Alexander of Aphrodisias’ overview of the Metaphysics in the proem of Averroes’ long commentary on Metaphysics Lambda

The Proem of Averroes’ Long Commentary (Tafsīr) on Metaphysics Lambda has been intensively studied in recent times. Against the background of previous scholarship, the present contribution argues that Averroes’ Proem witnesses not one, but two distinct works originally stemming from Alexander of Aphrodisias, namely both a specific Proem to Metaphysics Lambda, belonging to Alexander’s overall Commentary on this treatise – called “Alexander 1” – and an Overview of the entire Metaphysics – labelled “Alexander 2” – arguably representing a distinct type of work. Whereas Alexander 1 can be taken as the first leg of Alexander’s exegesis of Lambda that Averroes fragmentarily reports in the rest of his Tafsīr after the Proem – an exegesis named “Alexander 3” – compelling evidence attests that Alexander 2 is an autonomous writing, independent from Alexander 1 and Alexander 3. The historical trajectory of Alexander 2 from Alexander of Aphrodisias to Averroes is canvassed, by means of a close comparison of Alexander 2 with the analogous and similarly structured overview of the Metaphysics written by a deep knower of the Alexander Arabus like al-Fārābī.