What is it about?
The philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) was credited with various letters in antiquity. The earliest material that was in circulation (probably already shortly after his death) appears to be genuine or at least reflects a good knowledge of the details regarding Aristotle's life. However, this seemingly genuine material is now lost. We know only some information based on references to these letters in later writers. These now lost letters were addressed to both famous men he had personal ties with (such as king Philip II, Alexander the Great and Antipater) but also to less famous people. By the time Aristotle's works were rediscovered and edited in the first century BC by Andronicus of Rhodes, some spurious letters appears to have infiltrated the corpus, in particular a letter to Alexander the Great, in which Aristotle defends his decision to publish his esoteric philosophical works. The last stage in the evolution is the creation of a set of spurious letters in late antiquity. These are the only letters attributed to Aristotle that are fully preserved. They probably originated as a rhetorical exercise (perhaps by a Christian author). They are filled with philosophical platitudes and, unlike the lost letters, show no real knowledge of Aristotle's life.
Featured Image
Photo by Tzenik on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This contribution shows how the corpus of letters attributed to Aristotle changed overtime. One of the interesting details is the difference with his teacher Plato, for whom a set of thirteen philosophical letters are preserved. Unlike with Plato, the material attributed to Aristotle appears to have been much more disparate. The now lost letters were well-informed about Aristotle's life, but the extant letters show virtually no knowledge of it and only a very rudimentary knowledge of his philosophy.
Perspectives
The figure of Aristotle continues to speak to the imagination. Many modern sciences and disciplines have their roots in the research he conducted as head of his own school in Athens in the fourth century BC. Modern philosophy is also highly indebted to him and is often still in dialogue with him. The letters (whether the genuine ones or the late antique forgeries), however, are a usually overlooked sideshow. Yet they tell us some important details. The lost letters give a few glimpses into his personal life and his ambitions, while the extant late antique letters tell us what centuries later people imagined Aristotle was like. This type of reimagining is what often happens to important historical figures, which often results in historical fiction or the creation of a whole legend around them. Did you know that Aristotle was the mastermind behind the plot to poison his own former pupil Alexander the Great? Well neither did I! It's a fiction you read in some later accounts of Alexander's life and military campaign.
Gertjan Verhasselt
Universita degli Studi di Padova
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Letters of Aristotle, April 2026, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004736696-011.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
