On the Generation of Animals
by Aristotle · Περὶ ζῴων γενέσεως
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 340 BCE
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Medium · 200 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume 1, translated by Jonathan Barnes (ed.)Princeton University Press, 1984The revised Oxford translation, with the related short works on the movement and gait of animals in the same volume.
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Five books on animal reproduction and embryology. Aristotle describes the reproductive organs and modes of generation across animals, argues that the male supplies form and the female matter, and gives a detailed account of embryonic development based on his observation of chick eggs. Later books treat inheritance and resemblance, sex determination, monsters, and the causes of variation in eyes, hair and voice.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns On the Generation of Animals are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
