The letters of Phalaris to the Maltese

Abstract

In 1427 Francesco Filelfo, the celebrated ltalian humanist, brought with him from Constantinople, where he had been living since 1419 acting as secretary to the Consul-general of the Venetians, among other Greek manuscripts covering the whole area of Greek literature, also one containing the collection of the Letters of Phalaris. The 148 letters which make up this collection may be divided into two classes: one class comprising letters addressed to private citizens, the other those written to whole communities. Among the latter there are two addressed to the Melitaioi and the same people are referred to in a third letter sent to the inhabitants of Segesta.