julius pomponius laetus

English - English

Definition of julius pomponius laetus in English English dictionary

or Giulio Pomponio Leto born 1428, Diano, Kingdom of Naples died 1497, Rome Italian humanist. As a youth he decided to dedicate his life to the study of the ancient world. In Rome he gathered other humanists around him in a semisecret society, the Academia Romana. Their celebration of ancient Roman rites aroused the suspicions of Pope Paul II, who briefly dissolved the Academia and imprisoned Laetus and his associates. Laetus's lack of rigour and critical spirit have led modern scholars to treat his writings with caution

Hyphenation

Jul·ius pomponius laetus