Cleomedes

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Cleomedes' astronomical textbook in a manuscript written by Maximos Planudes around 1290. Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, MS. Adv. 7/18/15, fol. 52v

Cleomedes ( Greek Κλεoμήδης Kleomḗdēs ) was an ancient Greek philosopher and astronomical writer of the Roman Empire . Since nothing is known about his life, dating his work is difficult and controversial. Presumably he lived in the 1st or 2nd century.

Cleomedes wrote an astronomical treatise in Greek. The book is entitled On the Circular Movement of the Celestial Bodies and comprises two books.

Content-related clues and linguistic criteria make it probable that the treatise of Cleomedes was written in the middle of the 2nd century. The work probably does not represent the current state of astronomy at that time, but may have served as a kind of compendium for the ancient "university business".

In terms of content, four details are remarkable:

  • In the writing of Cleomedes there is a detailed description of the methods with which Eratosthenes and Poseidonios calculated the circumference of the earth.
  • The treatise contains a compilation of arguments for the spherical shape of the earth.
  • Cleomedes reports on a lunar eclipse in which the sun and moon were still visible on the horizon at the same time, and attributes this to atmospheric refraction , which is considered to be one of the first traditions of astronomical refraction .
  • At one point the author argued violently against Epicurus - not only against his teaching, but also against his linguistic style. With his statement he shows himself to be a staunch supporter of the Stoic doctrine .

The moon crater Cleomedes is named after the ancient author.

Text output

  • Robert Todd (Ed.): Cleomedis caelestia (Μετέωρα). Teubner, Leipzig 1990, ISBN 3-322-00745-6 (authoritative critical edition)

Translations

  • Alan C. Bowen, Robert B. Todd: Cleomedes' Lectures on Astronomy. A Translation of The Heavens With an Introduction and Commentary. University of California Press, Berkeley et al. 2004, ISBN 0-520-23325-5
  • Arthur Czwalina : Cleomedes: The circular movement of the stars. Academic Publishing Company, Leipzig 1927
  • Richard Goulet: Cléomède: Théorie élémentaire (“De motu circulari corporum caelestium”). Vrin, Paris 1980 (French translation with introduction and commentary)

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Kleomedes  - Sources and full texts

Remarks

  1. Cleomedes, On the circular movement of the heavenly bodies 1,10 (§ 52 ff.).
  2. Cleomedes, On the circular movement of the heavenly bodies 1.8 (§ 40 ff.).
  3. Cleomedes, On the circular motion of the heavenly bodies, 2.6.
  4. Cleomedes, On the circular movement of the heavenly bodies 2.1 (§ 86 ff.).