Aetius (philosopher)
Encyclopedia
Aetius was a 1st or 2nd century doxographer and Eclectic philosopher
.
None of Aetius' works survive today, but he solves a mystery about two major compilations of philosophical quotes. There are two extant books named Placita Philosophorum (ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΕΣΚΟΝΤΩΝ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΟΙΣ ΦΥΣΙΚΩΝ ΔΟΓΜΑΤΩΝ, "Opinions of the Philosophers") and Eclogae Physicae (Ἐκλογαὶ φυσικαὶ καὶ ἠθικαί, "Physical and Moral Extracts"). The first of these is Pseudo-Plutarch
and the second is by Stobaeus
. They are clearly both abridgements of a larger work. Hermann Diels, in his great Doxographi Graeci, discovered that the 5th-century theologician Theodoret
had full versions of the quotes which were shortened in the abridgements. This means that Theodoret had managed to procure the original book which Pseudo-Plutarch and Stobeaus had shortened. He calls this book "Aetiou tên peri areskontôn sunagôgên," and therefore we ascribe the original Placita to Aetius.
Diels claimed that Aetius himself was merely abridging a work which Diels called the Vetusta Placita (because he wrote his paper in Latin; literally, "Older Tenets"). Unlike Aetius, whose existence is attested by Theodoret, the Vetusta Placita is Diels' invention and is generally disregarded by modern classicists, e.g., the 1999 Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy.
Quotes which are ascribed to Aetius in scholarly essays were actually discovered in either the abridgements of Pseudo-Plutarch or Stobaeus, or Theodoret's full quotes in rare cases, or finally one of several ancient authors who provided corrections to misquotes in one of these works.
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
.
None of Aetius' works survive today, but he solves a mystery about two major compilations of philosophical quotes. There are two extant books named Placita Philosophorum (ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΕΣΚΟΝΤΩΝ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΟΙΣ ΦΥΣΙΚΩΝ ΔΟΓΜΑΤΩΝ, "Opinions of the Philosophers") and Eclogae Physicae (Ἐκλογαὶ φυσικαὶ καὶ ἠθικαί, "Physical and Moral Extracts"). The first of these is Pseudo-Plutarch
Pseudo-Plutarch
Pseudo-Plutarch is the conventional name given to the unknown authors of a number of pseudepigrapha attributed to Plutarch.Some of these works were included in some editions of Plutarch's Moralia...
and the second is by Stobaeus
Stobaeus
Joannes Stobaeus , from Stobi in Macedonia, was the compiler of a valuable series of extracts from Greek authors. The work was originally divided into two volumes containing two books each...
. They are clearly both abridgements of a larger work. Hermann Diels, in his great Doxographi Graeci, discovered that the 5th-century theologician Theodoret
Theodoret
Theodoret of Cyrus or Cyrrhus was an influential author, theologian, and Christian bishop of Cyrrhus, Syria . He played a pivotal role in many early Byzantine church controversies that led to various ecumenical acts and schisms...
had full versions of the quotes which were shortened in the abridgements. This means that Theodoret had managed to procure the original book which Pseudo-Plutarch and Stobeaus had shortened. He calls this book "Aetiou tên peri areskontôn sunagôgên," and therefore we ascribe the original Placita to Aetius.
Diels claimed that Aetius himself was merely abridging a work which Diels called the Vetusta Placita (because he wrote his paper in Latin; literally, "Older Tenets"). Unlike Aetius, whose existence is attested by Theodoret, the Vetusta Placita is Diels' invention and is generally disregarded by modern classicists, e.g., the 1999 Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy.
Quotes which are ascribed to Aetius in scholarly essays were actually discovered in either the abridgements of Pseudo-Plutarch or Stobaeus, or Theodoret's full quotes in rare cases, or finally one of several ancient authors who provided corrections to misquotes in one of these works.
External links
- John Burnet's Early Greek Philosophy: Section B: Note on the Sources
- Complete text of the Placita: Greek & French, English and French.