Peripatetic Philosophy in Context: Knowledge, Time, and Soul from Theophrastus to Cratippus

254 Pages·2022·2.2 MB·English

by  Verde, Francesco

Francesco Verde
Peripatetic Philosophy in Context
Beiträge zur Altertumskunde
Herausgegeben von
Susanne Daub, Michael Erler, Dorothee Gall,
Ludwig Koenen und Clemens Zintzen
Band 403
Francesco Verde
Peripatetic
Philosophy
in Context
Knowledge, Time, and Soul from
Theophrastus to Cratippus
ISBN 978-3-11-077254-8
e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-077272-2
e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-077279-1
ISSN 1616-0452
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021952865
Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie;
detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de.
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck
www.degruyter.com
IdedicatethisvolumetothememoryofmyfatherMichele(1936–2019)

Acknowledgments
Manyarethefriends,colleagues,andscholarstowhomIamindebtedforallthe
comments, suggestions, and corrections they have kindly provided over the
years. It is impossible for me to name them all here,but I would like everyone
to be well aware of my sincere and deep gratitude.
Iwould,however,liketomentionTizianoDorandiforhavingintroducedme
to the important activities of the Project Theophrastus founded by William W.
Fortenbaugh in 1979; Riccardo Chiaradonna, Michael Erler, and Emidio Spinelli
for their constant support and interest in my research; again Tiziano Dorandi
(withStephenA.White)andPeterStork(with,again,TizianoDorandi,Johannes
M.vanOphuijsen,TazukovanBerkel,MariskaLeunissen,andDimitriGutas)for
havingallowedmetousetheireditionsofthetextualreliquiaeofClearchusand
Eudemus before publication; Sergio Knipe (and Michael McOsker) for their es-
sential help with the English language. I also wish to acknowledge Flavia Pal-
mieri’s invaluable assistance in preparing the indexes of the volume.
Mygratitudealsogoestoallthelibrariesandinstitutionsthathavefacilitat-
ed my studies, and the writing and reworkingof the followingchapters.
MyheartfeltthanksalsogotoMichaelErleragainandtotheHerausgebergre-
miumoftheBeiträgezurAltertumskundeforwelcomingthisbookintotheseries.
Iwould liketopoint out that this volume is the resultof research activities
carried out within the University Project (Years 2019–2021) Il criterio di verità:
Dalla filosofia antica all’epistemologia contemporanea funded by Sapienza Uni-
versityof Rome.
Finally,itgoeswithoutsayingthatIremainsolelyresponsibleforanyerrors,
misprints and inaccuracies present in this work.
Rome, November 2021 Francesco Verde
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110772722-001

Contents
Introduction: Some Remarks on the Historical Meaning
of the Hellenistic Peripatos XI
Part I: Knowledge
 Sense-Perception and Multiple Explanations: Aristotle, Theophrastus,
and Epicurus 3
. The Role of Sense-Perception in Theophrastus 5
. Multiple Explanations in Theophrastus 14
. Epicurus’ πλεοναχὸς τρόπος 17
. Theophrastus and Epicurus on Sense-Perception and Multiple
Explanations 23
. Coda: The Syriac-Arabic Meteorology: Brief Remarks on Its
Sources 29
 The Scientificity of Sense-Perception in Speusippus, Diogenes of Ba-
bylon, and Strato of Lampsacus 41
. Speusippus’ Knowledgeable Sense-Perception 41
. Diogenes of Babylon and Philodemus on Musical Sense-
Perception 51
. Thought and Sense-Perception in Strato of Lampsacus 62
. Coda: Aristocles of Messene against Epicurus on Affections 70
Part II: Time
 Eudemus of Rhodes on Aristotle’s Physics: The Case of Time 81
. Introduction to Eudemus’ Physika 81
. Explanation and Exegesis 86
. Historical Analysis 92
. Conclusions 101
 Strato of Lampsacus on Aristotle’s Notion of Time 107
X Contents
Part III: Soul
 The Peripatetic Conception of Sleep: Clearchus of Soli and Strato of
Lampsacus 127
. Clearchus in the Early Peripatos between Aristotle and
Plato 127
. Clearchus’ Περὶ ὕπνου 130
. Strato on Sleep 142
. Concluding Remarks 147
 The Psychology of Cratippus of Pergamum 155
. Cratippus’ Life 157
. Peripatetic Natural Divination 160
. A Problem of Quellenforschung: Clearchus a Precursor of
Cratippus? 164
. Conclusions 167
 Appendix: Asclepiades of Bithynia’s Medical Physics and Its Rela-
tionship with Epicurus and Strato of Lampsacus 173
. Asclepiades and Epicurus 174
. Asclepiades and Strato 182
. Conclusions 189
. Coda: Heraclides of Pontus on ἐλάχιστα 191
Index Locorum 196
Index of Ancient Authors 210
Index of Modern Authors 213