Table Of Content

Simplicius on the Planets and Their Motions Philosophia Antiqua A Series of Studies on Ancient Philosophy PreviousEditors J.H.Waszink† W.J.Verdenius† J.C.M.VanWinden Editedby K.A.Algra F.A.J.deHaas J.Mansfeld C.J.Rowe D.T.Runia Ch.Wildberg VOLUME133 Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/pha Simplicius on the Planets and Their Motions In Defense of a Heresy By AlanC.Bowen LEIDEN•BOSTON 2013 LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Simplicius,ofCilicia. [AristotelisDecaelocommentaria.English] Simpliciusontheplanetsandtheirmotions:indefenseofaheresy/byAlanC.Bowen. pages.cm.–(Philosophiaantiqua;volume133) Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978-90-04-22708-8(hardback:alk.paper)–ISBN978-90-04-24171-8(e-book) 1.Astronomy–Earlyworksto1800.2.Simplicius,ofCilicia.3.Aristotle.Decaelo.I.Bowen,Alan C.II.Title.III.Series:Philosophiaantiqua;v.133. Q151.A8S57132013 523.4–dc23 2012035045 Thispublicationhasbeentypesetinthemultilingual“Brill”typeface.Withover5,100 characterscoveringLatin,IPA,Greek,andCyrillic,thistypefaceisespeciallysuitablefor useinthehumanities.Formoreinformation,pleaseseewww.brill.com/brill-typeface. ISSN0079-1687 ISBN978-90-04-22708-8(hardback) ISBN978-90-04-24171-8(e-book) Copyright2013byKoninklijkeBrillNV,Leiden,TheNetherlands. KoninklijkeBrillNVincorporatestheimprintsBrill,GlobalOriental,HoteiPublishing, IDCPublishersandMartinusNijhoffPublishers. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,translated,storedin aretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical, photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher. AuthorizationtophotocopyitemsforinternalorpersonaluseisgrantedbyKoninklijkeBrillNV providedthattheappropriatefeesarepaiddirectlytoTheCopyrightClearanceCenter, 222RosewoodDrive,Suite910,Danvers,MA01923,USA. Feesaresubjecttochange. Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper. ForPamela CONTENTS Preface.................................................................. xv Acknowledgments......................................................xvii Conventions ............................................................ xix ListofFigures........................................................... xxi THEARGUMENT Introduction............................................................ 3 Simplicius’LifeandWritings ........................................ 3 TheCommentaryonDecaelo2.10–12 ................................ 6 ThePlaceof2.10–12intheDecaelo ............................... 8 Simplicius’Predicament .......................................... 10 TheTextandTranslation.......................................... 15 TheAnnotation................................................... 19 PlanetaryRetrogradation:AReview ................................. 20 1. TheHeresyofNon-HomocentricAetherialMotion.................. 27 AetherialRotation ................................................... 29 TheTaskRemaining ................................................. 33 SimpliciusontheHeavens........................................... 34 2. TheHereticalRejectionofAllHypotheses........................... 37 Simplicius,Inphys.2.2193b22–35..................................... 38 AristotleonPhysicalTheoryandMathematicalScience.......... 38 PhysicalTheoryandAstronomyRecast........................... 40 SimpliciusandthePathNotTaken .................................. 50 TheNeedforObservation......................................... 51 TheEmpiricalLimitationsofAstronomy ......................... 52 AQuestionofPriority............................................. 54 Conclusion........................................................... 57 3. Simplicius,theApologist ............................................ 59 SavingAristotle ...................................................... 60 TheHarmonizedAristotle ........................................ 60 Aristotle,thePhysicalTheorist.................................... 61 Conclusion........................................................ 67 viii contents SavingtheDecaelo................................................... 68 SavingtheLatePlatonists............................................ 69 Conclusion........................................................... 71 4. Simplicius,theHistorian............................................. 73 SimpliciusandHisSources .......................................... 73 AlexanderofAphrodisias ......................................... 74 OnTeleology ................................................... 74 OntheIsodromicPlanets ...................................... 76 OntheMotionbyNatureofLargerSpheres.................... 76 OnaCircularArgument........................................ 77 OnanEllipsis .................................................. 77 OntheFirstProblemof2.12.................................... 77 OntheFourElements.......................................... 78 OnaLexicalMatter ............................................ 79 AlexanderandPorphyry ....................................... 79 Conclusion..................................................... 79 EudemusofRhodes............................................... 80 OnAnaximander............................................... 81 EudemuswithSosigenes....................................... 81 OnCallippus ................................................... 83 Conclusion..................................................... 84 ClaudiusPtolemy ................................................. 84 Sosigenes.......................................................... 86 Coda ................................................................. 87 5. Conclusion........................................................... 91 TRANSLATION Indecaelo2.10.Theproportionalityoftheplanetaryspeeds............ 97 291a29–b10........................................................... 97 470.29–471.11 Contextualization .............................. 97 471.12–14 BasicAstronomicalFact........................ 99 471.14–28 ThisFactIsUnexpected ........................ 99 471.29–472.4 Aristotle’sSolution ............................. 100 472.4–7 ProblemwithThisSolution .................... 100 472.8–20 Alexander’sResponse .......................... 100 472.21–473.7 ProblemofNaturalMotionRemains ........... 102 473.8–474.6 AnotherSolution ............................... 103 contents ix 474.7–13 Alexander:TheIsodromicPlanets.............. 104 474.14–30 Criticism........................................ 105 474.30–33 Alexander:TheUpperPlanets.................. 106 474.33–475.8 Criticism........................................ 106 475.9–23 PlatoonPlanetarySpeeds ...................... 106 475.23–476.10 AristotleReinterpreted ......................... 107 476.10–27 RejectionofYetAnotherSolution .............. 108 476.28–477.2 ProblemofIsodromicPlanetsRemains ........ 109 Indecaelo2.11.TheSphericityoftheWanderingStars.................. 111 291b11–17 ............................................................. 111 477.5–14 Contextualization .............................. 111 477.14–23 FirstArgumentforSphericity .................. 112 477.24–27 QuestionofCircularity ......................... 112 477.27–478.3 Alexander’sProposal ........................... 112 478.3–8 Criticism........................................ 112 478.8–14 AristotleReinterpreted ......................... 113 478.15–32 FurtherExplicationofFirstArgument ......... 113 291b17–23 ............................................................ 114 479.3–10 SecondArgumentforSphericity(Part1) ....... 114 479.10–23 TheMeaningof‘dichotomos’ ................... 114 479.23–480.15 LunarPhasesandSphericity ................... 115 480.16–24 SecondArgumentforSphericity(Part2) ....... 117 Indecaelo2.12.TheProportionalityofthePlanetaryMotions .......... 119 291b24–292a18 ....................................................... 119 480.26–481.22 RestatementoftheLemma ..................... 120 481.22–30 Alexander’sComment.......................... 122 292a18–b10........................................................... 122 482.3–485.2 TheFirstProblemandItsSolution ............. 123 292b10–25............................................................ 129 485.5–487.20 FurtherExplicationoftheSolution............. 130 487.20–488.9 Simplicius’ReconstructionoftheSolution..... 134 488.10–14 PlanetaryHypothesesRejected................. 135 488.14–24 PlanetaryHypotheses:Genesis................. 136 488.25–489.4 CriticismoftheFirstProblem .................. 136 489.5–11 PlatoandtheTrueAccount .................... 137 489.12–30 Alexander:TheElementsLackSoul ............ 137 292b25–30 ........................................................... 139 489.33–490.16 SecondProblemandFirstResponse............ 139