Abstract
Arethas is a representative of “the first Byzantine Renaissance” and a major figure in the transitional period of Byzantine intellectual history in the ninth and tenth centuries. He commented on ancient philosophical works and recognized the importance of philosophical learning. He provided a transcription of a complete copy of Plato’s works to which he added marginal notes. He is the author of a collection of scholia on Aristotle’s texts. His importance as a student of Aristotle’s works consists in his adoption of late Alexandrian Neoplatonism and his dependence on Porphyry’s ontology. Arethas promoted encyclopedic curiosity and encouraged the copying of ancient manuscripts. Much of our knowledge of Greek antiquity is the direct result of his work.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Arethas (1968/1972) Arethae archiepiscopi Caesariensis scripta minora, vols 1–2, ed. Westerink LG. Teubner, Leipzig, vol 1, pp 1–183, 186–294, 296–340, 342–362; vol 2, pp 1–139
Arethas (1994a) Scholia in Aristotelis categorias, Arethas of Caesarea’s Scholia on Porphyry’s Isagoge and Aristotle’s Categories (Codex Vaticanus Urbinas Graecus 35). Corpus philosophorum Medii Aevi. Commentaria in Aristotelem Byzantina 1, ed. Share M. The Academy of Science/J. Vrin/Éditions Ousia, Athens/Paris/ Bruxelles, pp 131–229
Arethas (1994b) Scholia in Porphyrii eisagogen, Arethas of Caesarea´s Scholia on Porphyry´s Isagoge and Aristotle’s Categories (Codex Vaticanus Urbinas Graecus 35). Corpus philosophorum Medii Aevi. Commentaria in Aristotelem Byzantina 1, ed. Share M. The Academy of Science/J. Vrin/Éditions Ousia, Athens/Paris/Bruxelles, pp 1–130
Secondary Sources
Anton JP (1997) Neoplatonic elements in Arethas´ Scholia on Aristotle and Porphyry. In: Benakis LG (ed) Néoplatonisme et Philosophie Médiéval. Actes du Colloque international, Société International pour l’ Étude de la Philosophie Médiéval (Octobre 1995). Brepols, Turnhout pp 291–306
Benakis LG (1972) Ή γένεση της λογικής ψυχής στον ‘Αριστοτέλη και στη χριστιανική σκέψη. Με αϕορμή ενα νέο κείμενο το…. Άρέθα (Scripta minora I, 343, 1–17 Westerink). Φιλοσοϕία 2:327–336
Brumbaugh R (1961) Logical and mathematical symbolism in the Platonic scholars. J Warburg Courtauld Inst 24:45–58
Ierodiakonou K (2005) The Byzantine reception of Aristotle´s categories. Synthesis Philosophica 39:7–31
Kotzia-Panteli P (1996) On Arethas of Caesarea’s Scholia on Porphyry’s Isagoge and Aristotle’s Categories. ῾Ελληνικά 46:396–410
Lemerle P (1971) Le premier humanisme byzantin. Presses Universitaires de France, Paris
Oehler K (1964) Aristotle in Byzantium. Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 5:133–146
Tatakis B (1949) La philosophie byzantine. Presses Universitaires de France, Paris
Westerink LG, Laourdas B (1962) Scholia by Arethas in Vindob. Phil. Gr. 314. ῾Ελληνικά 17:105–131
Whittaker J (1991) Arethas and the ‘Collection philosophique.’ In: Harlfinger D, Prato G (eds) Paleografia e codicologia greca. Atti del II Colloquio internazionale (Berlino-Wolfenbüttel, 17–21 ottobre 1983). Edizioni dell´Orso, Allesandria, pp 513–521
Wilson NG (1983) Scholars of Byzantium. Duckworth, London, pp 120–135
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Matula, J. (2011). Arethas of Caesarea. In: Lagerlund, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9729-4_50
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9729-4_50
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9728-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9729-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law