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'''Alphonso V''' of ], (]-]), surnamed the Magnanimous, who represented the old line of the counts of ] only through women, and was on his father's side descended from the House of Trastamara, a noble family of ], is one of the most conspicuous figures of the early ]. No man of his time had a larger share of the quality called by the Italians of the day to be "virtue." | ||
| By hereditary right he was king of ]. He fought and triumphed amid | By hereditary right he was king of ]. He fought and triumphed amid | ||
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| When he was a prisoner in the hands of ], Duke of | When he was a prisoner in the hands of ], Duke of | ||
| ], in ], |
], in ], Alphonso persuaded his ferocious and crafty | ||
| captor to let him go by making it plain that it was the interest | captor to let him go by making it plain that it was the interest | ||
| of Milan not to prevent the victory of the Aragonese party in | of Milan not to prevent the victory of the Aragonese party in | ||
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| in that time. For example; | in that time. For example; | ||
| Alphonso halted his army in pious respect before | |||
| the birthplace of a Latin writer, carried Livy or Caesar on | the birthplace of a Latin writer, carried Livy or Caesar on | ||
| his campaigns with him, and his panegyrist Panormita did not | his campaigns with him, and his panegyrist Panormita did not | ||
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| Latin scolding matches which were then the fashion. | Latin scolding matches which were then the fashion. | ||
| Alphonso founded nothing, and after his conquest of ] in ] | |||
| ruled by his mercenary soldiers, and no less mercenary men of | ruled by his mercenary soldiers, and no less mercenary men of | ||
| letters. His Spanish possessions were ruled for him by his | letters. His Spanish possessions were ruled for him by his | ||
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| ----- | ----- | ||
| Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed | Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed | ||
| ---- | |||
| See list of ]. | |||
Revision as of 03:36, 2 August 2002
Alphonso V of Aragon, (1416-1458), surnamed the Magnanimous, who represented the old line of the counts of Barcelona only through women, and was on his father's side descended from the House of Trastamara, a noble family of Castile, is one of the most conspicuous figures of the early Renaissance. No man of his time had a larger share of the quality called by the Italians of the day to be "virtue."
By hereditary right he was king of Sicily. He fought and triumphed amid the exuberant development of individuality which accompanied the revival of learning and the birth of the modern world.
When he was a prisoner in the hands of Filipo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, in 1435, Alphonso persuaded his ferocious and crafty captor to let him go by making it plain that it was the interest of Milan not to prevent the victory of the Aragonese party in Naples.
Like a true prince of the Renaissance he favoured men of letters whom he trusted to preserve his reputation to posterity. His devotion to the classics was exceptional even in that time. For example;
Alphonso halted his army in pious respect before the birthplace of a Latin writer, carried Livy or Caesar on his campaigns with him, and his panegyrist Panormita did not think it an incredible lie to say that the king was cured of an illness by having a few pages of Quintus Curtius read to him. The classics had not refined his taste, for he was amused by setting the wandering scholars, who swarmed to his court, to abuse one another in the indescribably filthy Latin scolding matches which were then the fashion.
Alphonso founded nothing, and after his conquest of Naples in 1442 ruled by his mercenary soldiers, and no less mercenary men of letters. His Spanish possessions were ruled for him by his brother John. He left his conquest of Naples to his bastard son Ferdinand; his inherited lands, Sicily and Sardinia, going to his brother John who survived him.
Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed
See list of Kings of Aragon.