At Play in the Republic of Letters: The Correspondence of Lapo da Castiglionchio the Younger

Abstract

AbstractThis article examines the letter collection of Lapo da Castiglionchio the Younger (1406–38), an important translator of classical Greek. While scholars have edited the letters chronologically or analyzed them piecemeal, my study shows that as an ensemble the work artfully conveys a cultural and philosophical statement. By playing with time, circumstance, and persona, Lapo reveals the shortcomings of the humanist program, since it associated learning and virtue with public recognition; in addition, the letters elicit the readers’ empathy, as both patronage and Stoic self-reliance are found wanting. The humanist reawakening of the classics was witnessed here in conversation.