Kalām la-hu yušbihu ramzan … The Problem of Allegory in Theologia Aristotelis I (229.9-230.16 D’Ancona)

Abstract

The present paper discusses a remarkable change introduced into the Arabic translation of Enneads IV 8[6]: the characterization of Plotinus’ “autobiographical” report as a ramz . A comparison of the Arabic text with the Greek original suggests that the strategy of allegorizing Plotinus’ exordium is comparable to the technique of allegory that features in the Qurʾān, because the paraphrast likewise figuratively and rhetorically elaborates the source material without ever calling into question the historical veracity of the underlying story. Thus, the ramz in Theologia Aristotelis I is poles apart from such fictional allegories as, for example, Plato’s cave in Republic VII , which are devoid of any historical basis and created solely for didactic purposes. Since this study shows how the adaptor figuratively modifies the source text with a view to turning the philosopher into a paragon of ascent meant to inspire readers, its findings may have implications beyond the context of this particular reworking of a Neoplatonic topos .