Leo the Magentian

Leo The Magentian (Μαγεντῆνος, or Μαγεντῖνος), a commentator on Aristotle, flourished during the first half of the 14th century. His first name, Leo, is frequently omitted in the MSS. of his works. He was a monk, and afterwards archbishop of Mytilene. He wrote Ε᾿ξηγησις εἰς τὸ Περὶ ἑρμηνείας Α᾿ριστοτέλους, Commentarius in Aristotelis De Interpretatione Librum (published by Aldus, Venice, 1503, folio, with the ccmmcntary of Ammonius, from which Leo borrowed very largely, and the paraphrase of Psellus on the same book of Aristotle, and the commentary of Ammonius on Aristotle's Categoriae s. Praedicamenta. In the Latin title of this edition, by misprint, the author is called Margentinus. A Latin version of Leo's commentary, by J. B. Rasarius, has been repeatedly printed with the Latin version of Ammonius. Another Latin version by Jerome Leustrius has also been printed): — Εξήγησις εἰς τὰ Πρότερα ἀναλυκτικὰ τοῦ Α᾿ριστοτέλους, Commentarius in Priora Analytica Aristotelis (printed with the commentary of John Philoponus on the same work by Trincavellus [Venice, 1536, fol.]; and a Latin version of it by Rasarius has been repeatedly printed, either separately or with other commentaries on Aristotle). The following works in MS. are ascribed, but with doubtful correctness, to Leo Magentenus: Conmnentalriuss in Casgorias Aristotelis (extant in the King's library, Paris): — Α᾿ριστοτέλους σοφιστικῶν ἐλέγχων ἑρμηνεία, Expositio Aristotelis De Sophisisicis lenchis; and Α᾿ριστοτέλους περὶ εὐπορίας προτάσεων. These two works are mentioned by Montfaucon (Bibl. Coislin. p. 225); the latter is perhaps not a distinct work, but a portion of the above. In the MS. the author is called Leontius Magentenus: — Commentarius in Isagogen s. Quinque Voces Porphyrii. Buhle doubts if this work, whidh is in the Medicean library at Florence (Bandini, Catalog. Codd. Laur. Medic. 3:239), is correctly ascribed to Magentenus. In the catalogue of the MSS. in the King's library at Paris (2:410, 421), two MSS., No. 1845 and 1928, contain scholia on the Categorie, the Analytica Priora et Posteriora and the Topica of Aristotle, and the Isagoge of Porphyry, by "Magnentius." Buhle conjectures, and with probability, that Magnentius is a corruption of Magentenus or Magentinus; if so, and the works are assigned to their real author, we must add the commentaries on Topica and Analytica Posteriora to the works already mentioned. Nicolaus Comnenus Popadopoli speaks of many other works of Leo, but his authority is of little value. See Fabricius, Bibl. Graeca, 3:210, 213, 215, 218, 498, 7:717;

8:143; 12:208; Montfaucon, 1. c., and p. 219; Buhle, Opera Aristolelis, 1:165, 305, 306, ed. Bipont; Catalog. Mistor. Biblioth. Regim (Paris, 1740, fol.), l. c. — Smith, Dict. of Gr. and Romans Biog. 2:744 sq.