 It is against this background that Simplicius’ attempt to harmonise the Greek tradition should be interpreted. Compared to Proclus, Simplicius’ approach is less complex, and it is, in fact, rather similar in principle. Regarding the Presocratics, Simplicius remarks that they frequently speak in riddles (ainigmatôdôs) and that Aristotle’s criticism of them is merely directed against their apparent meaning. What is more, we should keep in mind that they wrote before the methods of philosophical discourse and formal logic were firmly established by Plato and Aristotle: