Aristotle’s Zoology and its Renaissance Commentators (1521-1601)

Almost neglected in the Middle Ages, Aristotle's libri de animalibus received increasing attention in the Cinquecento, and were often commented on by several professional Aristotelians. Through close scrutiny of unpublished and rare texts, Dr. Perfetti reconstructs this commentary tradition: a parabola that goes from Pomponazzi's lessons on the De partibus animalium (held in Bologna, 1521-23) up to the publication of Cristoforo Guarinoni's Commentaria in primum librum De historia animalium, Frankfurt 1601, and includes other bright lights of the Aristotelian scene, such as Niccolò Leonico Tomeo, Agostino Nifo, Julius Caesar Scaliger, Simone Porzio, Francesco Vimercato, and Cesare Cremonini (while a sort of paragraph zero is devoted to Theodore Gaza). The author pays special attention to the peculiar techniques of analysis employed by each commentator and to the balance between philology, erudition, and natural philosophy. This study also provides a reading key that explains the reasons of this renewed interest for philosophical zoology in the first half of the century and explains why commentators transformed their use of Aristotle's zoology throughout the second half of the century, to reach, eventually, the extinction of exegesis per modum commenti.

"Aristotle’s Zoology and its Renaissance Commentators (1521-1601)" was written by Stefano Perfetti.

Yes, "Aristotle’s Zoology and its Renaissance Commentators (1521-1601)" is part of the "Ancient and Medieval Philosophy - Series 1" series. It's book 27 in the series.

In association with The De Wulf-Mansion Centre.

About the Series

The series' focus lies primarily on the continuity and thematic transitions between ancient, medieval and renaissance thought, but also includes volumes on specific topics related to any of those periods. ‘Philosophy' is understood broadly to include metaphysics, ethics, natural philosophy, epistemology and philosophy of mind, and philosophical theology. Since the series is particularly devoted to making available Latin and Greek source texts, we welcome critical text editions as well as contributions that are based on philological scrutiny of those texts, without losing sight of their philosophical importance.

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy - Series 1 aims to publish at least two volumes a year and accepts monographs as well as thematically coherent edited volumes in English (without excluding the possibility of French, German, or Italian contributions to edited volumes). Manuscripts should be 80.000 to 120.000 words in length.

Readership

Researchers and graduate students in ancient, medieval and renaissance philosophy, in classics and in history.

Editorial Coordinator

Russell Friedman, KU Leuven, Belgium

Editorial Board

Pieter Beullens, KU Leuven, Belgium
Lisa Devriese, KU Leuven, Belgium
Pieter d'Hoine, KU Leuven, Belgium
Jan Opsomer, KU Leuven, Belgium
Jenny Pelletier, KU Leuven, Belgium
Andrea Robiglio, KU Leuven, Belgium
Carlos Steel, KU Leuven, Belgium
Gerd Van Riel, KU Leuven, Belgium

Advisory Board

Brad Inwood, Yale Universityo, USA
Jill Kraye, The Warburg Institute, London, United Kingdom
John Marenbon, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Lodi Nauta, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Timothy Noone (†) , The Catholic University of America, USA
Robert Pasnau, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA
Martin Pickavé, University of Toronto, Canada,
Pasquale Porro, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Geert Roskam, KU Leuven, Belgium

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Links & Resources

Introduction

A postponed occasion: the 15th century preface by Theodore Gaza

I. Scholastic Architecture and Humanist Philology

Pietro Pomponazzi
NiccolಠLeonico Tomeo
Agostino Nifo

II. A new exegetic tradition

Simone Porzio
Francesco Vimercato
Julius Cesar Scaliger

III Discourse on the soul and on methods

Cesare Odoni
Daniel Furlanus
Cesare Cremonini
Cristoforo Guarinoni

Conclusion: the dissolution of a genre

Bibliography
Index locorum Aristotelis
Index nominum