Die Familie des Aristoteles und die zwei Fassungen seines Testaments

This article compares the Greek and the Arabic versions of Aristotle’s last will and argues that the differences between them are not to be explained as paraphrases and mistakes by the translator(s), as has recently been stated. Rather, the Greek text which constituted the basis of the translation was a manipulated version of the original last will and meant to support the view that Herpyllis was not Aristotle’s mistress and that Nikomachos was not her but Pythias’ son. Although the Greek version in Diogenes Laertios is to be regarded as the original version of this document, it lacks one authentic sentence preserved by the Arabic tradition. A reading of the Greek version of the will before the background of Athenian law makes it probable that Herpyllis was Aristotle’s legal wife and the mother of Nikomachos. In addition, it is shown that Ptolemy’s Life of Aristotle was not, as is assumed in its editio princeps, an epitome of Hermippos’ On Aristotle.