Plato and the Greek Commentators

In Plato's Late Ontology: A Riddle Resolved (Princeton University Press, 1983: reprinted by Parmenides Publishing, 2005), Kenneth Sayre argues that the doctrines involving the Great and the Small attributed to Plato by Aristotle in Metaphysics A can be found expressed in other terms in the Parmenides and the Philebus. Sayre's later Metaphysics and Method in Plato's Statesman makes a similar claim for the Statesman. The argument in both cases rests, in large part, upon a set of synonymous expressions for the Great and the Small used by Aristotle's Greek commentators of the 4th through 6th centuries A.D.

A list of passages in which these synonyms figure is show below. Since most of the passages in question have not yet been translated, it is relevant to seek input from active scholars in the field regarding both the accuracy of the present list and other passages that might be added. Please address comments and contributions to Professor Sayre at ksayre@nd.edu.

Equivalents for the Great and the Small in Aristotle and his Commentators

	Aristotle Physics Metaphysics	Alexander on Aristotle’s Metaphysics	Themistius Paraphrase of Aristotle’s Physics	Philoponus on Aristotle’s Physics	Simplicius on Aristotle’s Physics
(the) Great and (the) Small	187a16-17 (pl) 192a11-12 203a15 (pl) 209b33-35 (pl) 987b26 (pl) 988a13-14 (pl) 988a26 (pl) 992b1-7 1083b24 1083b32 1085a9 1087b7-10 1088a15-16 1089a35-36 1090b36-37 1091a10 1091a24 1091b32	54.12 547-11 (pl) 56.13-18 56,32(pl) 60.4-5 (pl) 86,12 117.26-27 122.10 (pl) 122.19-23 203.29-32 (pl) 228.13-14 (pl) 796.12-17 796.36-38 (pl) 797.3-6 (pl) 797.14-15 800.29-30 801.8-12 808.1-2 (pl) 809.15-16 809.32-33 (pl) 820.2 (pl)	13.13-15 (pl) 80.25-26 (pl) 93.31	91.28-29 (pl) 92.27-30 (pl) 123.15 (pl) 388.10 (pl) 389.17-18 (pl) 395.1-7 (pl) 473.5-9 (pl) 480.12-13 (pl) 541.12 (pl)	150.12-15 (pl) 151.7 (pl) 151.12-15 (pl) 189.9-11 (pl) 204.6-8 204.14 (pl) 248.1 (pl) 248.5-8 431.8 (pl) 453.25-36 (pl) 454.6-13 454.32-36 (pl) 455.5 (pl) 455.9-11 (pl) 455.15-16 (pl) 458.11-15 (pl) 493.17-18 (pl) 499.4-6 (pl) 503.13-17 (pl) 542.10 (pl)
The Indefinite Dyad	1081a14-15 1081a22 1081b21 1081b26 1081b32 1082a13 1082b30 1083b36 1085b7 1088a15-16 1088b28-29 1089a35-36 1091a5	56.18-20 (pl) 58.2-3 (pl) 70.7 (pl) 85.17-24 86.1 117.26-27 122.10 (pl) 123.3 203.27-32 (pl) 228.13-14 (pl) 705.24-25 780.19 (pl) 796.36-38 (pl) 797.14-15 800.29-30 808.1-2 (pl) 809.32-33 (pl) 817.35-36 (pl)		92.27-30 (pl)	150.12-15 (pl) 151.7 (pl) 151.12-15 (pl) 181.28 453.25-36 454.6-13 454.32-36 (pl) 455.5 (pl) 458.11-15 (pl) 499.4-6 (pl) 503.13-17 (pl)
The Unlimited	203a4-9 (pl) (2 Unlimiteds) 203a15 (pl) 206b27-28 (pl)	54.1-2 54.7-11 (pl) 56.20 (pl) 58.2-3 (pl) 60.4-5 (pl)	80.25-26 (pl) 80.28 (pl) 93.31	388.10 (pl) 389.17-18 (pl) 395.1-7 (pl) 473.5-9 (pl) 480.12-13 (pl)	248.5-8 453.25-36 (pl) 455.9-11 (pl) 455.15-16 (pl) 458.11-15 (pl) 493.17-18 (pl) 499.4-6 (pl) 503.13-17 (pl) 247.35 (pl) [Unlimited and Indefinite]
The Unequal	1087b7-10 1088b28-29 1091a24 1091b32 (plural) 1081a25	56.13-17 228.13-14 (pl) 615.17 750.24-25 (pl) 796.12-17 796.36-38 (pl) 797.3-6 (pl) 800.29-30 801.8-12 809.15-16 809.32-33 (pl)			150.12-15 (pl) 248.10-13 (pl) 431.11(pl)
(the) More and (the) Less					204.6-8 248.1 (pl) 248.5-8 248.10-13 (pl) 453.25-36 (pl) 454.25-36 (pl) 455.9-11 (pl) 503.26-27 (pl)
The Nature of the Unlimited		54.7-11 (pl)			453.25-36 (pl) 454.6-13 455.9-11 (pl)
Excess and Defect	187a16-17 (pl) 189b8-11 992b1-7	54.7-11 (pl) 56.13-18 122.19-23 123.2-3	13.13-15 (pl) 22.17 (pl)	91.28-29	150.12-15 (pl) 151.12-14 189.9-11 (pl) 204.6-8 20412-14 (pl) 454.6-13 454.32-36 (pl) 503.26-27 (pl)

‘(pl)’ = Plato mentioned by name

K. Sayre, University of Notre Dame (in process)