Their main role within the Renaissance humanism was the teaching of the Greek language to their western counterparts in universities or privately together with the spread of ancient texts. Their forerunners were Barlaam of Calabria (Bernardo Massari) and Leonzio Pilato, both drawn from culturally Byzantine Calabria in southern Italy. The impact of these two scholars on the very first Renaissance humanists was indisputable.
who was the source of the many writings and texts the renaissance scholars studied
Barlaam of Calabria (Bernardo Massari) Leonzio Pilato