Alexander of Aphrodisias in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

An original thinker in his own right and the greatest ancient commentator on Aristotle, Alexander of Aphrodisias (fl. 200 AD) contributed in a crucial way to canonize Aristotle as an indispensable reference for philosophy of all times. The greatest ancient interpreter of Aristotle, Alexander of Aphrodisias (fl. 200 AD) exerted a profound and enduring influence upon philosophy that extended from Boethius until the modern era. Alexander's interpretations laid the foundation for multiple philosophical views which were promoted as quintessentially Aristotelian by both Islamic and Latin thinkers throughout the Middle Ages. In the Renaissance, the University of Padua, a leading center of philosophical education and thought, established a scholarly tradition named "Alexandrinism" after him.