The main representative of Platonism and Neoplatonism in Renaissance Florence, and the founder and head of the Academy of Florence. In 1484 his complete translation of Plato’s dialogues was published. Ficino’s commentaries and translations influenced the interpretation of Plato and Plotinus until the 19th century, when the extent to which they were in turn influenced by other sources began to be disentangled. His commentary on Plato’s Symposium is said to be the source of the common phrase ‘Platonic love’, in the sense of love that does not seek sexual expression, but contents itself with appreciation of the forms that the beloved instances.