ABSTRACT
The achievements of both Greeks and Romans represent for him the best ancient tradition, in which it is necessary to continue. However, what is apparently missing in his account is the Christian identity of the Byzantines. For George Gemistos, the political or military success of a nation thus does not depend entirely on its religion but rather on its state organization. In order to understand the difficult situation of the late Byzantine state in depth, Gemistos, as a humanist and an authority on ancient culture and thought, locates political philosophy within a broader historical perspective. The considerations about the best organization of the state are supplemented with Gemistos’ rational arguments for the immortality of the human soul presented in the funeral orations on the dead members of the imperial family. The main features of Gemistos’ philosophy presented to the public are thus certainly Platonic in their inspiration, but this does not mean that they are in conflict with Christianity.
