Teachers and universities

he teachers of the time were scholars and intellectuals who, besides teaching, also wrote handbooks for their students and copied manuscripts in order to earn their living. The profession of teacher was highly esteemed and it was often the beginning of a successful administrative career, as was the case with George Akropolites and Nikephoros Blemmydes. Apart from these two, the most outstanding among the many famous teachers of that period were John Pediasimos, Gregory of Cyprus, Manuel Holobolos, Manuel Moschopoulos, Neilos Kabasilas, Theodore Metochites, Manuel Bryennios, Nikephoros Gregoras, Barlaam of Calabria, Manuel Gavalas, Demetrios Kydones, Manuel Chrysoloras, Manuel Kalekas, John Argyropoulos, Mark Eugenikos, George Gennadios Scholarios and George Gemistos Plethon.

The teachers were either private tutors or occupied a seat at the Higher Schools (the Universities of that time), which functioned at various periods of time. The first School of the period was established in Nicaea next to the church of St Tryphon, by the emperor Theodore II Laskaris, together with a library and manuscript copying workshops, which were also financed by the emperor. The School was founded in order to meet the need for an institution able to provide higher learning for superior officials. Nikephoros Blemmydes also founded a private school at Ephesus. After the recovery of Constantinople in 1261, two large educational institutions were set up: the patriarchal Academy, which had been closed in 1204 and was re-established around 1265, and which provided education not only of a religious but also of a secular nature, and the Imperial School, founded by Michael VIII Palaiologos in 1261. Other private schools were founded in Constantinople by distinguished scholars, namely by Maximos Planoudes, who established a school at the monastery of Christ Akataleptos, by Nikephoros Gregoras at the Chora monastery, and by Manuel Kalekas.