also stretching its application to prove the limitations of its original expression. Others move beyond Baron's thesis to examine the actual practice of various individuals and groups engaged in both political and learned activities in a variety of diverse settings. The collective impression of all the contributions is that of a complex, ever-shifting mosaic of learned enterprises in which the well-examined civic paradigm emerges as just one of …
The Humanist World Of Renaissance Florence, Brian J. Maxson
Nov 2013
The Humanist World Of Renaissance Florence, Brian J. Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
This book offers a major contribution for understanding the spread and appeal of the humanist movement in Renaissance Florence. Investigating the connections between the individuals who were part of the humanist movement, Brian Jeffrey Maxson reconstructs the networks that bound them together. Overturning the problematic categorization of humanists as either professional or amateurs, a distinction based on economics and the production of original works in Latin, he offers a new way of understanding how the humanist movement could incorporate so many who were illiterate in Latin, but who nonetheless were responsible for an important intellectual and cultural paradigm shift. The …
Review Of Niccolò Machiavelli: An Intellectual Biography, Brian Maxson
Sep 2013
Review Of Niccolò Machiavelli: An Intellectual Biography, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
The author offers a comprehensive analysis of the thought of Machiavelli situated against the backdrop of political and biographical developments in the early 16th century.
Humanism And Magic In The Florentine Ritual Of Command, Brian Maxson
Dec 2011
Humanism And Magic In The Florentine Ritual Of Command, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
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Review Of Venice’S Most Loyal City: Civic Identity In Renaissance Brescia, Brian Maxson
Dec 2011
Review Of Venice’S Most Loyal City: Civic Identity In Renaissance Brescia, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
This book reviewed investigates the negotiations of power between a political center, Venice, and its prized terraferma possession on the periphery, Brescia.
In The Presence Of Mine Enemies: Pope Martin V, Florence, Diplomats, And Diplomacy, Brian Maxson
Apr 2011
In The Presence Of Mine Enemies: Pope Martin V, Florence, Diplomats, And Diplomacy, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
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The Many Shades Of Praise: Politics And Panegyrics In Fifteenth-Century Florentine Diplomacy, Brian Jeffrey Maxson
Dec 2010
The Many Shades Of Praise: Politics And Panegyrics In Fifteenth-Century Florentine Diplomacy, Brian Jeffrey Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
Fifteenth-century diplomatic protocol required the city of Florence to send diplomats to congratulate both new and militarily victorious rulers. Diplomats on such missions poured praise on their triumphant allies and new rulers at friendly locations. However, political realities also meant that these diplomats would sometimes have to praise rulers whose accession or victory opposed Florentine interests. Moreover, different allies and enemies required different levels of praise. Jealous rulers compared the gifts, status, and oratory that they received from Florence to the Florentine entourages sent to their neighbors. Sending diplomats with too little or too much social status and eloquence could …
Kings And Tyrants: Leonardo Bruni's Translation Of Xenophon's "Hiero", Brian Jeffrey Maxson
Oct 2010
Kings And Tyrants: Leonardo Bruni's Translation Of Xenophon's "Hiero", Brian Jeffrey Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
Leonardo Bruni published one of his most widely copied translations, Xenophon's pro-monarchical Hiero, shortly before he penned his more famous original works, his Dialogues and Panegyric to the City of Florence. Scholars have traditionally focused on the political ideas present in these original treatises; yet, despite the centrality of political ideas to the Hiero, its temporal proximity to these works, and its enormous popularity (the work exists in 200 fifteenth-century manuscripts), scholars have neglected to offer a full assessment of Bruni's translation in the context of these works. Bruni's translation of Xenophon's Hiero fit into a debate …
Expressions Of Power In Diplomacy In Fifteenth-Century Florence, Brian Maxson
Mar 2010
Expressions Of Power In Diplomacy In Fifteenth-Century Florence, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
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Humanism And The Ritual Of Command, Brian Maxson
Dec 2008
Humanism And The Ritual Of Command, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
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Review Of La Sfortuna Di Jacopo Piccinino: Storia Dei Bracceschi In Italia 1423-1465, Brian Maxson
Dec 2007
Review Of La Sfortuna Di Jacopo Piccinino: Storia Dei Bracceschi In Italia 1423-1465, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
Serena Ferente argues that the military and political leader Jacopo Piccinino was at the head of several groups who were on the outside of the Italian League after the mid- 1450s. In this role, Jacopo Piccinino was the last condottiere both to command a base across Italy and to propagate the old filo-French allegiances of several groups in opposition to the hardening of the Italian state system. Ferente bases her claims on an impressive array of contemporary and early modern literary sources combined with a deep knowledge of fifteenth-century diplomatic documents.
Review Of Maffeo Vegio: Short Epics, Brian Maxson
Dec 2005
Review Of Maffeo Vegio: Short Epics, Brian Maxson
Brian J. Maxson
In this fifteenth volume to the ever-expanding I Tatti Renaissance Library series, Michael C. J. Putnam, together with James Hankins, has prepared and translated four short poems of one of the quattrocento's greatest Latin poets, Maffeo Vegio.This slim volume con tains Vegio's widely read and translated Book XIII of the Aeneid and three of his lesser known poetical works: the Astyanax, the Golden Fleece, and the Antoniad. Following the traditional format of the series, the volume contains an edition of the Latin text with a facing page English translation. I found Putnam's translation to be accurate and lively andVegio to …
