Polemarchos of Nicomedia

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Polemarchus of Nicomedia († 131/130 BC in Athens ) was an ancient Greek philosopher in the age of Hellenism . From 137/136 to 131/130 BC He was the scholarch (head of the school) of the Platonic Academy , the philosophy school founded by Plato in Athens.

Until 137/136 BC Carneades directed the academy. Polemarchus of Nicomedia also belonged to this community of teaching and learning philosophers. Karneades belonged to the tendency among the Platonists at that time, which is known as the "younger academy". It differs from the "older academy" in the skepticism it advocates , the fundamental doubt about the verifiability of philosophical statements. As an academic skeptic, Polemarchus of Nicomedia was trained to take and defend conflicting positions. Nothing is known of details of his teaching or writings.

Until 2019 nothing was known of the existence of the Polemarchos of Nicomedia. Due to several incorrect reconstructions in a papyrus containing fragments of the Index Academicorum des Philodemos of Gadara , it was wrongly assumed that the name of Karneades' successor was also Karneades and that this philosopher was the son of a polemarchus. Hence he was called Carneades the Younger . It was even assumed that he was related to the famous philosopher Carneades. Carneades the Younger never existed, but Polemarchus of Nicomedia was the actual successor of Carneades.

137/136 Karneades had to give up the management of the school for health reasons; allegedly he was blind. He handed over the office of Scholarchen to Polemarchus, but possibly retained influence in the academy thanks to his authority. Polemarchos directed the school until his death (131/130). He was succeeded by Krates of Tarsos . The most famous student of Karneades, Kleitomachos , was no longer a member of the Academy at that time, but ran his own school of philosophy in Athens. He only returned to the academy in 129/128.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Philodemos von Gadara, Index Academicorum 25,36-39.
  2. ↑ Diogenes Laertios 4.66.
  3. ↑ Philodemos von Gadara, Index Academicorum 24, 32-35; 25.36-43; 29.38-30.4.
  4. ↑ On these processes and their chronology see Tiziano Dorandi: Ricerche sulla cronologia dei filosofi ellenistici , Stuttgart 1991, pp. 11-16.
personal data
SURNAME Polemarchos of Nicomedia
BRIEF DESCRIPTION ancient Greek philosopher in the age of Hellenism
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC BC or 2nd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 131/130 BC Chr.
Place of death Athens