ABSTRACT
George Gemisttos’ contemporaries who might in any way provide testimony to his religious beliefs can be divided into three groups: first, his direct pupils or friends who studied for some length oftime in Mistra and, being in a close contact with him, should naturally know much about his beliefs. Second, his distant admirers who although very sympathetic to him in fact neither studied nor were in any substantial contact with him. Third, all his adversaries who, accusing him of paganism, being usually motivated by their different philosophical position, criticized him always ‘from outside’, since none of them was in close relations with him. The main problem with Gemistos’ close associates is that it is in fact difficult to find anybody influenced in any way by his alleged paganism. After 1446, at the time of his temporary absence from the Peloponnese in Constantinople, John wrote a warm letter to Gemistos, whom he evidently did not suspect of heresy in any way.
