168 Aristotle and his school
made by Aristotle himself. This way, the explanation of theanomalia ̄ and
the variety of expressions of the melancholic nature serves to answer the
chapter’s opening question, which at the end should not look quite so un-
Aristotelian (and indeed no longer does) as at the start. In any event, as
the theory ofPr. 30. 1 has proved to depend strongly on Aristotle’s own
statements on melancholics, it has become much less isolated within the
history of ideas.
Finally, this chapter should hopefully provide a starting-point for a re-
newed testing of the working hypothesis that those parts of theProblemata
that have been passed on to us can be used as testimonies of Aristotle’s views,
on the understanding that these passages do not contradict the authentic
texts.^92 Obviously, one single piece of research does not suffice to prove the
value of this hypothesis in general, and further study into the so far too
neglectedProblematais required.
(^92) When examining this working hypothesis, the other scattered statements on melancholics in the
Problematashould be taken into account as well ( 1. 12 ; 3. 25 a; 4. 30 ; 11. 38 ; 18. 1 and 7 ; 30. 14 ). These
occurrences do not really seem to contradict the statements made by Aristotle (perhaps with the
exception of 860 b 21 ff., which is difficult to reconcile withPart. an. 676 b 5 ff.). The characteristics of
the melancholic mentioned are partly affirmative ( 4. 30 : strong drive for sexual intercourse), and partly
supplementary to the characteristics mentioned by Aristotle, and the physiological explanations can
be reconciled with Aristotle’s statements very well ( 11. 38 : ‘following one’s imagination’; 18. 1 and
7 as well as 4. 30 : connection withpneuma; 30. 14 : very strong movement of the soul). However,
only an in-depth analysis of these at times very difficult passages can more clearly define the precise
relationship with Aristotle’s concept. For the moment, the brief yet valuable remarks made by Flashar
( 1962 ) 303 ff. and Marenghi’s ( 1966 ) commentary on the medical problems should be noted. For a
rather sceptical view on the working hypothesis see Flashar ( 1962 ) 303 and 315.