Il principio della creazione nel De opificio mundi di Giovanni Filopono

In this paper I focus on the concept of ἀρχή in John Philoponus’ De Opificio mundi. This will allow me to show how, in this treatise, Philoponus on the one hand applies his philosophical expertise, especially as commentator on Aristotle, and on the other hand wants to show that he is fully Christian by taking up and completing the exegesis of Basil the Great. I will therefore attempt to highlight some aspects of Philoponian exegesis, referring to the Proem; I will make some remarks on the question of coming into being without generation, which we read about in chapter 2 of Book I; and I will analyse chapter 3 of Book I, finally proposing some remarks on the ἀρχὴ χρονική, i.e. the temporal principle of generation. In my analysis I will propose comparisons with passages from other Philoponus’ works and try to trace ancient and Neoplatonic sources