Johannes Crastonis

Who is Johannes Crastonis?

Johannes Crastonis was an Italian renaissance humanist and scholar. Crastonus was probably born in Castel San Giovanni close to Piacenza. He was a member of the Carmelites. He studied in Constantinople but migrated to Modena in Italy. There he published a Greek-Latin dictionary c.1480

In Milan, together with Bonus Accursius he edited various works to facilitate the learning of Greek. His collaboration with Bonus Accursius started no later than 1478. Among these works were a bi-lingual Greek and Latin edition of the Psalms, dedicated to Ludovico Donà, published 21 September 1481. This was the first printed version of the Greek Psalms. While at Milan, he was friends with Ermolao Barbaro, Francesco Filelfo, Giorgio Merula and Iacopo Antiquari. His Vocabulista, a Greek-Latin dictionary, was first printed probably in Milan and then re-printed twice before 1500 by Dionysius Bertochus. A translation of Constantine Lascaris's Erotemata was published in 29 September 1480, which was reprinted in 1489. Crastonus died not before 1497, as is clear from a reference made to him in that year.