Simplicius: On Aristotle Physics 1.5-9

Simplicius'' greatest contribution in his commentary on Aristotle on Physics 1.5-9 lies in his treatment of matter. The sixth-century philosopher starts with a valuable elucidation of what Aristotle means by ''principle'' and ''element'' in Physics. Simplicius'' own conception of matter is of a quantity that is utterly diffuse because of its extreme distance from its source, the Neoplatonic One, a...