Zacharias Calliergi

Who is Zacharias Calliergi?

Zacharias Calliergi was a Greek Renaissance humanist and scholar. He was born in Crete but emigrated to Rome at a young age. In 1499 by helped to bring out the Etymologicum Magnum at Venice and in 1515 he set up a printing press where he published exclusively Greek volumes, among them the first Greek book printed in Rome, a book of humns by Pindar. He also instituted the "Gymnasium Caballini Montis" school where lectures were given, by among others, eminent fellow Cretan scholar Marcus Musurus and Janus Lascaris

In 1499, he established in Venice, along with Nicolaos Vlastos, also a Cretan, the first Greek owned printing press. Their publishing production wasn’t restricted only to the Greek public but generally to the humanistic public of their era. Also the financial support by Anna Notaras contributed to the 'imperial decoration' of the publications.

The printery was exclusively staffed by Cretans, both in technicians and in individuals who shouldered the literary responsibilities of the publications. The offspring of this Cretan collaboration were four archetypes: the Etymologicum Magnum, one of the most important Byzantine dictionaries, the Ypomnema eis tas dekas kategorias tou Aristotelous, the Ypomnema eis tas pente phonas Porphyriou, tou Ammoniou and the Therapeutica of Galen.