Antiphon (sophist)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Antiphon of Athens or Antiphon of the Sophist ( ancient Greek Ἀντιφῶν Antiphṓn ) was a Greek ancient philosopher of the 5th century BC. He is counted among the sophists . His possible identity with the speaker, writer and politician Antiphon von Rhamnus has not been fully clarified in research.

identity

State of research

Towards the end of the 5th century BC Several bearers of the name Antiphon appear in Athens. It is controversial who is meant in the received ancient evidence. It has not yet been fully clarified whether Antiphon the Sophist is identical with the speaker, writer and politician Antiphon von Rhamnus. The criteria used to distinguish them were the ancient testimony (ancient accounts of life and doctrine), the content of their writings and stylistic features. Today, especially through the recent contributions of Cassin and Gagarin, there is a consensus in favor of the sophist's identity with the speaker.

The identification of the Sophist's antiphon with a tragedy poet of the same name, a character interpreter and a dream interpreter was also considered, but has since been disproved. Research is currently using the name Antiphon der Sophist for the author of the three writings Truth , On Public Spirit and Politics . Finally, considerations of an antiphon on mathematics have been handed down.

history

As early as the 3rd century AD, Hermogenes of Tarsus (with reference to Didymus of Alexandria and others) concluded from stylistic differences in the traditional scriptures that there were at least two bearers of the same name. His approach has been traced by modern researchers, but the conclusions reached in this way about different authors of the writings were rejected by a majority.

Life

The oldest testimony comes from Xenophon , who tells of a conversation between Socrates and a sophist named Antiphon. Even Aristotle to such a conversation have mentioned, but antiphon called not a sophist, but a wizards. It is unclear whether both are identical. The sophist Antiphon portrayed by Xenophon appears as a professional teacher who wants to lure Socrates away from his students and portrays them as politically inactive, implausible and without financial means and income.

Works

Three writings are attributed to the Sophist Antiphon:

  • Truth ( Alḗtheia ). The title of the script, which has only survived in fragments, refers to a script of the same name by Protagoras and Eleatic ideas. Antiphon's own ontological - epistemological contribution is only preserved in a fragment, the text and meaning of which could not be established despite numerous attempts at interpretation. Possibly he assumes the unknowability of a unified being, but maybe also the unknowability of an underlying smallest unit or the unknowability of a pluralistic being. In addition to this fragment, 42 others are printed in Diels and Kranz, as well as some papyri.
  • About common sense (or about harmony , Perí homonoías ). Antiphon treats, among other things, some non-Greek peoples (for example the Libyan "shadow feet"), problems within marriage from the man's point of view, the brevity, frailty and unrepeatability of life, is directed against avarice, hesitation and laziness and praises the overcoming temptation to do bad, noble upbringing, obedience, friendship, and care for the elderly. He also gives examples of expressions searched for.
  • Statesman ( Politicus ). This is a state speech of which almost nothing has come down to us. The few fragments are directed against the squandering of wealth and neglect of duty as a result of drunkenness. Another fragment, which could also come from another script, against wasting time.

The writing About Dream Interpretation ( Perí kríseōs oneírōn ) probably comes from another antiphon.

From the writings Truth and On Common Mind , only meager quotations from Johannes Stobaios , for example, were passed down until, in the 20th century, papyrus fragments with longer sections from the truth were found in Oxyrhynchos in Egypt .

Editions and translations

  • Hermann Diels (Hrsg.): The Fragments of the Pre-Socratics , 5th edition, Berlin 1957 (classic fragment collection)
  • Gerard J. Pendrick (Ed.): Antiphon the Sophist: The Fragments. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2002 (Greek text and English translation of the fragments with detailed commentary)
  • Louis Gernet (ed.): Antiphon: Discours suivis des fragments d'Antiphon le Sophiste. Les Belles Lettres, Paris 1954 (edition with French translation and commentary)
  • Thomas Schirren , Thomas Zinsmaier (ed.): The Sophists. Selected texts. Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, pp. 120–215 (text and translation of the larger fragments)

literature

Overview representations

Investigations

  • Michael Gagarin: Antiphon the Athenian. 2003 (most important monograph on the 'double' antiphon)
  • Ettore Bignone: Antifonte oratore e Antifonte sofista , 2nd edition, 1974 (summary of the older discussion)
  • Thomas Zinsmaier: Truth, justice and rhetoric in the speeches of Antiphons. In: Hermes 126, 1998, pp. 398-422 (explains the historical context of the fragments)

Web links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ a b George B. Kerferd, Hellmut Flashar: Antiphon from Athens . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , Volume 2/1, Schwabe, Basel 1998, pp. 69–80, here: p. 69.
  2. ↑ Mentioned in Athenaios , Deipnosophistai 15,673e-673f = Hermann Diels, Walther Kranz (ed.): Fragments of the pre-Socratics 87A4.
  3. ↑ Mentioned in Diogenes Laertios , About the life and teachings of famous philosophers 2.46 = Hermann Diels, Walther Kranz (ed.): Fragments of the pre-Socratics 87A5.
  4. ↑ Mentioned in the Suda , Antiphon = Hermann Diels, Walther Kranz (ed.): Fragments of the pre-Socratics 87A1.
  5. ↑ Hermann Diels, Walther Kranz (ed.): Fragments of the pre-Socratics B13.
  6. ↑ Hermogenes of Tarsus, De ideis 2,11,7 (399,18 - 400,5 raven ).
  7. ↑ George B. Kerferd, Hellmut Flashar: Antiphon from Athens . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , Volume 2/1, Schwabe, Basel 1998, pp. 69–80, here: p. 70.
  8. ↑ Xenophon, Memorabilia 1,6 = Diels / Kranz, Fragments of the Pre-Socratic 87A3.
  9. ↑ Diogenes Laertios, On the life and teachings of famous philosophers 2.46 = Diels / Kranz, fragments of the pre-Socratics 87A5.
  10. ↑ The section on the work follows George B. Kerferd, Hellmut Flashar: Antiphon from Athens . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , Volume 2/1, Schwabe, Basel 1998, pp. 69–80, here: pp. 72–74.
  11. ^ Diels / Kranz, Fragments of the Pre-Socratics 87B1.
  12. ↑ Oxyrhynchus Papyri 1364; 1797 (author not sure); 3647.
  13. ^ Diels / Kranz, Fragments of the Pre-Socratics 87B44 to 87B71.
  14. ↑ Mentioned in Cicero, De divinatione 1.20; 1.39; 2.70; 2,144f.
personal data
SURNAME Antiphon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Antiphon from Athens; Antiphon the Sophist; Antipho Sophista
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek philosopher and sophist
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century BC Chr.
PLACE OF BIRTH Athens
DATE OF DEATH 5th century BC Chr.
Place of death Athens