Were Aristotle's Intentions in writing the De Anima Forgotten in Late Antiquity?, 1997
By: Blumenthal, Henry J.
Title Were Aristotle's Intentions in writing the De Anima Forgotten in Late Antiquity?
Type Article
Language English
Date 1997
Journal Documenti e Studi sulla Tradizione Filosofica Medievale
Volume 8
Pages 143–157
Categories no categories
Author(s) Blumenthal, Henry J.
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
In general we have to conclude that while the whole "Philoponus” commentary may include a number of explicit references to the biological writings, and while the real Philoponus may often refer to medical and scientific issues, there is no systematic bias towards explaining the contents of the De anima in terms of them. There is, however, just as in the Ps-Simplicius commentary, enough said about such matters, and enough reference made to other parts of the biological corpus, to show that the commentators were still aware of the original intentions of the work — or, at the very least, behaved as if they were — even if they did not always feel bound by them. That awareness was to survive into the Middle Ages as well. [Conclusion, p. 157]

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Iamblichus as a Commentator, 1997
By: Blumenthal, Henry J.
Title Iamblichus as a Commentator
Type Article
Language English
Date 1997
Journal Syllecta Classica
Volume 8
Pages 1–13
Categories no categories
Author(s) Blumenthal, Henry J.
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
Twenty two years ago, when tiiat growtii in interest in Neoplatonism which is a s??a?t??? of this conference was only just getting under way, two large booksappeared which will be famUiar to all who are interested in Iamblichus. I am referring,of course, to JM. Dillon's collection of die fragmentary remains of Iamblichus'commentaries on Plato's dialogues, supplied with an ample commentary to boot,1 andB. Dalsgaard Larsen's Jamblique de Chalets. Exégète et Philosophe, of which some240 pages are devoted to his role as exégète: a collection of exegetical fragmentsappeared as a 130 page appendix.2 Larsen's book covered the interpretation of bothPlato and Aristode, and pre-empted a second volume of Dillon's which was to dealwith Aristode. I mention these books because we are, inter alia, taking stock, and it isremarkable that not much attention has been paid since dien to Iamblichus' role as acommentator. Perhaps tiiey have had die same effect on die study of this aspect ofIamblichus as Proclus' work had on the interpretation of Plato at Alexandria.Be that as it may, I intend to look, not very originally, at Iamblichus' activitiesas a commentator on philosophical works— and so I shall say notiring about dietwenty-eight books or more of his lost commentary on die Chaldaean Oracles*— andalso to say sometiring, in die manner of core samples, about how his expositionscompare with those of the later commentators. Though the process can be traced back in part to Porphyry,4 I drink it is safe to say tiiat Iamblichus was the firstNeoplatonist, at least of those about whom we are reasonably well informed, to set outin a systematic way to write commentaries on the major works of both Plato and—inIamblichus' case to a lesser extent—Aristotle too. [pp. 1 ff.]

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Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity, 1993
By: Blumenthal, Henry J.
Title Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity
Type Article
Language English
Date 1993
Journal Illinois Classical Studies
Volume 18
Pages 307-325
Categories no categories
Author(s) Blumenthal, Henry J.
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
Any discussion of Greek Alexandria may properly take its starting point from the work of P. M. Fraser, even if only to dissent from it. In the preface to Ptolemaic Alexandria Fraser observes that philosophy was one of the “items” that “were not effectively transplanted to Alexandria.”1 In his chapter on philosophy, talking of the establishment of the main philosophical schools at Athens, Fraser writes that it “remained the centre of philosophical studies down to the closing of the schools by Justinian in A.D. 563.”2 The first of these statements is near enough the truth, since the Alexandria of the Ptolemies was not distinguished in philosophy as ifwas in literature or science, though even then some important things happened during that period too. But the implication that this situation continued during the Roman and early Byzantine periods is misleading, and by the end of the period simply false.3 The purpose of this paper is to examine some aspects of the considerable contribution that Alexandria made to the philosophical tradition that continued into the Islamic and Christian middle ages and beyond, and to show that it may lay claim to have been at least equal to that of Athens itself. [Introduction, p. 307]

{"_index":"sire","_type":"_doc","_id":"898","_score":null,"_source":{"id":898,"authors_free":[{"id":1326,"entry_id":898,"agent_type":null,"is_normalised":null,"person_id":108,"institution_id":null,"role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"},"free_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","free_first_name":"Henry J.","free_last_name":"Blumenthal","norm_person":{"id":108,"first_name":"Henry J.","last_name":"Blumenthal","full_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","short_ident":"","is_classical_name":null,"dnb_url":"http:\/\/d-nb.info\/gnd\/1051543967","viaf_url":"","db_url":"","from_claudius":null}}],"entry_title":"Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity","main_title":{"title":"Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity"},"abstract":"Any discussion of Greek Alexandria may properly take its starting point \r\nfrom the work of P. M. Fraser, even if only to dissent from it. In the preface \r\nto Ptolemaic Alexandria Fraser observes that philosophy was one of the \r\n\u201citems\u201d that \u201cwere not effectively transplanted to Alexandria.\u201d1 In his \r\nchapter on philosophy, talking of the establishment of the main \r\nphilosophical schools at Athens, Fraser writes that it \u201cremained the centre of \r\nphilosophical studies down to the closing of the schools by Justinian in A.D. \r\n563.\u201d2 The first of these statements is near enough the truth, since the \r\nAlexandria of the Ptolemies was not distinguished in philosophy as ifwas in \r\nliterature or science, though even then some important things happened \r\nduring that period too. But the implication that this situation continued \r\nduring the Roman and early Byzantine periods is misleading, and by the end \r\nof the period simply false.3 The purpose of this paper is to examine some \r\naspects of the considerable contribution that Alexandria made to the \r\nphilosophical tradition that continued into the Islamic and Christian middle \r\nages and beyond, and to show that it may lay claim to have been at least \r\nequal to that of Athens itself. [Introduction, p. 307]","btype":3,"date":"1993","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/LDONxIQ4990ZfXQ","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":108,"full_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}}],"book":null,"booksection":null,"article":{"id":898,"journal_id":null,"journal_name":"Illinois Classical Studies","volume":"18","issue":"","pages":"307-325"}},"sort":[1993]}

  • PAGE 1 OF 1
Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity, 1993
By: Blumenthal, Henry J.
Title Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity
Type Article
Language English
Date 1993
Journal Illinois Classical Studies
Volume 18
Pages 307-325
Categories no categories
Author(s) Blumenthal, Henry J.
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
Any  discussion of Greek Alexandria may properly  take  its starting point 
from the work of P. M. Fraser, even if only to dissent from it.  In the preface 
to Ptolemaic Alexandria Fraser observes  that philosophy  was one of the 
“items”  that  “were  not  effectively  transplanted  to  Alexandria.”1  In  his 
chapter  on  philosophy,  talking  of  the  establishment  of  the  main 
philosophical schools at Athens, Fraser writes that it “remained the centre of 
philosophical studies down to the closing of the schools by Justinian in A.D. 
563.”2  The  first of these  statements  is  near enough  the  truth,  since  the 
Alexandria of the Ptolemies was not distinguished in philosophy as ifwas in 
literature or  science,  though  even  then  some important things  happened 
during  that period too.  But the  implication  that  this  situation  continued 
during the Roman and early Byzantine periods is misleading, and by the end 
of the period simply false.3  The purpose of this paper is to examine some 
aspects  of  the  considerable  contribution  that  Alexandria  made  to  the 
philosophical tradition that continued into the Islamic and Christian middle 
ages and beyond, and to show  that it may lay claim  to have been at least 
equal to that of Athens itself. [Introduction, p. 307]

{"_index":"sire","_type":"_doc","_id":"898","_score":null,"_source":{"id":898,"authors_free":[{"id":1326,"entry_id":898,"agent_type":null,"is_normalised":null,"person_id":108,"institution_id":null,"role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"},"free_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","free_first_name":"Henry J.","free_last_name":"Blumenthal","norm_person":{"id":108,"first_name":"Henry J.","last_name":"Blumenthal","full_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","short_ident":"","is_classical_name":null,"dnb_url":"http:\/\/d-nb.info\/gnd\/1051543967","viaf_url":"","db_url":"","from_claudius":null}}],"entry_title":"Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity","main_title":{"title":"Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity"},"abstract":"Any discussion of Greek Alexandria may properly take its starting point \r\nfrom the work of P. M. Fraser, even if only to dissent from it. In the preface \r\nto Ptolemaic Alexandria Fraser observes that philosophy was one of the \r\n\u201citems\u201d that \u201cwere not effectively transplanted to Alexandria.\u201d1 In his \r\nchapter on philosophy, talking of the establishment of the main \r\nphilosophical schools at Athens, Fraser writes that it \u201cremained the centre of \r\nphilosophical studies down to the closing of the schools by Justinian in A.D. \r\n563.\u201d2 The first of these statements is near enough the truth, since the \r\nAlexandria of the Ptolemies was not distinguished in philosophy as ifwas in \r\nliterature or science, though even then some important things happened \r\nduring that period too. But the implication that this situation continued \r\nduring the Roman and early Byzantine periods is misleading, and by the end \r\nof the period simply false.3 The purpose of this paper is to examine some \r\naspects of the considerable contribution that Alexandria made to the \r\nphilosophical tradition that continued into the Islamic and Christian middle \r\nages and beyond, and to show that it may lay claim to have been at least \r\nequal to that of Athens itself. [Introduction, p. 307]","btype":3,"date":"1993","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/LDONxIQ4990ZfXQ","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":108,"full_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}}],"book":null,"booksection":null,"article":{"id":898,"journal_id":null,"journal_name":"Illinois Classical Studies","volume":"18","issue":"","pages":"307-325"}},"sort":["Alexandria as a Center of Greek Philosophy in Later Classical Antiquity"]}

Iamblichus as a Commentator, 1997
By: Blumenthal, Henry J.
Title Iamblichus as a Commentator
Type Article
Language English
Date 1997
Journal Syllecta Classica
Volume 8
Pages 1–13
Categories no categories
Author(s) Blumenthal, Henry J.
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
Twenty two years ago, when tiiat growtii in interest in Neoplatonism which is a
s??a?t??? of this conference was only just getting under way, two large booksappeared which will be famUiar to all who are interested in Iamblichus. I am referring,of course, to JM. Dillon's collection of die fragmentary remains of Iamblichus'commentaries on Plato's dialogues, supplied with an ample commentary to boot,1 andB. Dalsgaard Larsen's Jamblique de Chalets. Exégète et Philosophe, of which some240 pages are devoted to his role as exégète: a collection of exegetical fragmentsappeared as a 130 page appendix.2 Larsen's book covered the interpretation of bothPlato and Aristode, and pre-empted a second volume of Dillon's which was to dealwith Aristode. I mention these books because we are, inter alia, taking stock, and it isremarkable that not much attention has been paid since dien to Iamblichus' role as acommentator. Perhaps tiiey have had die same effect on die study of this aspect ofIamblichus as Proclus' work had on the interpretation of Plato at Alexandria.Be that as it may, I intend to look, not very originally, at Iamblichus' activitiesas a commentator on philosophical works— and so I shall say notiring about dietwenty-eight books or more of his lost commentary on die Chaldaean Oracles*— andalso to say sometiring, in die manner of core samples, about how his expositionscompare with those of the later commentators. Though the process can be traced back in part to Porphyry,4 I drink it is safe to say tiiat Iamblichus was the firstNeoplatonist, at least of those about whom we are reasonably well informed, to set outin a systematic way to write commentaries on the major works of both Plato and—inIamblichus' case to a lesser extent—Aristotle too. [pp. 1 ff.]

{"_index":"sire","_type":"_doc","_id":"895","_score":null,"_source":{"id":895,"authors_free":[{"id":1321,"entry_id":895,"agent_type":null,"is_normalised":null,"person_id":108,"institution_id":null,"role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"},"free_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","free_first_name":"Henry J.","free_last_name":"Blumenthal","norm_person":{"id":108,"first_name":"Henry J.","last_name":"Blumenthal","full_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","short_ident":"","is_classical_name":null,"dnb_url":"http:\/\/d-nb.info\/gnd\/1051543967","viaf_url":"","db_url":"","from_claudius":null}}],"entry_title":"Iamblichus as a Commentator","main_title":{"title":"Iamblichus as a Commentator"},"abstract":"Twenty two years ago, when tiiat growtii in interest in Neoplatonism which is a\r\ns??a?t??? of this conference was only just getting under way, two large booksappeared which will be famUiar to all who are interested in Iamblichus. I am referring,of course, to JM. Dillon's collection of die fragmentary remains of Iamblichus'commentaries on Plato's dialogues, supplied with an ample commentary to boot,1 andB. Dalsgaard Larsen's Jamblique de Chalets. Ex\u00e9g\u00e8te et Philosophe, of which some240 pages are devoted to his role as ex\u00e9g\u00e8te: a collection of exegetical fragmentsappeared as a 130 page appendix.2 Larsen's book covered the interpretation of bothPlato and Aristode, and pre-empted a second volume of Dillon's which was to dealwith Aristode. I mention these books because we are, inter alia, taking stock, and it isremarkable that not much attention has been paid since dien to Iamblichus' role as acommentator. Perhaps tiiey have had die same effect on die study of this aspect ofIamblichus as Proclus' work had on the interpretation of Plato at Alexandria.Be that as it may, I intend to look, not very originally, at Iamblichus' activitiesas a commentator on philosophical works\u2014 and so I shall say notiring about dietwenty-eight books or more of his lost commentary on die Chaldaean Oracles*\u2014 andalso to say sometiring, in die manner of core samples, about how his expositionscompare with those of the later commentators. Though the process can be traced back in part to Porphyry,4 I drink it is safe to say tiiat Iamblichus was the firstNeoplatonist, at least of those about whom we are reasonably well informed, to set outin a systematic way to write commentaries on the major works of both Plato and\u2014inIamblichus' case to a lesser extent\u2014Aristotle too. [pp. 1 ff.]","btype":3,"date":"1997","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/uYBsFlDm7T54N7r","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":108,"full_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}}],"book":null,"booksection":null,"article":{"id":895,"journal_id":null,"journal_name":"Syllecta \tClassica","volume":"8","issue":"","pages":"1\u201313"}},"sort":["Iamblichus as a Commentator"]}

Were Aristotle's Intentions in writing the De Anima Forgotten in Late Antiquity?, 1997
By: Blumenthal, Henry J.
Title Were Aristotle's Intentions in writing the De Anima Forgotten in Late Antiquity?
Type Article
Language English
Date 1997
Journal Documenti e Studi sulla Tradizione Filosofica Medievale
Volume 8
Pages 143–157
Categories no categories
Author(s) Blumenthal, Henry J.
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
In general we have to conclude that while the whole "Philoponus” commentary may include a number of explicit references to the biological writings, and while the real Philoponus may often refer to medical and scientific issues, there is no systematic  bias towards explaining the contents of the De anima in terms of them. There is, however, just as in the Ps-Simplicius commentary, enough said about such matters, and 
enough reference made to other parts of the biological corpus, to show that the commentators were still aware of the original intentions of the work — or, at the very least, behaved as if they were — even if they did not always feel bound by them. That awareness was to survive into the Middle Ages as well. [Conclusion, p. 157]

{"_index":"sire","_type":"_doc","_id":"893","_score":null,"_source":{"id":893,"authors_free":[{"id":1316,"entry_id":893,"agent_type":null,"is_normalised":null,"person_id":108,"institution_id":null,"role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"},"free_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","free_first_name":"Henry J.","free_last_name":"Blumenthal","norm_person":{"id":108,"first_name":"Henry J.","last_name":"Blumenthal","full_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","short_ident":"","is_classical_name":null,"dnb_url":"http:\/\/d-nb.info\/gnd\/1051543967","viaf_url":"","db_url":"","from_claudius":null}}],"entry_title":"Were Aristotle's Intentions in writing the De Anima Forgotten in Late Antiquity?","main_title":{"title":"Were Aristotle's Intentions in writing the De Anima Forgotten in Late Antiquity?"},"abstract":"In general we have to conclude that while the whole \"Philoponus\u201d commentary may include a number of explicit references to the biological writings, and while the real Philoponus may often refer to medical and scientific issues, there is no systematic bias towards explaining the contents of the De anima in terms of them. There is, however, just as in the Ps-Simplicius commentary, enough said about such matters, and \r\nenough reference made to other parts of the biological corpus, to show that the commentators were still aware of the original intentions of the work \u2014 or, at the very least, behaved as if they were \u2014 even if they did not always feel bound by them. That awareness was to survive into the Middle Ages as well. [Conclusion, p. 157]","btype":3,"date":"1997","language":"English","online_url":"","online_resources":"https:\/\/uni-koeln.sciebo.de\/s\/qhZRe3zhqqbPUeO","doi_url":null,"categories":[],"authors":[{"id":108,"full_name":"Blumenthal, Henry J.","role":{"id":1,"role_name":"author"}}],"book":null,"booksection":null,"article":{"id":893,"journal_id":null,"journal_name":"Documenti e Studi sulla Tradizione Filosofica Medievale","volume":"8","issue":"","pages":"143\u2013157"}},"sort":["Were Aristotle's Intentions in writing the De Anima Forgotten in Late Antiquity?"]}

  • PAGE 1 OF 1