Friendship and Aristotelianism in sixteenthcentury France: the Latin versions of the Politics by Dionisio Lambino and Pierre de la Ramée

Abstract

It is no coincidence that the French humanists Dionisio Lambino and Pierre de la Ramée carried out a Latin translation of Aristotle's Politics. The close friendship bet- ween both would justify that an anti-Aristotelian author as he was, as openly declared De la Ramée to be himself, decided to make a Latin version of this complex Greek work. Although the enormous similarities between both translations are evident, together in the linguistic expression and in the selection of the political and philosophical lexicon, which would suggest that Pierre de la Ramée opted to copy his friend's work without further ado. however, the differences that can be seen after a more detailed analysis of the translations show that they are original versions per se.