Georgios Pachymeres (1242-1310) held a number of church and civil offices as well as pursuing an academic career in Constantinople. His commentary on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics displays the same emphasis on moral theory and practice as his other writings, say Xenophontos and Addey, which served philosophy students while also allowing for a hands-on use of ethics by achieving a philosophically minded life of self-control. They introduce their Greek edition and facing pages of English translation with essays on Pachymeres' life and work, the nature of commentary on Aristotle in his time, the manuscript tradition, paratextual elements, language, and other aspects. Annotation ©2022 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
The Greek commentary tradition devoted to explicating Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics (NE) was extensive. It began in antiquity with Aspasius and reached a point of immense sophistication in the twelfth century with the commentaries of Eustratius of Nicaea and Michael of Ephesus, which primarily served educational purposes. The use of Aristotles ethics in the classroom continued into the late Byzantine period, but until recently scholastic use of the NE was known mostly through George Pachymeres epitome of the NE (Book 11 of his Philosophia). This volume radically changes the landscape by providing the editio princeps of the last surviving exegetical commentary on the NE stricto sensu, also penned by Pachymeres. This represents a new witness to the importance of Aristotelian studies in the cultural revival of late Byzantium. The editio princeps is accompanied by an English translation and a thorough introduction, which offers an informed reading of the commentarys genre and layout, relationship to its sources, exegetical strategies, and philosophical originality. This book also includes the edition of diagrams and scholia accompanying Pachymeres exegesis, whose paratextual function is key to a full understanding of the work.
