Elias and david: introductions to philosophy with olympiodorus: introduction to logic, Gertz, Sebastian (research Associate To The Ancient Commentators On Aristotle Project At King`s College London, University Of Oxford, Uk)

The three ancient philosophical introductions translated in this volume flesh out our picture of what it would have been like to sit in a first-year Philosophy course in ancient Alexandria.

Ammonius (AD 445-517/26) set up a new teaching programme in Alexandria with up to six introductions to the philosophy curriculum, which made it far more accessible, and encouraged its spread from Greek to other cultures. This volumes three introductory texts include one by his student Olympiodorus and one each by Olympiodorus students Elias and David.

Elias Introductions to Philosophy starts with six definitions of Philosophy, to which David adds replies to the sceptical question whether there is such a thing as Philosophy. Olympiodorus text translated here is an Introduction to Logic, which is just one of the three introductions he wrote himself.