Commentaries on Aristotle

A great mass of literature has been produced to explain and clarify the works of Aristotle, especially during the ancient and medieval eras.

The pupils of Aristotle (384‍–‍322 BC) were the first to comment on his writings, a tradition which was continued by the Peripatetic school throughout the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Themistius (4th century), who taught at Constantinople with great success, paraphrased several of the works of Aristotle, particularly the Posterior Analytics, the Physics, and the book On the Soul.

[2] In the 6th century, Boethius entertained the design of translating into Latin the whole of Aristotle's and Plato's works and of showing their agreement—a gigantic plan, which he never executed.

[5] The physicians made a study of philosophy, and formulated theories; among them was Avicenna (c. 980-1037), who came from Bukhara, to the east of the Caspian Sea; he wrote a commentary on Aristotle.

In the 12th century Anna Comnena organised a group of scholars which included the commentators Michael of Ephesus,[3] and Eustratius of Nicaea who employed himself upon the dialectic and moral treatises, and whom she does not hesitate to elevate above the Stoics and Platonists for his talent in philosophical discussions.

[1] Nicephorus Blemmydes wrote logical and physical epitomes for the use of John III Doukas Vatatzes; George Pachymeres composed an epitome of the philosophy of Aristotle, and a compendium of his logic: Theodore Metochites, who was famous in his time for his eloquence and his learning, has left a paraphrase of the books of Aristotle on Physics, On the Soul, On the Heavens, etc.

Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and William of Ockham, among many others, wrote important philosophical works in the form of Aristotelian commentaries.

On this basis, 14th -century scholar Nicole Oresme translated Aristotle's moral works into French and wrote extensive comments on them.