Marsilio Ficino

Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) was an Italian Renaissance philosopher, translator, and theologian. He was born in Tuscany as the son of Cosimo de’ Medici’s personal physician; Cosimo remained his patron throughout his life. Ficino studied philosophy and medicine in Pisa and Florence before learning Greek. He translated Platonic and Neoplatonic texts. His notable works include “On Love, or Plato’s Symposium” (c. 1469) and “Platonic Theology on the Immortality of the Soul” (1474). In his writings, Ficino sought to reconcile Platonic thought with Christianity. He died in Florence in 1499.