Eustratius of Nicaea ( el, Εὐστράτιος; c. 1050/1060 – c. 1120)Donald J. Zeyl, Daniel Devereux, Phillip Mitsis, 1997, ''Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy'', page 59. Greenwood Press was

Metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the b ...

Nicaea Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seve ...

in the early 12th century. He wrote commentaries on

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

's second book of the ''Analytica Posteriora'' and the ''Ethica Nicomachea.''

Biography

Eustratius was a pupil of

John Italus John Italus or Italos ( el, , ''Iōánnēs ho Italós''; la, Johannes Italus) was a neoplatonic Byzantine philosopher of the eleventh century. He was Calabrian in origin, his father being a soldier. He came to Constantinople, where he became a ...

, although he had deliberately dissociated himself from John's supposed heretical views when John was condemned around 1082.Joan Mervyn Hussey, 1990, ''The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire'', pages 150-1. Oxford University Press A few years after the trial of Italus, he wrote a dialogue and treatise on the use of

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

s directed against Leo, the bishop of

Chalcedon Chalcedon ( or ; , sometimes transliterated as ''Chalkedon'') was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor. It was located almost directly opposite Byzantium, south of Scutari (modern Üsküdar) and it is now a district of the cit ...

, who had accused the emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

of sacrilege and

iconoclasm Iconoclasm (from Ancient Greek, Greek: grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, wikt:κλάω, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών + wi ...

in the way in which he had stripped the churches of gold to fund his wars. For this he gained the emperor

Alexios I Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinization of names, Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine Emperor, Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor ...

's friendship, and this probably helped him to become

. Eustratius was said by

Anna Comnena Anna Komnene ( gr, Ἄννα Κομνηνή, Ánna Komnēnḗ; 1 December 1083 – 1153), commonly Latinized as Anna Comnena, was a Byzantine princess and author of the ''Alexiad'', an account of the reign of her father, the Byzantine emperor, ...

to have been wise both in mundane and in religious matters and especially expert in argument.Georgina Grenfell Buckler, 1968, ''Anna Comnena; a Study'', page 294. Clarendon Press Nevertheless he found himself accused of

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

in 1117 and a charge was placed before the

Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

which narrowly succeeded despite a defence by Patriarch

John IX of Constantinople John IX Agapetos or Hieromnemon ( el, ), (? – April 1134) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople between 1111 and 1134. John's nickname is because before his election to the Patriarchal throne he held the office of '' hieromnemon'' within ...

. As a result of the condemnation Eustratius was formally suspended for life. Two commentaries by Eustratius on the works of

survive: *Commentary on the ''

Posterior Analytics The ''Posterior Analytics'' ( grc-gre, Ἀναλυτικὰ Ὕστερα; la, Analytica Posteriora) is a text from Aristotle's ''Organon'' that deals with demonstration, definition, and scientific knowledge. The demonstration is distinguished ...

'', book 2 *Commentary on the ''

Nicomachean Ethics The ''Nicomachean Ethics'' (; ; grc, Ἠθικὰ Νικομάχεια, ) is Aristotle's best-known work on ethics, the science of the good for human life, which is the goal or end at which all our actions aim. (I§2) The aim of the inquiry is ...

'', books 1 and 6, found in vol. 20 of ''

Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca ''Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca'' 'edita consilio et auctoritate academiae litterarum Regiae Borussicae''(''CAG'') (Greek Commentaries on Aristotle dited by order and auctority of the Prussian Royal Academy of literary studies is the standa ...

'' (CAG).

Notes

{{Authority control 12th-century Byzantine bishops Byzantine philosophers Commentators on Aristotle Bishops of Nicaea Alexios I Komnenos 11th-century Byzantine writers 12th-century Byzantine writers 11th-century Greek people 12th-century Greek people 11th-century Greek philosophers 11th-century Greek writers 11th-century Greek educators 12th-century Greek philosophers 12th-century Greek writers 12th-century Greek educators