David (commentator)
David (Greek: Δαυΐδ; fl. 6th century) was a Greek scholar and a commentator on Aristotle and Porphyry.
He may have come from Thessaly, but in later times he was confused with an Armenian of the same name (David Anhaght).[1] He was a pupil of Olympiodorus in Alexandria in the late 6th century.[1][2] His name suggests that he was a Christian.[3]
Three commentaries to Aristotle's works attributed to him have survived:[1][4] as well as an introduction to philosophy (prolegomena):
- Definitions and Divisions of Philosophy
- Commentary on Porphyry's Isagoge
- Commentary on Aristotle's Categories
- Commentary on Aristotle's Prior Analytics (in Armenian)
All these works will be published, with an English translation, in the series Commentaria in Aristotelem Armeniaca - Davidis Opera (five volumes), edited by Jonathan Barnes andValentina Calzolari.
Another anonymous commentary on Porphyry's Isagoge which was falsely ascribed to Elias (pseudo-Elias), was also falsely ascribed to David.[5]
Notes
- 1 2 3 Pamela M. Huby, R. W. Sharples, Dimitri Gutas, 1995, Theophrastus of Eresus, Sources for His Life, Writings, Thought and Influence, page 16. Brill.
- ↑ Jonathan Barnes, 2006, Porphyry Introduction, page xxi. Oxford University Press
- ↑ Richard Sorabji, (1990), Aristotle transformed: the ancient commentators and their influence, page 36.
- ↑ D. N. Sedley, 2003, The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy, page 249.
- ↑ Pamela M. Huby, R. W. Sharples, Dimitri Gutas, 1995, Theophrastus of Eresus, Sources for His Life, Writings, Thought and Influence, page 17. Brill.
Bibliography
- A. Busse (ed.), Eliae in Porphyrii Isagogen et Aristotelis Categorias commentaria, Berlin, 1900 (Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca, XVIII-1).
- A. Busse (ed.), Davidis Prolegomena et in Porphyrii Isagogen commentarium, Berlin, 1904 (Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca, XVIII-2).
- B. Kendall, R. W. Thomson (eds.), Definitions and Divisions of Philosophy by David the Invincible Philosopher, English Translation of the Old Armenian Version with Introduction and Notes, Chico, CA, 1983.
- V. Calzolari, J. Barnes (eds.), L'œuvre de David l'Invincible et la transmission de la pensée grecque dans la tradition arménienne et syriaque (CAA. Davidis Opera 1), Leiden - Boston: Brill, 2009 (Philosophia Antiqua 116).
- A. Topchyan (ed.), David the Invincible, Commentary on Aristotle's Prior Analytics. Old Armenian Text with an English Translation, Introduction and Notes (CAA. Davidis Opera 2), Leiden - Boston: Brill, 2010 (Philosophia Antiqua 122).
- G. Muradyan (ed.), David the Invincible Commentary on Porphyry’s Isagoge. Old Armenian Text with an English Translation, Introduction and Notes (CAA. Davidis Opera 3), Leiden - Boston: Brill, 2014 (Philosophia Antiqua 137).
External links
- David entry by Christian Wildberg in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy