Euripides

   Greek tragedian (480-406 B.C.), whose works were studied in Byzantium (q.v.), though probably not performed on stage due to their strictly pagan content. In the 11th century Psellos (q.v.) authored a comparison of Euripides and George of Pisidia (q.v.), who wrote epic eulogies of Herakleios (q.v.). Thereafter, interest in the work of Euripides never flagged, as seen in John Apokaukos's (q.v.) appreciation of Euripides. In the 14th century there was great interest in Euripides among philologists such as Maximos Planoudes, Thomas Magistros (qq.v.), and Demetrios Triklinios. Triklinios prepared new editions of the Greek tragedians, including the plays (some previously not taught, and thus not studied) of Euripides and of Sophocles. After the fall of Constantinople (q.v.), Greek refugee scholars used these editions to teach Euripides at Padua and Florence. At Venice (q.v.), Marcus Musurus edited Euripides for the Aldine press. In such ways, Euripides passed to the Italian Renaissance.