Aristus of Ascalon

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Aristos of Askalon ( Greek  Ἄριστος Áristos ; * probably around 120/110 BC in Askalon, today Ashkelon in Israel; † 46/45 BC in Athens ) was an ancient Greek philosopher in the age of Hellenism .

Aristus was the brother of the philosopher Antiochus of Askalon , whose life shaped his. Antiochus left his hometown of Askalon at an unknown point in time and went to Athens. There he joined the Platonic Academy , which was then in the era of the “younger academy”. The "younger academy" - a modern term - is characterized by the fact that skepticism in different variants was the dominant attitude. Antiochus later rejected skepticism, separated from the younger academy and opened his own school of philosophy. He programmatically called his school the “old academy” because he claimed that by overcoming the skepticism of the “new” academy he was returning to the original teaching of the Plato school (in the research literature “older academy”).

Aristus was a student of his brother, with whom he lived in Athens and whose antiskeptical conviction he shared. Nothing is known about his youth and education and when he moved to Athens. When Antiochus stayed in Alexandria in the winter of 87/86 , where he finally broke off with the younger academy, Aristus was with him. Soon afterwards, the two philosophers returned to Athens. There the “younger academy” did not survive the turmoil of the First Mithridatic War . After its demise, Antiochus' "old academy" was the only institution that claimed to continue the tradition of Plato's academy. The school of the "old academy" was the Ptolemaion, a gymnasium located in the city center . When Antiochus died - probably 68 BC. -, Aristus was his successor as headmaster ( Scholarch ).

Apparently, Aristus did not develop his own philosophy, but faithfully followed his brother's teaching. It is unknown whether he wrote any scriptures. Its historical significance lies primarily in its role as friend and philosophical teacher of the prominent Roman politician Marcus Iunius Brutus , whom he presumably accompanied on trips. Even Cicero was friends with Aristos; in June 51 he visited him in Athens and stayed with him, in October 50 he probably visited him again. Plutarch reports that Aristus distinguished himself more through his way of life than through his special ability to convince.

Aristos died 46/45 BC Apparently the "old academy" went under with his death; In any case, nothing is known of a successor, and as early as 51 Cicero had lamented the decline of philosophy in Athens.

Source edition with translation

  • Marie-Luise Lakmann (Ed.): Platonici minores. 1st century BC - 2nd century AD. Prosopography, fragments and testimony with German translation (= Philosophia antiqua , volume 145). Brill, Leiden / Boston 2017, ISBN 978-90-04-31533-4 , pp. 74–76, 380–385 (critical edition)

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ See also Woldemar Görler: Antiochos from Askalon and his school . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , volume 4: The Hellenistic philosophy , 2nd half volume, Basel 1994, pp. 938–980, here: 939–942.
  2. ^ Woldemar Görler: Antiochus from Askalon and his school . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , volume 4: The Hellenistic philosophy , 2nd half volume, Basel 1994, pp. 938–980, here: 944.
  3. ^ Marie-Luise Lakmann (ed.): Platonici minores. 1st century BC - 2nd century AD. Prosopography, fragments and testimony with German translation , Leiden / Boston 2017, p. 75.
  4. ^ John Glucker: Antiochus and the Late Academy , Göttingen 1978, pp. 25 f., 112 f .; Woldemar Görler: Aristos and his students . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , vol. 4: The Hellenistic philosophy , 2nd half volume, Basel 1994, pp. 967–969, here: 967 f.
  5. ↑ Plutarch, Brutus 2,3. Cicero probably thought similarly; see Carlos Lévy: Cicero Academicus , Rome 1992, p. 90 f.
  6. ↑ For the dating see Woldemar Görler: Aristos und seine Schüler . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , vol. 4: The Hellenistic philosophy , 2nd half volume, Basel 1994, pp. 967–969, here: 967.
  7. ^ Marie-Luise Lakmann (ed.): Platonici minores. 1st century BC Chr. - 2nd century AD. Prosopography, fragments and testimony with German translation , Leiden / Boston 2017, p. 75; Woldemar Görler: Aristos and his students . In: Hellmut Flashar (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy. The philosophy of antiquity , vol. 4: The Hellenistic philosophy , 2nd half volume, Basel 1994, pp. 967–969, here: 968 f.
personal data
SURNAME Aristus of Ascalon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION ancient Greek philosopher
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC BC or 1st century BC Chr.
PLACE OF BIRTH unsure: Ascalon
DATE OF DEATH 46 BC BC or 45 BC Chr.
Place of death Athens