Project Overview

Maximus the Greek, born Michael Trivolis (Arta ca 1470 — Lavra of the Trinity of St. Sergius, Sergiev Posad 1556/1557), spent his life straddling different worlds, traditions and cultures, those of humanistic Italy, Mount Athos, and Russia. His era saw the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the reunion of the Churches, the displacement to the West of the cultural heritage of the East, and the transfer of universalism from Rome to Moscow. Through his work, first as a copyist and then as a scholar, Michael/Maximus actively participated in safeguarding the Greek-Byzantine heritage in the West. In Muscovy he worked on the revision and formal definition of the Russian Orthodox tradition, which he promoted by using the tools and methods of Humanism. Studies devoted to Maximus form a tradition wide and varied. So far, however, no systematic attempt has been undertaken to digitize and digitally map his work and its translation into modern European languages. Using the Worldwide Web and tools of the Internet, the project aims to fill the gap by promoting a well-defined and integrated series of projects aimed at enhancing Maximus’ literary and cultural legacy in its relationship to Humanism.