Chrysoloras, Demetrius

Chrysoloras, Demetrius a Greek theologian, was born at Thessalonica, and lived in the 14th century. He was recommended by John Cantacuzenus to the emperor Manuel, when he was charged by that prince with important missions to foreign courts. In the Bodleian Library, and in the National Library of Paris, there are about one hundred MS. letters of Chrysoloras to the emperor Manuel. Chrysoloras also wrote several treatises about religious subjects, of which the most important ones are: Dialogus adversus Demetrium Cydoniun: — Dialogus contra Latinos-Encomium in S. Demetriusm Martyrem: — Tractatus ex Libris Nili contra Latinos de Processione Spiritus Sancti:-Epistola ad Barlaamumn de Processione Spiritus Sancti. All these writings are translated, possibly by Barlaam himself, and, with a refutation, are found in the Bibliotheca Patrum Coloniensis. A great many more still exist in European libraries. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.