The author known as the Anonymous Commentary on Aristotle was a philosopher writing sometime between the 2nd and 6th centuries CE, a period known as Late Antiquity. They were part of the long tradition of Aristotelian scholarship, likely working within a philosophical school where teaching and interpreting Aristotle's works was a central activity. No biographical details about the individual are known.
Their sole surviving work is an extensive Commentary on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, which covers at least Books II through V of Aristotle's text. This work is a prime example of the line-by-line explanatory style used to teach philosophy in antiquity. According to modern scholars, its survival makes it a valuable witness to how Aristotle's ethical ideas were studied and debated in the classroom for centuries after his death. The commentary also has textual importance, as it may preserve alternative readings of Aristotle's original work.
The date of the commentary is uncertain, falling within a broad range when such scholarly activity was common. Its significance lies in helping to fill a gap in our understanding of the Aristotelian tradition between earlier and later, more famous commentators.
Available Works
Sources
- Perseus Entry (Perseus Digital Library) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- Stanford Encyclopedia Entry (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26