Diodorus of Aspendos

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Diodoros of Aspendos ( Greek  Διόδωρος ) was an ancient Greek Pythagorean . He lived in the 4th century BC. Chr.

Diodorus came from the city of Aspendos in Pamphylia (in the south of Asia Minor ). He is said to have received his training in southern Italy from a Pythagorean named Aresas from Lucania . Allegedly, Aresas only accepted him as a pupil because the Pythagoreans at that time lacked children - a message that may have come from a hostile source. He later lived in Greece, where he spread Pythagorean teachings. Its chronological classification is only possible approximately. A clue is the news that Aresas was rescued from an unspecified mortal danger by guest friends; this obviously cannot be the antipythagorean unrest of the 5th century BC. Act, the episode probably belongs to the time of the campaign of the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse in southern Italy in 388 BC. During the following decades, in the first half or around the middle of the 4th century, Diodoros took part in the lessons of Aresas.

Diodoros belonged to the direction of the Pythagoreans, who did not do mathematical and scientific research, but understood and practiced Pythagorean philosophy primarily as a teaching of the right way of life. The resemblance of his attitude to that of the Cynics , who caused a sensation at the time, is striking; the famous Cynic Diogenes of Sinope was his contemporary. A connection is not evident from the sources, but Diodorus may have been influenced by Cynicism or was in turn a model for Cynics. A main characteristic of his and the Cynical way of life was the ascetic lack of need, which was also displayed externally. Diodorus was noticeable by his appearance and his costume; He was long-haired, long-bearded and dirty and appeared barefoot with a double philosopher's coat ( tríbōn ), satchel and stick. This appearance was a novelty that he is said to have introduced; its appearance contrasted with that of the earlier Pythagoreans, who "wore bright, bright robes, bathed, anointed and wore normal haircut", as the historian of philosophy Sosicrates of Rhodes notes. Sosikrates regards the new style as arrogant; in doing so he probably follows his source Aristoxenus , an opponent of the direction represented by Diodorus. In the diet, Diodoros practiced the Pythagorean vegetarianism . He was a prominent representative of the poor, cranky "Pythagorist" type, known in Greece at the time, ridiculed by comedy writers. In this sense Archestratos refers to him in his gastronomic poem Hēdypátheia (around 330 BC), and the contemporary Stratonikos mentions his “crazy animal garb” in a mocking verse and criticizes him as arrogant. However, Diodorus was apparently also admired, because Stratonikos states that he had numerous listeners. His new lifestyle even led him to suspect that he was not a real Pythagorean: Timaeus of Tauromenion claims that he had only given his Pythagoreanism.

Claudianus Mamertus, a church writer of the 5th century, names a Diodorus among the Pythagorean authors who expressed themselves in their works about the incorporeal nature of the soul ; Diodoros of Aspendos is probably meant, but Claudianus certainly did not know any authentic writing by this Pythagorean.

swell

  • Holger Thesleff (Ed.): The Pythagorean Texts of the Hellenistic Period . Åbo Akademi, Åbo 1965, pp. 69-70

literature

  • Walter Burkert : Wisdom and Science. Studies on Pythagoras, Philolaus and Plato . Hans Carl, Nuremberg 1962, pp. 196-199
  • Bruno Centrone: Diodoros d'Aspendos . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques . Vol. 2, CNRS Éditions, Paris 1994, ISBN 2-271-05195-9 , p. 783

Remarks

  1. ↑ Bruno Centrone: Introduzione ai pitagorici , Rome 1996, p. 143.
  2. ^ Iamblichus , De vita Pythagorica 266.
  3. ↑ For the chronology see Augusto Rostagni : Hellenica - Hellenistica (= Scritti minori vol. 2,1), Torino 1956, pp. 36–42; Walter Burkert: Wisdom and Science , Nuremberg 1962, p. 196f. and note 61; Fritz Wehrli : Hermippos der Kallimacheer , Basel 1974, p. 59f.
  4. ↑ See Fritz Wehrli: Hermippos der Kallimacheer , Basel 1974, p. 60.
  5. ↑ See also Walter Burkert: Weisheit und Wissenschaft , Nürnberg 1962, p. 196 and note 65. Burkert points out that the statements of Sosikrates go back to Aristoxenus.
  6. ↑ For the background see Fritz Wehrli: Hermippos der Kallimacheer , Basel 1974, p. 60.
  7. ↑ Holger Thesleff: An Introduction to the Pythagorean Writings of the Hellenistic Period , Åbo 1961, pp. 120f.
personal data
SURNAME Diodorus of Aspendos
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek philosopher, Pythagorean
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century or 4th century
DATE OF DEATH 4th century