Parva Naturalia: with On the Motion of Animals

David Bolotin’s translation of Aristotle’s Parva Naturalia aims above all at fidelity to the Greek. It treats Aristotle as a teacher regarding the topics that he discusses, and hence it tries to convey the meaning, to the extent possible in English, of his every word. Aristotle clearly intended these treatises as a sequel to his De Anima, and Bolotin’s translation is a sequel to his translation of that work. The title Parva Naturalia goes back to the Latin Middle Ages, and though the traditional grouping doesn’t include the treatise On the Motion of Animals, it is included here, since there is strong manuscript evidence, as well as solid substantive reasons, that it ought to be included. Bolotin has made a scrupulous effort to examine the manuscript tradition, and he has relied only on readings that are well attested in the oldest manuscripts, rather than accepting conjectural emendations of modern editors, who too often substitute a Greek text that is easy to understand for any of those that have come down to us from the ancient copyists. Since Bolotin’s translation, though it aims at the greatest possible clarity in English, subordinates felicity of English expression to the demand for fidelity to the Greek, it may not be suitable for all readers. But for those who wish to study the Parva Naturalia with care, it offers access that has hitherto been unavailable in English to the precise meaning of Aristotle’s text.