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Niccolo AlamanniA Roman antiquarian of Greek origin. He studied at the Roman Greek College founded by Gregory XIII, after which he was ordained as a Catholic deacon and then a priest.
Date of Birth: 12.01.1583
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Nicolaus Alemanni
Nicolaus Alemanni was a Greek Roman antiquarian. He studied at the Greek College in Rome, founded by Pope Gregory XIII, and was ordained as a Catholic deacon and then priest.
Early Career and Appointments
Alemanni initially taught Greek to prominent individuals before becoming secretary to Cardinal Scipione Borghese. He eventually rose to the position of custodian of the Vatican Library.
Scholarly Works
Alemanni authored several scholarly works, including "Syntagma de Lateranensibus parietibus" (1625), which documented restoration work carried out at the Lateran Basilica under Borghese's patronage. He also wrote a dissertation entitled "De dextrae laevaeque manus praerogativa ex antiquis Pontificum nummis Paulum Petro apostolo anteponentibus," which examined the relative significance of the right and left sides on ancient papal coins.
"Secret History of Procopius"
Alemanni's most notable contribution was his discovery and publication of Procopius of Caesarea's "Secret History" in Lyon in 1623. He became the first scholar to study this work and provided extensive commentary in his preface.
Legacy
Alemanni died as a result of his diligent efforts to protect the tombs of Christian martyrs during the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. According to Gian-Vittorio Rossi's "Pinacotheca imaginum illustrium," his death was attributed to his unwavering commitment to his scholarly duties.
