Life
Ficino worked in Florence under the patronage of the Medici. In 1463 Cosimo de' Medici asked him to set aside his Plato translation and first render the newly acquired Greek Corpus Hermeticum into Latin; published in 1471, it sparked Europe's enthusiasm for Hermetic thought. He then completed the first full Latin translation of Plato and led the circle known as the Platonic Academy. His Three Books on Life (1489) combine medicine, astrology and the care of the soul.
The system
- Prisca theologia: an ancient wisdom passed from Hermes to Plato.
- The world soul and spiritus linking heaven and earth.
- Tending the soul through music, images and celestial correspondences.
Key works
- Latin Corpus Hermeticum (Pimander, 1471)
- Latin Plato (1484)
- Platonic Theology
- Three Books on Life (1489)
Where to start
- The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry as an overview.
- Three Books on Life, trans. Carol Kaske and John Clark.
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