GAZA, or Gazis, Theodore, born at Thessalonica, now Salonica, a famous Greek, who came to reside in Italy after the capture of his native city by the Turks in 1429. After having professed Greek at Sienna, Gaza repaired to Ferrara, on the invitation of the duke, and founded in that city an academy, of which he was the first rector. He taught Greek there for several years, and with so much success, that when he had quitted Ferrara to go to Rome, whither he was called by Pope Nicoas V., it became the usage among the friends of Greek literature not to pass before the house which he had occupied without uncovering; and this usage subsisted long after his death. It was about 1455 that Gaza proceeded to Rome. He knew perfectly the Latin, which he had studied under Victorio de Feltre; and the pope wished to employ him in translating into that language some of the best Greek authors. The translation of the Problems of Aristotle, which he undertook, produced a quarrel between him and George of Trebizond, who had already translated them; but it procured him the esteem and protection of Cardinal Bessarion. He also translated the Problems of Alexander of Aphrodisus, the Tactics of Aelian, the Treatise on Composition by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, the five Homilies of St John Chrysostom on the incomprehensible nature of God, the History of Animals by Aristotle (Venice, 1476, in fol.), and that of Plants by Theophrastus (Paris, 1529, in 8vo). The two last translations formed the principal occupation of his latter years. They have been frequently reprinted; but the estimation in which they were once held has been considerably diminished. Gaza translated into Greek two works of Cicero, the Treatise on Old Age, and the Dream of Scipio; versions which, though now forgotten, were formerly in great request, if at least we may judge from the number of editions. Amongst the original productions of Gaza will always be distinguished his Greek Grammar, in four books; an excellent work, and very often printed either in whole or in part. It is written in Greek; but Erasmus has translated into Latin the first two books, and other learned men, Heresbach, Tusanus, Crocus, and Elias André, have completed the translation, and illustrated it by remarks. The Greeks attach the greatest value to this grammar. In 1768, the deacon Neophytus published at Bucharest, where he was professor of Greek, an immense commentary of 1298 pages in folio on the fourth book alone; and more recently, in 1780, Daniel Keramefs, a monk of Patmos, and professor of Greek in the gymnasium of that island, caused to be printed at

Venice another commentary on the same book. Gaza is also author of a Greek Letter to Philelphus, on the origin of the Turks, printed with the Latin translation of Sebastian Casteillon, in the History of the Turks by Chalcondylas, Bale, 1556, and with the version of Leo Alacci in his Symmicta, Cologne, 1653; of a paraphrase in Greek of the Batrachomyomachia, published not many years ago, by Fontani, from a manuscript of Florence; and of a Treatise on the ancient months, which Perellus has translated into Latin, and of which there have been several editions, amongst others that of Paris, 1530, in 8vo. In Fabricius, in Hodius (de Grads Illustribus), and in the Boerner, the reader will find the titles of the unedited works of Gaza. What has not been printed of his is of so little importance that it is doubtful if any one will ever think of publishing them. His commentary on the Delineations of Philostratus appears, however, to merit more attention, although it is not improbable that he who should give himself the trouble of searching for and examining it, would only find scholia of but little importance. Theodore Gaza died in 1478, in possession of a benefice in the Abbruzzi, which he had obtained by the favour of Cardinal Bessarion. (a.) Gaza, a principal city, and one of the five satrapies of the Philistines. It was situated about a hundred stadia from the Mediterranean, on an artificial mount, and strongly walled round. It was destroyed by Alexander the Great, and afterwards by Antiochus. Gaza is now only a large village, and is divided into two parts, called Upper and Lower, both of which, taken together, are designated Gazara. There is here, however, a considerable manufacture of cotton, and great quantities of ashes for making soap are also prepared.