Beauty in Petrus Hispanus’s Commentary on De Divinis Nominibus

Although an edition of Petrus Hispanus’ commentary on Pseudo-Dionysius’ De divinis nominibus has long been available, his contribution to the pivotal question of beauty—so extensively explored by medieval commentators on this treatise—has remained virtually unnoticed. This article seeks to address that lacuna by examining the principal passages devoted to beauty, primarily in Chapter 4, where Pseudo-Dionysius’s presents God as subsistent beauty and as the source of both good and beauty, thereby articulating a profound connection between goodness, beauty and being. The study undertakes a comparative analysis of Petrus Hispanus’ commentary and the gloss on the same Dionysian text by Thomas Gallus, upon whom Petrus Hispanus depends to a considerable degree. This comparison reveals that, in the section on beauty, Petrus Hispanus offers a richer and more nuanced treatment than Gallus’ paraphrase. The theme of beauty emerges in close relation to the soul’s ascent toward God within a Christian framework deeply shaped by Neoplatonic thought. While Petrus Hispanus retains traditional descriptions of beauty—such as harmony or order—he also emphasizes its intelligible nature more strongly than either Dionysius or Vercelli did, assigning to the intellect a privileged role in the apprehension of beauty.