Marsilio Ficino, a Platonic philosopher of the 15th century, born in Florence, Oct. 19, 1433, died at Careggi, Oct. 1, 1409. He was the son of the first physician of Cosmo de' Medici, and was intended for his father's profession. The Greek Gemistus Pletho, an enthusiastic student of the philosophy of Plato, inspired Cosmo with the design of naturalizing this philosophy in Italy. He selected Ficino, as a youth of great promise, to be instructed in the mysteries of Platonism, and to become the chief and preceptor of a new Platonic academy. He educated him in his palace, surrounded him with Greek masters, encouraged him to read the philosophers of antiquity, placed him when 30 years old at the head of the academy of Florence, and charged him to be the interpreter and propagator of the Platonic philosophy in the West. Ficino made numer-ous translations from Plato, Iamblichus, Hermes Trismegistus, whom he especially admired, and from most of the Alexandrian philosophers. He was appointed by Cosmo president of a literary society which assembled at his house, and had for its object to explain the doctrines of Plato. At the age of 40 he entered the church, and was appointed a canon in the cathedral of Florence. He became the disciple of all schools, and borrowed from all systems.

He treated of the nature and immortality of the soul, the functions and distinguishing characters of angels, and the being and attributes of God. His chief merit, however, is as the translator and first western admirer of Plato; and in his partiality for this philosopher he is said to have endeavored to introduce fragments from his writings into the offices of the church. His works were collected and published at Basel (2 vols, folio, 1491).