Andronicus of Rhodes was a Greek philosopher of the 1st century BCE. He served as the scholarch of the Peripatetic school in Athens, marking a period of revival for the Aristotelian tradition after a time of decline.
His fame rests on a single editorial project. According to ancient sources, the texts of Aristotle and his successor Theophrastus were in a poor and disorganized state. Andronicus is credited with obtaining copies, arranging them systematically by subject, and creating a comprehensive catalogue. This work fundamentally shaped the transmission of Aristotle's writings for later generations. He is often credited with establishing the title "Metaphysics" for one of Aristotle's key works, as he placed it "after the Physics" in his edition.
None of Andronicus's own writings survive today. His known works include a lost catalogue of Aristotle's texts and a treatise on how to divide Aristotle's writings. Other works, such as a text On Passions, which sorts the feelings into distress, fear, and desire, or a biography of Aristotle, are attributed to him, but these attributions are considered doubtful by scholars.
His role was almost entirely that of an editor and organiser. By rescuing and ordering the Aristotelian corpus, he ensured its survival and sparked a major revival of scholarly interest in Aristotle's philosophy, influencing all subsequent study.
Available Works
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