Lascaris

Lascaris, Constantine, a great Greek scholar of the 15th century, was a descendant of the Emperors of Nicaea. On the fall of Constantinople he came to Italy, and became Greek tutor to the daughter of Francesco Sforza. In 1476 his Greek Grammar was published at Milan; it was the first Greek book printed. Lascaris afterwards taught at Rome and Naples, but died at Messina in 1493, having Pietro Bembo among his pupils. He left a collection of valuable MSS. to the Senate of Messina. Another member of this family, Joannes Lascaris, who was born about 1445, and died in 1535, was commissioned by Lorenzo de' Medici to collect Greek MSS., and was afterwards invited to France, where he was employed as a diplomatist by Charles VIII., Louis XII., and Francis I., and took part in the formation of the royal library at Fontainebleau.