Ermolao Barbaro's On Celibacy and On the Duty of Ambassador

This book offers the first annotated translation into English of two works of the eminent Venetian humanist, Ermolao Barbaro (1454–93). The Neo-Latin texts are also accompanied by a detailed introduction. The first work, On Celibacy, seeks to justify the contemplative life far from the career path expected of the patrician class, while in contrast the second, On the Office of Ambassador, outlines the conduct expected of the dedicated ambassador of Venice. Barbaro's two works are presented as embodying key contrasts within the much wider 15th-century debate about the claims of the reflective as opposed to the active life. On Celibacy argues for an alternative ideal to Barbaro's grandfather's seminal treatise celebrating marriage, promoting the celibate who proudly renounces civic life in the pursuit of self-discovery and wisdom. Presenting a more secular argument, On the Office of Ambassador revolutionises the role of the ambassador in Venetian politics. On a personal level for their author, these two works also captured the dichotomy in Barbaro's life between his humanist calling of scholarship and his public service to the Republic.