THE ARABIC VERSIONS OF LATE ANTIQUE COMMENTARIES ON THE PYTHAGOREAN GOLDEN VERSES Cover Image

ARABSKIE WERSJE PÓŹNOANTYCZNYCH KOMENTARZY DO PITAGOREJSKIEGO ZŁOTEGO POEMATU
THE ARABIC VERSIONS OF LATE ANTIQUE COMMENTARIES ON THE PYTHAGOREAN GOLDEN VERSES

Author(s): Anna Izdebska
Subject(s): History
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Sub Lupa
Keywords: pitagoras; złoty poemat; późny antyk; golden verses; pythagoras; late antique

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this paper is to assess the authenticity of two Arabic commentaries on the Pythagorean Golden Verses attributed to Iamblichus and Proclus and unpreserved in Greek original. First, the Greek, Latin and Arabic traditions potentially referring to such a text are discussed. Second, the structure and the philosophical content of the commentaries are analysed, their key loci being compared to Greek works commenting on the poem. As a result, Pseudo-Iamblichus’s commentary turns out to be written or compiled by an author who did not have access to the Greek text of the poem and must have composed his text in Arabic. As for Pseudo-Proclus’s commentary, it seems to be a real translation of the Greek text, its authorship can tentatively be attributed to Proclus or another late antique Platonist. Both texts turn out to be very good examples of what the medieval Graeco-Arabic translation movement really was.

  • Issue Year: 2012
  • Issue No: XI
  • Page Range: 7-54
  • Page Count: 48
  • Language: Polish
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