On Colours
The treatise examines simple colors, mixtures, changes in plants and relations between light and matter. Visible variation is explained through natural processes and the conditions under which colors appear.
Understanding the text
Transmitted under Aristotle’s name, it is generally considered a distinct Peripatetic production.
Transmitted under Aristotle’s name; personal authorship is disputed or rejected.
Key points
- 01
Simple colors
The classification associates colors with elements and does not coincide with a modern theory of wavelengths.
- 02
Mixtures
Visible transformations are connected with material combinations and the observer’s position.
- 03
Living things
Fruit, leaves and ripening allow colors to function as indicators of bodily changes.
How to read it
Compare the botanical examples with On Sense to identify both continuities and differences within the tradition.
Editions & sources
- Consult the reference 1loebclassics.comnew tab
- Consult the reference 2plato.stanford.edunew tab
- Consult the reference 3classics.mit.edunew tab
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗