MikeH
I just noticed this thread. Sorry: I get preoccupied with one or two threads and don't notice others.
My short answer to Teheuti's question is that Plethon's role in influencing the tarot is hard to determine. Any influence would have been second or third hand, through others, and depends on how you interpret a card.
Two cards that might have been influenced by him are the PMB Chariot and the d'Este Fool.
The PMB Chariot is, by my thinking, a representation of some virtue, Chastity probably, in the heights riding her chariot drawn by winged horses, as described in Plato's Phaedrus. Since Plethon played a large role in giving Plato the great importance he had later, and especially odd things like the Phaedrus (with its blatant homosexuality later in the dialogue), he would have played a part in making cards like the PMB Chariot popular and accepted, even for children, even in far off Milan. Scholars who had spent time in Florence were everywhere in the Italian city-states, e.g. Milan (Filelfo, Filarete) and Ferrara (Guarino, Alberti). They not only traveled but corresponded with one another a lot.
Regarding the d'Este Fool, we have to bear in mind that Plethon was not afraid to utilize the pagan mystery religions on their own terms. (For a particularly bigoted link, with lurid quotes from an "authority," see http://egregores.blogspot.com/2011/03/bessarion-other-roman-academy-heathen.html). His so-called "mystery school" in Greece was called "polytheistic" by many. As such he likely influenced the Roman Academy that was suppressed by Paul II, who had its members arrested and tortured.
Besides Malatesta, Plethon had influence through his pupil Bessarion, who stayed in Italy and had a unique collection of pagan Greek manuscripts. How much did Bessarion or his manuscripts influence the tarot? That is a hard subject. On THF I started a couple of threads on that issue, focusing on the Sola-Busca (see http://forum.tarothistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=613). Relevant to the d'Este Fool is the letter of Bessarion to the sons of Plethon after his death. Here is my and Google's translation off an Italian website, http://www.ritosimbolico.net/studi2/studi2_22.html. (A translation omitting the reference to Dionysus but keeping the Olympians is at http://www.scionofzion.com/codex_B.htm.)
There is also the question of influence of Plethon's "polytheism" on tarot after the 15th century, especially the "Marseille" variety. Are there Orphic or Dionysian elements there, and more Platonism? I would say Platonism for sure (i.e. the Moon card, for which see Vitali). Orphism is harder. Orphic theurgy was practiced by Ficino, influenced surely by Plethon.
So your question opens a can of worms, so to speak.
One fragmentary, fizzling attempt to assess Plethon's influence on tarot is at http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...&gl=us&client=firefox-a&source=www.google.com
My short answer to Teheuti's question is that Plethon's role in influencing the tarot is hard to determine. Any influence would have been second or third hand, through others, and depends on how you interpret a card.
Two cards that might have been influenced by him are the PMB Chariot and the d'Este Fool.
The PMB Chariot is, by my thinking, a representation of some virtue, Chastity probably, in the heights riding her chariot drawn by winged horses, as described in Plato's Phaedrus. Since Plethon played a large role in giving Plato the great importance he had later, and especially odd things like the Phaedrus (with its blatant homosexuality later in the dialogue), he would have played a part in making cards like the PMB Chariot popular and accepted, even for children, even in far off Milan. Scholars who had spent time in Florence were everywhere in the Italian city-states, e.g. Milan (Filelfo, Filarete) and Ferrara (Guarino, Alberti). They not only traveled but corresponded with one another a lot.
Regarding the d'Este Fool, we have to bear in mind that Plethon was not afraid to utilize the pagan mystery religions on their own terms. (For a particularly bigoted link, with lurid quotes from an "authority," see http://egregores.blogspot.com/2011/03/bessarion-other-roman-academy-heathen.html). His so-called "mystery school" in Greece was called "polytheistic" by many. As such he likely influenced the Roman Academy that was suppressed by Paul II, who had its members arrested and tortured.
Besides Malatesta, Plethon had influence through his pupil Bessarion, who stayed in Italy and had a unique collection of pagan Greek manuscripts. How much did Bessarion or his manuscripts influence the tarot? That is a hard subject. On THF I started a couple of threads on that issue, focusing on the Sola-Busca (see http://forum.tarothistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=613). Relevant to the d'Este Fool is the letter of Bessarion to the sons of Plethon after his death. Here is my and Google's translation off an Italian website, http://www.ritosimbolico.net/studi2/studi2_22.html. (A translation omitting the reference to Dionysus but keeping the Olympians is at http://www.scionofzion.com/codex_B.htm.)
So the dead Plethon is happily dancing with Bacchus. (This article is mostly on Alberti. An interesting piece by the same folks focusing on Plethon is at http://www.ritosimbolico.net/studi2/studi2_10.html.) In my view, the d'Este Fool card has suggestions of Dionysian phallus-worship (without, to be sure, compromising the player's devotion to Christ). I know that some will see the card as simply showing children's curiosity. That is part of the problem in assessing Plethon's influence. Compare also the Noblet Fool.The Cardinal Bessarion greets Andronicus and Demetrius, the children of learned Gemistus. I learned that our common father and teacher has deposited everything earthly and gone to heaven, to the site of every purity, to join the choir of the mystical dance of Jacco [id est the Dionysus of the Mysteries of Eleusis - ed] with the Olympian gods.
There is also the question of influence of Plethon's "polytheism" on tarot after the 15th century, especially the "Marseille" variety. Are there Orphic or Dionysian elements there, and more Platonism? I would say Platonism for sure (i.e. the Moon card, for which see Vitali). Orphism is harder. Orphic theurgy was practiced by Ficino, influenced surely by Plethon.
So your question opens a can of worms, so to speak.
One fragmentary, fizzling attempt to assess Plethon's influence on tarot is at http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...&gl=us&client=firefox-a&source=www.google.com