ABSTRACT
Maimonides was born and raised in southern Spain during a turbulent time between Christian and Muslim rule. The Spanish Aristotelians were possibly the most significant intellectual influence he received in Andalusia. In the twelfth-century Islamic cultures of Spain, Morocco, and Egypt, Maimonides was surrounded by a rich intellectual tradition of Christian and Muslim theology as well as ancient secular philosophy. Works by Plato, Aristotle, and other ancient philosophers had been translated into Arabic and had a significant influence on Maimonides. Aristotle unquestionably accepted the supremacy of Aristotle and relied on his writings for all matters referring to logic, physics, and metaphysics.
