Ficino

Ficino, Marsilio (1433-1499), an Italian philosopher and ecclesiastic born at Florence. His early talent came to the notice of Cosmo de Medici, to whom Ficino's father was physician. Cosmo had the boy educated, and set him to translate Plato and the New Platonists into Latin, and to aid himself in founding a Platonic Academy later. Ficino considered Platonism, which he did not always distinguish from Neo-Platonism, as at one with Christianity, and was somewhat given to mystic views and interpretations. He entered the Church in later life, and was made rector of two churches and canon of the cathedral of Florence. His chief work is Theologia Platonica: de immortalitate animorum. ac eeternd felicitate. In this he advocates the immortality of the soul.