Opening paragraph of the treatise On

Fate (Pros tous Autokratoras) by

Alexander of Aphrodisias. From an

anonymous edition published in 1658.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alexander of Aphrodisias (Ancient Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Ἀφροδισιεύς; fl. 200AD) was a Peripatetic philosopher and the most celebrated of the Ancient Greekcommentators on the writings of Aristotle. He was a native of Aphrodisias inCaria, and lived and taught in Athens at the beginning of the 3rd century, wherehe held a position as head of the Peripatetic school. He wrote manycommentaries on the works of Aristotle, extant are those on the Prior Analytics,Topics, Meteorology, Sense and Sensibilia, and Metaphysics. Several originaltreatises also survive, and include a work On Fate, in which he argues against theStoic doctrine of necessity; and one On the Soul. His commentaries on Aristotlewere considered so useful that he was styled, by way of pre-eminence, "thecommentator" (ὁ ἐξηγητής).

1 Life and career1.1 Commentaries1.2 Original treatises

2 Influence3 Modern editions4 Notes5 See also6 References7 Further reading

7.1 Translations8 External links

Alexander was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria[1] and came to Athens towards the end of the 2nd century. He was a

student of the two Stoic,[2] or possibly Peripatetic, philosophers Sosigenes[3] and Herminus,[4] and perhaps of Aristotle

of Mytilene.[5] At Athens he became head of the Peripatetic school and lectured on Peripatetic philosophy. Alexander'sdedication of On Fate to Septimius Severus and Caracalla, in gratitude for his position at Athens, indicates a datebetween 198 and 209. A recently published inscription from Aphrodisias confirms that he was head of one of the Schools

at Athens and gives his full name as Titus Aurelius Alexander.[1] His full nomenclature shows that his grandfather orother ancestor was probably given Roman citizenship by the emperor Antoninus Pius, while proconsul of Asia. Theinscription honours his father, also called Alexander and also a philosopher. This fact makes it plausible that some of the

suspect works that form part of Alexander's corpus should be ascribed to his father.[6]

Commentaries

Alexander composed several commentaries on the works of Aristotle, in which he sought to escape a syncretistic

tendency and to recover the pure doctrines of Aristotle.[7] His extant commentaries are on Prior Analytics (Book 1),

Topics, Meteorology, Sense and Sensibilia, and Metaphysics (Books 1-5).[8] The commentary on the Sophistical

Refutations is deemed spurious, as is the commentary on the final nine books of the Metaphysics.[9] The lostcommentaries include works on the De Interpretatione, Posterior Analytics, Physics, On the Heavens, On Generation

and Corruption, On the Soul, and On Memory.[9] Simplicius of Cilicia mentions that Alexander provided commentary

on the quadrature of the lunes, and the corresponding problem of squaring the circle.[10] In April 2007, it was reportedthat imaging analysis had discovered an early commentary on Aristotle's Categories in the Archimedes Palimpsest, and

Robert Sharples suggested Alexander as the most likely author.[11]

Alexander of Aphrodisias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Aphrodisias

1 of 5 2/28/2014 8:51 AM

Andrea Briosco, Aristotle and

Alexander of Aphrodisias, 16th

century plaquette, Bode-Museum

Original treatises

There are also several extant original writings by Alexander. These include: Onthe Soul, Problems and Solutions, Ethical Problems, On Fate, and On Mixture

and Growth.[8] Three works attributed to him are considered spurious: Medical

Questions, Physical Problems, and On Fevers.[8] Additional works by Alexanderare preserved in Arabic translation, these include: On the Principles of the

Universe,[12] On Providence, and Against Galen on Motion.[13]

On the Soul (De anima) is a treatise on the soul written along the lines suggested

by Aristotle in his own De anima.[14] Alexander contends that the undeveloped

reason in man is material (nous hulikos) and inseparable from the body.[7] He

argued strongly against the doctrine of the soul's immortality.[7] He identified theactive intellect (nous poietikos), through whose agency the potential intellect in

man becomes actual, with God.[7] A second book is known as the Supplement toOn the Soul (Mantissa). The Mantissa is a series of twenty-five separate pieces

of which the opening five deal directly with psychology.[15] The remainingtwenty pieces cover problems in physics and ethics, of which the largest group

deals with questions of vision and light, and the final four with fate and providence.[15] The Mantissa was probably not

written by Alexander in its current form, but much of the actual material may be his.[16]

Problems and Solutions (Quaestiones) consists of three books which, although termed "problems and solutions of

physical questions," treat of subjects which are not all physical, and are not all problems.[17] Among the sixty-nine itemsin these three books, twenty-four deal with physics, seventeen with psychology, eleven with logic and metaphysics, and

six with questions of fate and providence.[17] It is unlikely that Alexander wrote all of the Quaestiones, some may be

Alexander's own explanations, while others may be exercises by his students.[18]

Ethical Problems was traditionally counted as the fourth book of the Quaestiones.[17] The work is a discussion of ethical

issues based on Aristotle, and contains responses to questions and problems deriving from Alexander's school.[19] It islikely that the work was not written by Alexander himself, but rather by his pupils on the basis of debates involving

Alexander.[19]

On Fate is a treatise in which Alexander argues against the Stoic doctrine of necessity.[7] In On Fate Alexander deniedthree things - necessity (Greek: ἀνάγκη), the foreknowledge of fated events that was part of the Stoic identification ofGod and Nature, and determinism in the sense of a sequence of causes that was laid down beforehand (Greek:προκαταβεβλημένος) or predetermined by antecedents (Greek: προηγουμένος). He defended a view of moral

responsibility we would call libertarianism today.[20]

On Mixture and Growth discusses the topic of mixture of physical bodies.[21] It is both an extended discussion (and

polemic) on Stoic physics, and an exposition of Aristotelian thought on this theme.[21]

On the Principles of the Universe is preserved in Arabic translation. This treatise is not mentioned in surviving Greek

sources, but it enjoyed great popularity in the Muslim world, and a large number of copies have survived.[22] The mainpurpose of this work is to give a general account of Aristotelian cosmology and metaphysics, but it also has a polemical

tone, and it may be directed at rival views within the Peripatetic school.[23] Alexander was concerned with filling thegaps of the Aristotelian system and smoothing out its inconsistencies, while also presenting a unified picture of the world,

both physical and ethical.[24] The topics dealt with are the nature of the heavenly motions and the relationship between

the unchangeable celestial realm and the sublunar world of generation and decay.[24] His principal sources are the

Physics (book 7), Metaphysics (book 12), and the Pseudo-Aristotelian On the Universe.[24]

On Providence survives in two Arabic versions.[25] In this treatise, Alexander opposes the Stoic view that divine

providence extends to all aspects of the world; he regards this idea as unworthy of the gods.[25] Instead, providence is apower that emanates from the heavens to the sublunar region, and is responsible for the generation and destruction of

earthly things, without any direct involvement in the lives of individuals.[25]

Alexander of Aphrodisias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Aphrodisias

2 of 5 2/28/2014 8:51 AM

By the 6th century Alexander's commentaries on Aristotle were considered so useful that he was referred to as "the

commentator" (Greek: ὁ ἐξηγητής).[26] His commentaries were greatly esteemed among the Arabs, who translated many

of them,[7] and he is heavily quoted by Maimonides.

In 1210, the Church Council of Paris issued a condemnation, which probably targeted the writings of Alexander among

others.[27]

In the early Renaissance his doctrine of the soul's mortality was adopted by Pietro Pomponazzi (against the Thomists and

the Averroists),[7] and by his successor Cesare Cremonini. This school is known as Alexandrists.

Alexander's band, an optical phenomenon, is named after him.

Several of Alexander's works were published in the Aldine edition of Aristotle, Venice, 1495–1498; his De Fato and DeAnima were printed along with the works of Themistius at Venice (1534); the former work, which has been translatedinto Latin by Grotius and also by Schulthess, was edited by J. C. Orelli, Zürich, 1824; and his commentaries on the

Metaphysica by H. Bonitz, Berlin, 1847.[7] In 1989 the first part of his On Aristotle Metaphysics was published as partof the Ancient commentators project. Since then, other works of his have been translated into English.

^ a b A. Chaniotis, 'Epigraphic evidence for the philosopher Alexander of Aphrodisias', in Bulletin of the Institute ofClassical Studies, ISSN 0076-0730, v.47 (2004) pp. 79-81

1.

^ J.P. Lynch, Aristotle's School, Berkeley, 1972, p. 215. See Sosigenes the Peripatetic.2.^ See Alexander's Comm. in Arist. Meteor., p. 143.13 Hayduck (ὁ διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν Σωσιγένης), Themistius, Paraphr. inArist. de Anima, p. 61.23 Heinze, Ps.-Ammonius, Comm. in Arist. Anal. Pr. p. 39.24 Wallies, and Philoponus, Comm. inArist. Anal. Pr., p. 126.20-23 Wallies.

3.

^ Simplicius, Comm. in Arist. de Caelo, p. 430.32 Heiberg, quoting Alexander: Ἑρμίνου δέ...ἤκουσα, καθὰ ἦν καὶ ἐν τοῖςἈσπασίου φερόμενον, "I heard from Herminus, as was said among Aspasius' students..."

4.

^ Pierre Thillet, in his 1984 Budé edition of On Fate, has argued against Moraux's identification (Der Aristotelismus im I.und II. Jahrhundert n. Chr., vol. 2, 1984) of Aristotle of Mytilene as Alexander's teacher, pointing out that the text that hasbeen taken to mean this (On Fate, mantissa, p. 110.4 Bruns (http://books.google.com/books?id=bKYNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA110), Ἤκουσα...παρὰ Ἀριστοτέλους) could refer instead to Alexander's learning from the texts of Aristotle theStagirite. See R.W. Sharples, Classical Review, n.s., 36 (1986), p. 33 (http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0009-840X%281986%292%3A36%3A1%3C33%3AAOAOF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W). Cyril of Alexandria, AgainstJulian 2.38, may name Aristocles of Messene, but the text edited by Burguière and Évieux (Sources Chrétiennes 322, 1985)reads Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Ἀριστοτέλους μαθητὴς.

5.

^ R. Sharples, 'Implications of the new Alexander of Aphrodisias inscription', in Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies48 (2005) pp. 47-56.

6.

^ a b c d e f g h One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the publicdomain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Alexander of Aphrodisias" (http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Alexander_of_Aphrodisias). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press

7.

^ a b c Donald J. Zeyl, Daniel Devereux, Phillip Mitsis, (1997), Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy, page 20.8.^ a b William W. Fortenbaugh, R. W. Sharples, (2005), Theophrastus of Eresus, sources for his life, writings, thought andInfluence, page 22. BRILL

9.

^ Dunham, William. Journey through Genius, Penguin, 199110.^ "Text reveals more ancient secrets" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6591221.stm). BBC News. 2007-04-26.11.^ Charles Genequand, (2001), Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos. BRILL12.^ N. Rescher, M. E. Marmura, (1965), The Refutation by Alexander of Aphrodisias of Galen's Treatise on the Theory ofMotion. Islamic Research Institute

13.

^ Gerd Van Riel, 2010, Ancient Perspectives on Aristotle's de Anima, page 174. Leuven University Press14.^ a b Robert B. Todd, (1976), Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with PreliminaryEssays, Text, Translation and Commentary, page 18. BRILL

15.

^ "The two books of the De Anima differ markedly in form and content, and they were not originally a single work. Book I isgenerally recognized as authentic. Book II is almost certainly not by Alexander of Aphrodisias in its present form, thoughmuch of the material may be his or from his school." F. Edward Cranz, (1960), "Alexander Aphrodisiensis", in: CatalogusTranslationum et Commentariorum: Medieval and Renaissance Latin Translations and Commentaries, page 84. Vol. 1.

16.

Alexander of Aphrodisias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Aphrodisias

3 of 5 2/28/2014 8:51 AM

Washington.^ a b c Robert B. Todd, (1976), Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with PreliminaryEssays, Text, Translation and Commentary, page 19. BRILL

17.

^ R. W. Sharples, 1992, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Quaestiones 1.1-2.15, pages 3-4. Duckworth.18.^ a b Miira Tuominen, (2009), The ancient commentators on Plato and Aristotle, page 237. University of California Press19.^ Alexander of Aphrodisias (http://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/philosophers/alexander/)20.^ a b Robert B. Todd, (1976), Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with PreliminaryEssays, Text, Translation and Commentary, page ix. BRILL

21.

^ Charles Genequand, (2001), Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos, page 1. BRILL22.^ Charles Genequand, (2001), Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos, page 4. BRILL23.^ a b c Charles Genequand, (2001), Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos, page 6. BRILL24.^ a b c Robert W. Sharples, "The Peripatetic school", in David Furley (editor), (2003), From Aristotle to Augustine, pages159-160. Routledge

25.

^ Cf. Simplicius, in Phys. 707, 33; 1170, 13; 1176, 32; Philoponus, in An. Pr. 126, 21; Olympiodorus, in Meteor. 263, 21.But see Jonathan Barnes et al., (1991), Alexander of Aphrodisias, On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.1-7, page 4, who argue: "Inall these texts Alexander is indeed referred to by phrases such as 'the commentator' or 'Aristotle's commentator'; but thesephrases are not honorific titles - they are ordinary referring expressions. If, at the end of a book review, you read 'The authordeserves our thanks', you will rightly take this for praise - but you will not think that the author has been honoured as TheAuthor par excellence."

26.

^ G. Théry, Autour du décret de 1210: II, Alexandre d'Aphrodise. Aperçu sur l'influence de sa noétique, Kain, Belgium,1926, pp. 7 ff.

27.

Free will in antiquity

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911)."Alexander of Aphrodisias" (http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Alexander_of_Aphrodisias). EncyclopædiaBritannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press

Flannery, Kevin L. Ways into the Logic of Alexander of Aphrodisias, Leiden: Brill, 1995. ISBN 90-04-09998-0Gili, Luca. La sillogistica di Alessandro di Afrodisia. Sillogistica categorica e sillogistica modale nel commentoagli "Analitici Primi" di Aristotele, Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 2011. ISBN 978-3-487-14614-0Merlan, Philip (1970). "Alexander of Aphrodisias". Dictionary of Scientific Biography 1. New York: CharlesScribner's Sons. pp. 117––120. ISBN 0-684-10114-9.Moraux, Paul. Der Aristotelismus bei den Griechen, Von Andronikos bis Alexander von Aphrodisias, III:Alexander von Aphrodisias, Berlin: Walter Gruyter, 2001.Todd, Robert B., 'Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic Physics. A Study of the "De Mixtione" with PreliminaryEssays, Text, Translation and Commentary, Leiden: Brill, 1976. ISBN 90-04-04402-7Rescher, Nicholas & Marmura, Michael E., The Refutation by Alexander of Aphrodisias of Galen's Treatise onthe Theory of Motion., Islamabad: Islamic Research Institute, 1965. ISBN 0-19-636065-X

Translations

Alexandre D'Aphrodise. De l’Âme. Textes & Commentaires. Bergeron, M. and R. Dufour (trans., comm.). Paris:Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin, 2008. 416 p. ISBN 2-7116-1973-7R. W. Sharples, 1990, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Ethical Problems. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2241-2W. E. Dooley, 1989, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 1. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2243-9W. E. Dooley, A. Madigan, 1992, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 2-3. Duckworth. ISBN0-7156-2373-7A. Madigan, 1993, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 4. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2482-2W. Dooley, 1993, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 5. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2483-0E. Lewis, 1996, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Meteorology 4. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2684-1E. Gannagé, 2005, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On Coming-to-Be and Perishing 2.2-5. Duckworth.ISBN 0-7156-3303-1

Alexander of Aphrodisias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Aphrodisias

4 of 5 2/28/2014 8:51 AM

A. Towey, 2000, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On Sense Perception. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2899-2V. Caston, 2011, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On the Soul. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-3923-4J. Barnes, S. Bobzien, K. Flannery, K. Ierodiakonou, 1991, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle PriorAnalytics 1.1-7. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2347-8I. Mueller, J. Gould, 1999, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.8-13. Duckworth. ISBN0-7156-2855-0I. Mueller, J. Gould, 1999, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.14-22. Duckworth. ISBN0-7156-2876-3I. Mueller, 2006, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.23-31. Duckworth. ISBN0-7156-3407-0I. Mueller, 2006, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.32-46. Duckworth. ISBN0-7156-3408-9J. M. Van Ophuijsen, 2000, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Topics 1. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2853-4R. W. Sharples, 1983, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Fate. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-1739-7Charles Genequand, 2001, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-11963-9R. W. Sharples, 1992, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Quaestiones 1.1-2.15. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2372-9R. W. Sharples, 1994, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Quaestiones 2.16-3.15. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2615-9R. W. Sharples, 2004, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Supplement to On the Soul. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-3236-1

Alexander of Aphrodisias (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/alexander-aphrodisias) entry by Dorothea Frede in theStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyAlexander on Information Philosopher (http://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/philosophers/alexander/)Online Greek texts:

Scripta minora (http://books.google.com/books?id=bKYNAAAAIAAJ), ed. BrunsAristotelian commentaries: Metaphysics (http://books.google.com/books?id=6PJfAAAAMAAJ), PriorAnalytics I (http://books.google.com/books?id=06NfAAAAMAAJ), Topics (http://books.google.com/books?id=baRfAAAAMAAJ), De sensu and Meteorology (http://books.google.com/books?id=taRfAAAAMAAJ),

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexander_of_Aphrodisias&oldid=594456829"Categories: 2nd-century Greek people 2nd-century philosophers Commentators on AristotleRoman-era Peripatetic philosophers Roman-era philosophers in Athens Roman-era students in Athens

This page was last modified on 8 February 2014 at 02:09.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Byusing this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Alexander of Aphrodisias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_of_Aphrodisias

5 of 5 2/28/2014 8:51 AM