Alatino
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDLV
Alatrini
stances, as he states in the preface to liis Hehrew "Zemah David." He describes Alatino as a renowneti physician, and states tlmt he learned a jjreat
deal through intercourse with him. When l)e wrote this (l"i87), Jehiel was iilready dead, lie a(Uls.
nuinory
in nienliouing bis
name,
p't
Fomis since
("of blessed
1529. was the halfbrotlur of .lehiel (see ]irefaee to "Zcniah David). Mo.ses' version of Theniistius' i)araplirase of the four books of Aristotle's " De Coelo," printed at Venice.
1574,
in
by Siinone Oalignano. gives
several important
In the dedication to Cardinal I..ui.iji d'Este 15T3) Jloses relates how. at the time that lie studied philosophy at Perugia under Francesco I'iccokirrrini. he came into possession of an ancient llebrew manuscript, containing a version of Aristotle's " De C'ado." and. overjoyed by so precious a discovery, showed it to Uartolomeo Eustaccliio. the professor of medicine, who was also a Hebrew Both were scholar, and to his own brother Vitale. greatly pleased with Xho. discovery. In the course of the iie.t ti ve years (1568-73). Moses applied himself to the task of translating this Hehrew paraphrase into I^alin. fully (-(mlidcnt that he would thereliy produce a work of much value to Owing, however, to protracted ill-health, students. On his relie was unable to coni|ilete the work. covery he was urgetl by several scholars to finish his task, among whoni I5enedetto JlangioUi of Modcna. then in the service of Cardinal d'Este. may be mentioned. Following the dedication of this work is a preface addressed particularly to students of Here Alatino gives brielly the history lihilosojihy. of this important paraphrase, which in the time of Averroes (Ilin Uoslid) was translated into Arabic and afterward into Hebrew. He referred also to the facts.
(Ai;g.
many
of Moses, can only have been he died a young man in l(i()5(" Liihot Abanim," p. 125). The version of the Canons of Avicenna (Ibn Sina) does not appear ever
a child
1,
dillieulties overcome in turning it into Latin, particularly the finding of clear interpretations for obscure passjiges, as well as for the Arable expresFortunately sions used by the Hebrew translator. Alatino obtained the assistance he desired from a physician and ithilosopber. Elia Xolano. or Elijah ben Joseph of Isola, as has been shown by Kaufmann ("Rev. 6t. Juives," xxxv. 296 ct ««/."). N. Briill lias published some fragments of this dedication, together with the preface ("Central-Anzeiger filr Ji'idiseho Litterafur." Frankfort-ontlie-JIain. 1891. pp. V)r>ftiicf/. ). lint he omits, among other things, the beginning of the preface, which reads; " Last year I went to tlie hot sjiriugs of Padua in company with my illustrious and most worthy master, Camillo Varani. for the [lurpose of freeing myself of a peculiar and chronic disease, and when the cure was effected nothing was more agreeable to mo than to go to the magniiieent lord Francesco Piccolomini, the philosopher earned in every species of science and my most renowue(l and l)eloved teacher of philo.sopliy, Some time jireviously Picin order to greet him." colomini had been transferred from Peiugia to Padua, and Alatino, his old jiupil, visited him, in order to show him his version of Themistius' "De Cirlo," although as yet not corrected, and to obtain Piccolomini examined a number his opinion of it. of pas.S!iges and encouraged Alatino to complete the work. Camillo Varani was one of the sons of Ercole (Hercules), last duke of Camcrino; and it is significant that Jfoses Alatino always earned the respect of his masters and the confidence of distinguished persons. De Pomis states that all Ferrara lield Alatino in great esteem, and that he also derived much satisfaction from his own son. The son. whom De Pomis does not mention by name, was doubtless the learned physician and rabbi Bonajuto. Eman-
.son
at this time, since
have bi<n comphted. but Moses and Bonajuto were still busily occupied with it in July. 1592, as to
slated
is
").
Moses Alatino, born
uel Alatino, also a
318
the licmlia
in
iiuiliiidi
(physician's di-
ploma) conferred upon each of them by Pope Clement VIII. seciiicntly
Hev. £t. Juives." xix. 135). Moses subbecame intimate with Josef Zarphati, a
("
Moroccan Jew, who afterward renounced Judaism, and, as Andrea de Monte, became one of the most notorious ini|uisilors. Helving upon their former friendship. Alatino in 1577 wrol(' to the monk, telling him of his own studies, and suet ((mIi il in inducing De Jloule to deal more magnanimously with Hebrew book.s. This letter, with two others written subse(iueiilly, is in the possession of Dr. S. H. Jlargulies, of Florence. A certain Moses Amram Alatino writes to his brother Baruch Abram in such a manner as to convey the idea that he was a Maiaiio and desired to enter the Abrabamic covenant, even at an advanced age. But ill all probability he is not to be identified with tl»; celebrated physician ami iihilosopher. Moses Alatino. the brother of Vitale and Jehiel, must be identical with the Moses Amram whose epitaph is given in " Luliot Abanim," No. 45. The date of the ejiitaph. Nisan 29, ,5365, corresponds with the date April 17, 1005, in the mortuary record of the Jewish community of Venice, which mentions a Moses Alatino. Alatino translated the commentary of Galen on the work of Hippocrates. " De AOre A((uis et Loeis," from the Hebrew of Solomon b. Nathan ha-Meati into Latin. Several editiousof this translation have been published (Steinsclmeider, "Cat. Bodl." No. 1768). 'Vitale Alatino was known as of high repute in Spoleto. and tlirougliout I'mbria, as De Pomis states in his " De Medico Hebra'o." where he records that among the various persons treated by Vitale were Pope Julius III. (1.5.5(l-,55) and a certain Bartolomeo Eustaccliio, a physician and anatomist, who called Vitale to Perugia! G. J.
ALATRI, CRESCENZO:
Italian writer; born at Komi', IS-,'."); (lied Frliruary 12. IsilT. He waseducated in the Talmuil Torali of his native city, and gmduated as rabbi, but never held any ollice. Ala-
was the author of a "History of the Jews in Rome." several <'Xtracts of which were published tri
in the "Educatorc' Israilita" (18.50). pp. 202 it teq.
This work is still extant in manuscript. He is often mentioned as the Italian and French translator of Moses Hazan's Hebrew poems, and as one of the founders of the Societa di Fiatellanza. the aim of which was to educate poor Jewish children and to promote arts and handicrafts among the Jewish population. Binr.iooRAPnT limn.
li. r.i.
Vogelsteln and Rieger, Qe*ch. der Jxiden in
-tW.
3L B.
ALATRI, GIACOMO
Italian hanker and lihilanthropist son ol S;imu(l Alatri; born at Rome in m?r. died there March 9, 1S89. He was for several years president of the Banca Roraana. which position he resigned when, in 18sl, his propositions for the reorganization of the bank were rejected. The .subsequent history of that institution, its ultimate bankruptcy in 1893, and the grave political disturbances occasioned by it tlirougliout Italy, fully justified the courageous stand taken by Alatri. His chief ]ihilanthropic efforts were directed toward organizing kindergartens for the Jewish poor, to the
