XO29 De regimine principum

De regimine principum, Germany XV c.

Penn Libraries, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 917

Written in 15th-century Germany, this manuscript features an excerpt on health questions from the pseudo-Aristotelian Secretum Secretorum, using the 12th-century Latin translation from the Arabic by Johannes Hispalensis. The excerpt is followed by a 215-line poem on friendship, attributed to Cicero in reference to his De amicitia. Throughout several historical developments regarding matters of health - mentioning, for instance, the bubonic plague of the preceding century, and food shortages - (pseudo-)Aristotle remained relevant. This work lays bare the relevance of Aristotle - or what was taken to be him - not as an authority on philosophical matters far removed from everyday concerns, but as an expert for specific, concrete problems such as health. It further prompts us to consider the long life of (pseudo-)Aristotle and what was taken to be an authentic work - if the original Arabic version was written in the 10th century, this Latin piece (approximately) marks its quincentennial.

Sarah Marie Leitenberger