The anonymous author of a commentary on Aristotle's Sophistical Refutations was a philosopher likely active in the late antique or early Byzantine period, around the 5th or 6th century CE. This era was marked by intense scholarly work to preserve and explain classical texts, particularly within schools following Aristotelian and Neoplatonic traditions. The author's identity is completely unknown, which was not uncommon for commentators whose works were copied and transmitted without their names.
The author's sole known work is a commentary on Aristotle's Sophistical Refutations, a logical treatise that analyzes fallacious arguments. According to the provided information, this commentary was written in verse. This format is highly unusual, as philosophical commentaries from this period were almost exclusively written in prose. No other specific titles or details of the author's reported six works are available in standard scholarly sources.
The historical importance of this figure would stem from this unique formal choice. A verse commentary on a technical work of logic would represent a rare fusion of poetic and philosophical writing in the late antique scholarly world. More broadly, commentators from this period played a crucial role as teachers and interpreters, helping to systematize Aristotle's logic and ensure its transmission to later Byzantine, Arabic, and Latin traditions. This anonymous author would be part of that broad effort of preservation and explanation, though the alleged verse format would set the work apart from the mainstream.
Available Works
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia Entry (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- IEP Entry (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- Oxford Research Encyclopedia Entry (Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics) Accessed: 2026-01-26