The Orations of Demetrius Chalcondyles About the Significance of Greek Literature (History of Greek Studies in Renaissance Italy of the 15 <sup>th</sup> Century)
The author presents Russian translation of two Latin orations about the importance of Greek language and literature belonging to Demetrius Chalcon-dyles, the famous Byzantine scholar of the 15 th century. The orations were pronounced at the University of Padua in 1463 and 1464 before the beginning of the Greek literature lessons. They represent one of the first extant deployed arguments proving the usefulness of Greek studies for Renaissance minds. The main idea of Chalcondyles boils down to the fact that the origins of Latin literature should be sought in Greek literature and close affiliation between these two literatures is the condition of comprehensive education.