Eurytus (philosopher)

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Eurytos ( Greek  Εὔρυτος ) was an ancient Greek philosopher ( Pythagorean ). He lived in the second half of the 5th century and early 4th century BC. Chr.

Life

The sources give different information about the origin of Eurytus; According to one tradition, he came from Croton (today Crotone ), according to another from Metapontium , and a third from Taranto . The philosopher Aristoxenus , who knew Eurytus' pupil personally, calls him a Tarentine. That is why he is sometimes called "Eurytus of Taranto". In any case, his homeland was one of the Greek cities in southern Italy that were traditionally centers of the Pythagoreans (followers of the teachings of Pythagoras ).

He was a student of Philolaus and teacher of the Echekrates and Xenophilos of Chalkidike . Also possibly belonged Archytas to his students. His approximate lifetime can be inferred from these relationships with other philosophers; he was born around the middle of the 5th century or a little later and was still alive at the beginning of the 4th century. The assertion handed down by Iamblichus that he was a pupil of Pythagoras (which presupposes that he had already lived in the 6th century) is certainly not true. Perhaps true, however, is the news communicated by Diogenes Laertios that he met Plato on one of his trips to Italy. In this case, he didn't die before 389.

Teaching

Since no authentic works by Eurytus have survived, his teaching is largely unknown. Only a few details from later authors (especially Aristotle and Theophrastus , who refers to a statement by Archytas) allow insight into an apparently characteristic detail. Accordingly, Eurytus was convinced that every type of living being was naturally assigned a certain number. This number corresponded to the number of stones ( psḗphoi , " calculating stones") with which Eurytus reproduced the shape of the living being in question. It was a further development of the Pythagorean idea of ​​assigning certain numbers to geometric figures such as triangles and squares. The details of the concept are unclear.

reception

Aristotle rejected Eurytus' considerations. Theophrast praised his approach as consistent; This praise was previously interpreted by some researchers as irony, but according to the prevailing view today it was meant seriously.

In the time of Hellenism , a literature of pseudepigraphic letters and tracts arose , which dealt with topics from Pythagorean doctrine and life practice. The anonymous authors ascribed some of their works to well-known Pythagoreans from the distant past; the names of the alleged authors should draw attention to the literary fictions. This literature included a possibly in the 3rd century BC. Chr. Written writing "About the fate", which was distributed under the name of a "Eurysus", with which Eurytos was obviously meant; it should be a typographical error. A quote from Johannes Stobaios has been preserved from the treatise, which was written in the Doric dialect . Another quote, which Clemens of Alexandria narrates and ascribes to "Eurysus", contains a formulation that appears in a different context in Pseudo- Ekphantos , who probably used the work "About Fate".

swell

  • Holger Thesleff (Ed.): The Pythagorean Texts of the Hellenistic Period . Åbo Akademi, Åbo 1965, pp. 87-88
  • Maria Timpanaro Cardini : Pitagorici. Testimonianze e frammenti . Vol. 2, La Nuova Italia, Firenze 1962, pp. 250–257 (Greek source texts with Italian translation)

literature

  • Annie Bélis: Le procédé de numérotation du Pythagoricien Eurytos . In: Revue des Études grecques 96, 1983, pp. 64–75
  • Bruno Centrone: Eurytos de Tarente . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Vol. 3, CNRS Éditions, Paris 2000, ISBN 2-271-05748-5 , p. 353

Remarks

  1. ↑ Aristoxenus, Fragment 19 , ed. Fritz Wehrli : Aristoxenos (= The School of Aristotle. Texts and Commentary , Volume 2), 2nd edition, Basel 1967, p. 14.
  2. ^ Iamblichos, De vita Pythagorica 139 and 148; Aristoxenus, fragment 19 (= Diogenes Laertios 8:46).
  3. ^ Carl A. Huffman: Archytas of Tarentum , Cambridge 2005, p. 7.
  4. ↑ For the chronology see Carl A. Huffman: Philolaus of Croton , Cambridge 1993, p. 4.
  5. ↑ Diogenes Laertios 3.6; see. Apuleius , De Platone et eius dogmate 1,3. See Carl A. Huffman: Philolaus of Croton , Cambridge 1993, p. 5.
  6. ↑ Aristotle, Metaphysics 1092b8−13; Theophrast, Metaphysik 6a19−22; see. Pseudo-Alexander, In Aristotelis metaphysica , quoted by Annie Bélis: Le procédé de numérotation du Pythagoricien Eurytos . In: Revue des Études grecques 96, 1983, pp. 64–75, here: 68–70.
  7. ^ For example, Walter Burkert : Wisdom and Science , Nuremberg 1962, p. 35.
  8. ↑ Annie Bélis: Le procédé de numerotation you Pythagoricien Eurytos . In: Revue des Études grecques 96, 1983, pp. 64–75, here: 67 f .; Carl A. Huffman: Archytas of Tarentum , Cambridge 2005, p. 67; André Laks, Glenn W. Most (ed.): Théophraste, Métaphysique , Paris 1993, p. 43. Cf. Marlein van Raalte (ed.): Theophrastus, Metaphysics , Leiden 1993, pp. 253-257.
  9. ↑ Walter Burkert: On the historical classification of some pseudopythagorica . In: Pseudepigrapha I , Geneva 1972, p. 52.Bruno Centrone: Eurytos de Tarente . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Vol. 3, Paris 2000, p. 353 gives the facts inaccurately.
personal data
SURNAME Eurytus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Eurytus of Taranto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek philosopher (Pythagorean)
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 4th century BC Chr.