Bruni, LEONARDO

Bruni, LEONARDO, a famous humanist, a native of Arezzo, and hence styled Arechino, was born in 1369. He first studied law at Florence and Ravenna, but afterwards turned his attention to classical literature. In 1405 he obtained the office of papal secretary, and as such served under four popes, the last of whom, John XXIII., he attended to the Council of Constance. On his patron's deposition he returned to Florence. His Historia Florentina procured for him the rights of citizenship, and at a later period, through the favour of the Medicean family, he was appointed state secretary. He died 9th March 1444. Bruni aided in advancing the study of Greek literature mainly by his literal translations into Latin of Aristotle, Demosthenes, Plato, and Plutarch. Among his original works were Commentarius Rerum suo Tempore Gestarum (Ven. 1476), De Origine Urbis Mantuæ, De Romæ Origine, Epistolæ Familiares, and Lives of Petrarch and Dante in the vernacular.