Sosigenes from Alexandria

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Sosigenes from Alexandria ( ancient Greek Σωσιγένης ὅ Ἀλεξανδρεύς Sōsigénēs ho Alexandréus ) was a late Hellenistic astronomer of the 1st century BC. Chr.

Sosigenes was active as a consultant during the calendar reform under Gaius Iulius Caesar ( Julian calendar ) - among others, including Acoreus - and also influenced Caesar's De astris , from which only fragments of weather signs are known. In his Naturalis historia, Pliny the Elder passed on the knowledge of Sosigenes and Kidenas that Mercury was never more than 22 degrees from the sun.

The lunar crater Sosigenes is named after the astronomer.

In the 1963 film Cleopatra , he appears as an advisor to Cleopatra , played by Hume Cronyn .

Sosigenes from Alexandria should not be confused with Sosigenes the Peripatetic , who also dealt with astronomical subjects.

literature

  • Wolfgang Huebner: Sosigenes 3rd In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 11, Metzler, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-476-01481-9 , column 743.
  • Richard Goulet: Sosigénès. In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques. Volume 6, CNRS Éditions, Paris 2016, ISBN 978-2-271-08989-2 , pp. 485-486.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Pliny, Naturalis historia 2,39.
personal data
SURNAME Sosigenes from Alexandria
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sōsigénēs hó Alexandréus; 'Σωσιγένης ὅ ᾿Αλεξανδρεύς (ancient Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION late Hellenistic astronomer
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 1st century BC Chr.