The Sources of Sophronius Leichoudes’ logic

Abstract

In this publication, we have compared the five-part logical compendium by Sophronios Leichoudes with a corresponding collection by Gerasimos Vlachos, a prominent 17th-century Greek didascalos with whom the Leichoudes brothers were associated. First of all, we compared the following works of Sophronios Leichoudes: “An exposition of the whole logical doctrine, divided into three parts” (textbook in the usual sense) from an autograph (Russian State Library, f. 173. I, no. 300) with a corresponding work by Gerasimos Vlachos “Introduction to the Whole Logical Teaching” according to the preserved manuscript from the monastery of Iviron (Athos), no. 118, and the work “Preliminary Questions to the Whole Logical Teaching of Aristotle” with a corresponding work by Gerasimos Vlachos “Preliminary Questions to the Study of the Philosopher's Logic Doctrine” according to the codex of the National Library of St. Mark in Venice, gr. IV. 60. A comparison of these texts allows us to affirm with certainty that Sophronios Leichoudes follows Gerasimos Vlachos, and at times even reproduces his text almost literally. Meanwhile, Sophronios considerably condensed the material, extracting from it the essential information without violating the general structure of the work and the sequence of exposition. Nevertheless, even the condensed and retold text of Gerasimos Vlachos by Sophronios Leichoudes significantly exceeds the volume of his contemporary Latin textbooks. The contents of the textbooks allow us to identify their authors as neo-Aristotelianism’s followers. In their presentation of the material, we can see the influence of the Paduan school — the main centre of Aristotelianism of the time, which was closest to both Gerasimos and Sophronios (who were a doctor of the University of Padua). The publication also notes the originality of their theses for the Paduan University milieu.