Aristotle's Metaphysics Lambda: Annotated Critical Edition Based upon a Systematic Investigation of Greek, Latin, Arabic and Hebrew Sources

307 Pages·2014·33.73 MB·English

by  Stefan Alexandru

Aristotle’s Metaphysics Lambda
Philosophia Antiqua
A Series of Studies on Ancient Philosophy
PreviousEditors
J.H.Waszink†
W.J.Verdenius†
J.C.M.VanWinden†
Editedby
K.A.Algra
F.A.J.deHaas
J.Mansfeld
C.J.Rowe
D.T.Runia
Ch.Wildberg
VOLUME135
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/pha
Aristotle’s Metaphysics Lambda
Annotated Critical Edition
Based upon a Systematic Investigation of
Greek, Latin, Arabic and Hebrew Sources
By
StefanAlexandru
LEIDEN|BOSTON
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Alexandru,Stefan,1966-
Aristotle'smetaphysicsLambda:annotatedcriticaleditionbaseduponasystematic
investigationofGreek,Latin,ArabicandHebrewsources/byStefanAlexandru.
pagescm.–(Philosophiaantiqua,ISSN0079-1687;Volume135)
OriginaltextinAncientGreek,commentaryinEnglish;someofthenotesinLatin;abstractin
English.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-90-04-24927-1(hardback:alk.paper)–ISBN978-90-04-25887-7(e-book)1.Aristotle.
Metaphysics.Book12.I.Aristotle.Metaphysics.Book12.II.Title.
B434.A9282013
110–dc23
2013037413
Thispublicationhasbeentypesetinthemultilingual“Brill”typeface.Withover5,100
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ISSN0079-1687
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ISBN978-90-04-25887-7(e-book)
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CONTENTS
PrefatoryNote .......................................................... vii
Acknowledgements..................................................... ix
PROLEGOMENA
I. ANew,IndependentManuscriptoftheTwelfthBookof
Aristotle’sMetaphysics ............................................. 3
NoteontheTranscription...................................... 13
PartialTranscriptionofCodexVaticanusGraecus115(Vk) ..... 15
II. TheAffiliationsoftheHithertoKnownCodices.................... 23
RelationshipsbetweentheIndependentCodicesofthe
αFamily.................................................... 24
ApographaBelongingtotheαTradition ....................... 28
RelationshipsbetweentheIndependentCodicesofthe
βFamily.................................................... 32
ContaminationintheHithertoKnownMSSofMetaph.Λ ..... 40
III. SourcesoftheIndirectTraditionandEditorialApproaches........ 71
TEXT
Conspectussiglorum ................................................... 83
Siglapercompendiumscripta.......................................... 85
Siglacommentariorumettranslationum............................... 86
Caputprimum.......................................................... 87
Caputsecundum ....................................................... 88
Caputtertium........................................................... 90
Caputquartum ......................................................... 92
Caputquintum ......................................................... 94
Caputsextum........................................................... 96
Caputseptimum........................................................ 98
Caputoctavum ......................................................... 102
Caputnonum........................................................... 107
Caputdecimum ........................................................ 108
vi contents
CriticalNotes ........................................................... 113
APPENDIX
AnAmplyAnnotatedHumanisticTranslationofMetaphysics
LambdaUndulyFallenintoOblivion............................... 155
AnInaccuratelyCataloguedGreekManuscriptfromtheRenaissance
Period .............................................................. 185
Bibliography ............................................................ 193
Abstract................................................................. 227
INDICES
Indexverborumpotiorum.............................................. 231
A Graecorum..................................................... 231
B Latinorum...................................................... 248
C Anglicorum .................................................... 260
D Gallicorum ..................................................... 274
E Germanicorum................................................. 274
F Italicorum...................................................... 275
Indexauctorumoperumtranslationum ................................ 276
Indexnominumpropriorum ........................................... 289
A Antiquorum.................................................... 289
B Aetatisquaevocaturmedia .................................... 290
C Aetatisrenascentiumlitterarum ............................... 290
D Recentiorismemoriae.......................................... 291
Indexgeographicus..................................................... 293
Indexcodicummanuscriptorum....................................... 294
Membradisiecta(papyraceaetmembranacea) .................... 295
Indeximaginumlucisopeimpressarum................................ 296
PREFATORYNOTE
ThetwelfthbookoftheMetaphysics,whichwasoriginallyanindependent
treatise,iscrucialfortheunderstandingofAristotle’sphilosophy,primarily
becausenosuchdiscussionofthehighestprinciple,viz.thePrimeMover,
canbefoundinanyoftheotherAristotelianwritings.Thecurrenteditionis
based,assuggestedbyW.Jaegeroverfiftyyearsago,1uponaninvestigationof
alltheknownGreekmanuscriptsaswellasuponanexaminationoftheearly
commentariesandtranslations.Theeditorconsidereditanimperativeduty
to scrutinize a considerable number of hitherto unduly neglected Greek,
Latin,ArabicandHebrewsources.
This published work represents a slightly revised version of a Doctoral
ThesisacceptedbytheUniversityofOxford,UnitedKingdom,intheAca-
demicYear2001/02.Theproofsofthisbookhavebeenlookedoverbearing
in mind a number of valuable suggestions made by Professor Dr. Robert
W.SharplesandProfessorDr.Dr.h.c.mult.RudolfKassel.
Itishopedthatthemanifoldsourcesgatheredhereforthefirsttimewill
gratify the reader, encouraging further Research into the fascinating and
partlystillunderstudiedworkknownasAristotle’sMetaphysics.
AparticularpleasureistothankHarvardUniversity,theRuprecht-Karls-
UniversitätHeidelbergandtheDeutscheForschungsgemeinschaftforhaving
advancedthepublicationofthisannotatedcriticaledition.
Cambridge,MA,20thofAugust2011
StefanAlexandru
1 Cf.Arist.,Metaph.ed.W.Jaeger,Oxford1957,v.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In the first place I should like to thank Professor Dr. Michael Frede, FBA,
MemberoftheAmericanAcademyofArtsandSciencesandFellowofthe
GöttingenAcademy;athissuggestionandunderhissupervisionthework
on this edition has been commenced. For assistance in matters of Greek
Palaeography and Editorial Technique I am much indebted to the Editor
andPalaeographerNigelGuyWilson,FBA.Dr.FritzWilhelmZimmermann
fromtheOrientalInstituteofOxfordUniversityofferedinvaluablesupport
as regards the Arabic translations of the Metaphysics. In his capacity as
DirectorofGraduateStudiesProfessorDr.MichaelWinterbottom,FBAtook
anactiveinterestintheResearchandofferedguidanceoncertainstemmatic
issues.
Moreover, I should like to express my heartfelt gratitude towards the
DirectoroftheBerlinAristoteles-Archiv,ProfessorDr.DieterHarlfinger,who
welcomed me to the German capital and put at my unrestricted disposal
scientific treasures accumulated there at the initiative of the Aristotelian
ScholarPaulMoraux.
TheGermanArabistsProfessorDr.GerhardEndreßandDr.RüdigerArn-
zenkindlygavemeaccesstothedatabaseoftheGreekandArabicLexicon
(GALex),advisingmeonaseriesofpassagesthat,forreasonsoftime,had
notbeendiscussedwiththeOxonianOrientalistDr.F.W.Zimmermann.
Selflessly the Professors Bernd Seidensticker, Karl Bormann, Armando
Petrucci,FrancescoDelPuntaandSalvatoreSettisfurtheredmyResearch
inGermanandItalianlibraries.ProfessorDr.R.W.Sharples,Directeurde
rechercheDr.DenisO’Brien,Prof.Dr.R.Brague,Dr.C.BrockmannandDr.
G. Vuillemin-Diem were extremely obliging when asked for advice. Like-
wise, I appreciate that the organisers of the Fourteenth Symposium Aris-
totelicumhaveputatmydisposaltypescriptsofthepresentedpapers.Addi-
tionally,IshouldliketosincerelythanktheUniversityLecturerinAncient
PhilosophyMrEdwardL.Hussey(AllSoulsCollege)andDr.Dr.h.c.Oswyn
Murray,FSA;asSeniorTutorofBalliolCollegeandPraefectusofHolywell
ManorthelatterstronglyencouragedandsupportedmyResearchatvari-
ousstages.
Furthermore,IammuchindebtedtotheScuolaNormaleSuperiore,Pisa,
whichinvitedmetoItalyasJuniorVisitingScholar,aswellastothelibraries
that hold manuscripts of this text. The staff of the Biblioteca Apostolica