Talk:Johannes Grant

Why Scottish?
Lots of modern works mention that he is "likely" Scottish, up to the point that it is taken and published as a fact, without even noting any alternatives. In the original sources Johannes is, afaik, mentioned by Leonard of Chios and Georgios Sphrantzes, both calling him a German. Leonard adds the "Grandi" which is most likely a descriptive, from the contemporary Italian grande (from Latin grandis) and meaning, among others, "great", "able" or "impressive". Given his performance, this interpretation seems to me highly likely, though one can ignore this reference and simply claim it was a name. It seems that Runciman is the first historian who speculated about him being Scottish, and all other "Scottish" references go back to his. Is there any work of him beyond the pretty short speculation in his "Fall of Constantinople" (p84, footnote on p.217) that bases upon "grandi" and later "grando" meaning "Grant" instead of "great", and is a name more common in Scotland then in Germany? I know that Dunnet speculates for her fictive Scottish version (also based on Runcimans assumption) on a connection to a family of Grants in Aberdeen with relations to the order of Rhodes, but this does not explain in the least why both contemporary sources who have known Johannes explicity would give his nationality as German. If Runciman or others have published more on Johannes/Johns Scottish heritage, it should be referenced here, or the article should make clear that his Scottish heritance is based upon Runcimans speculation as a "may be" alone. ASchudak (talk) 12:47, 29 May 2014 (UTC)


 * The original manuscript of the letter by Leonard of Chios to Pope Niccolò V does no more exists and no one can say if it was a misunderstanding of the Dominican Archbishop of Mitilene or of an unknown copyist to write “Johannis Grande Alemani” (of the German John Grande) instead of “Johannis Grandi Arimini” (of John Grandi – in Italian Giovanni Grandi - of Rimini). The tombstone says that Grandi was “Ariminensis”, i.e. “from Rimini”! Guido4155 (talk) 15:18, 7 December 2023 (UTC)

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