The significance of Simplicius' commentary lies in the fact that it is a Neoplatonist interpretation of a Stoic text. This volume presents the first critical edition based on all the known manuscripts of this work and offers, in contrast to the edition of Schweighduser (1800) and the recapitulation of this edition by D]bner (1840), a text which is more complete and improved. A long introduction places the work in the philosophical and historical context of its time and characterises it as a spiritual exercise. The edition is preceded by a summary of the history of the text.

Ilsetraut Hadot, Dr.Phil. (1966) in Classical Philosophy and Philosophy of the Freie Universität Berlin, Docteur ès Lettres (1977) of the Université de Paris-Sorbonne, is Directeur de Recherches at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. She has published works on Seneca, the liberal arts and on Neoplatonist authors such as Hierocles and in particular Simplicius.