ABSTRACT
The origins of the Latin revival are commonly associated with the career of Petrarch, although interest in Latin letters can be traced throughout the medieval period, including an outburst of enthusiasm in early fourteenth-century Padua. By the end of the fifteenth century, it was common for Italian humanists to have mastered Greek as well as Latin; while a number of north Europeans were also being initiated into the mysteries of the more venerable classical tongue. This chronology focuses on the most notable achievements of the classical revival and the most illustrious names, but it also gives an impression of the itinerant careers of Renaissance scholars. While the chronicle tradition remained vibrant, it was challenged by humanistically trained writers who sought to emulate ancient historians such as the Greek Polybius and the Romans Livy, Sallust and Julius Caesar, in both choice of subject matter and execution.
