# The commentary is by Porphyry and preserves fragments of the earlier commentator Boethus of Sidon.

> Most likely: The commentary is by Porphyry and preserves fragments of the earlier commentator Boethus of Sidon.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/answers/ANS0CT7NBE874VC/the-commentary-is-by-porphyry-and-preserves-fragments-of-the  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Archimedes Palimpsest](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest)[Who wrote the commentary on Aristotle's Categories found in the palimpsest?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N5344YNH/who-wrote-the-commentary-on-aristotles-categories-found-in)Answer

Answer · Archimedes Palimpsest

# The commentary is by Porphyry and preserves fragments of the earlier commentator Boethus of Sidon.

The commentary is by Porphyry and preserves fragments of the earlier commentator Boethus of Sidon.

**Most likely** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Most likely** Its tests partly supported it: one piece of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Doctrines and phrasing match Porphyry's surviving Categories commentary and testimonia to his lost larger one.

## What would rule it out

- A secure quotation assigns a passage of the commentary to another author.

## Evidence 1 for · 1 against

[The editors proposed Porphyry, with a question mark, in the title of their study.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/evidence/EVD0CT7NBP27C28/the-editors-proposed-porphyry-with-a-question-mark-in-the)

Suggestive

FOR

[The 2011 edition's discussion of authorship was judged inconclusive by a reviewer.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/evidence/EVD0CT7NBXW4TGY/the-2011-editions-discussion-of-authorship-was-judged)

Speculative

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[Who wrote the commentary on Aristotle's Categories found in the palimpsest?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N5344YNH/who-wrote-the-commentary-on-aristotles-categories-found-in)

Part of [What in the palimpsest remains unread or unidentified?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4VA52VA/what-in-the-palimpsest-remains-unread-or-unidentified)

Most likelyThe commentary is by Porphyry and preserves fragments of the earlier commentator Boethus of Sidon

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). The commentary is by Porphyry and preserves fragments of the earlier commentator Boethus of Sidon. [Answer ANS0CT7NBE874VC]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0CT7NBE874VC
```

Key

**ANS** 0CT7NBE874VC

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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