Theodosius of Bithynia

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Theodosius of Bithynia ( ancient Greek Θεοδόσιος ; * second half of the 2nd century or 1st century BC) was a Greek mathematician and astronomer. He is also cited as Theodosius of Tripoli .

Little is known about Theodosios. Strabo counts him among the most important scholars of Bithynia , and his sons were also well-known mathematicians after Strabo. Since Strabo mentions him in his geography in his enumeration after Hipparchus and he usually proceeds chronologically, Theodosios can probably be classified after Hipparchus.

In the Byzantine lexicon Suda , Tripoli is given as the place of origin , but there is probably a mix-up. However, the entry in the Suda has often meant that he is also referred to as Theodosius of Tripoli.

Three works by Theodosios have survived:

Sphaerica
  • Ball theory (Sphaerica), in three volumes. It deals with the elementary geometry of the sphere, which was needed for astronomical purposes and was often seen as part of astronomy by the Greeks. It is based on Autolycus by Pitane and Euclid , and from the latter not on the elements (which contain little about spherical geometry), but his astronomical work Phenomena , which is only known in fragments . However, he does not take into account the development of the sphere theory by his Bithynian compatriot Hipparchus . Like the other surviving works by Theodosios, the work was probably part of a collection on Small Astronomy from Pappos and has therefore been preserved. It was translated into Arabic (by Thabit ibn Qurra, among others) at the end of the 9th century (like the other works by Theodosios) and from there into Latin in the 12th century ( Plato of Tivoli , Gerhard of Cremona ). Printed editions first appeared in Venice in 1518 (Latin, translation from Arabic), 1529 in Vienna ( Johannes Vögelin ), 1558 in Paris (J. Pena), 1572 in Strasbourg ( Conrad Dasypodius ) and then by Clavius (Rome 1586) among others , J. Auria (Rome 1587), Marin Mersenne (1644), Isaac Barrow (1675).
  • About residence and about days and nights , both about mathematical geography. The first work describes, among other things, which parts of the sky are visible in different geographic locations and the second work deals with the length of days and nights over the course of the year.

He is said to have written several other smaller astronomical and astrological works after the Suda, a book Description of Houses (which probably does not mean astrology, but architecture) and a commentary on Archimedes' method .

He is probably also identical to Theodosius, mentioned by Vitruvius as the inventor of a sundial that can be used in different places.

Fonts

  • Theodosius Tripolites Sphaerica , edition by J. Heiberg in treatises of the Society of Sciences in Göttingen, Phil.-Hist. Class, Volume 19, No. 3, 1927 (Greek with Latin translation and scholium)
    • German editions: Johann Ernst Nizze Die Sphärik des Theodosios , Stralsund 1826; Arthur Czwalina Autolycus: rotating sphere and rise and fall of the stars; Theodosius of Tripoli: Sphaerik , Ostwalds Klassiker, Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, Leipzig 1931
    • French edition: Paul ver Eecke Théodose de Tripoli: Les sphériques , Paris, Bruges 1927
  • Theodoii De habitationibus liber De diebus et noctibus libri duo , in treatises of the Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Phil.-Hist, Klasse, Volume 19, No. 4, 1927, edition by R. Fecht (Greek with Latin translation and Scholia)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ dating to the second half of the 2nd century BC After Ivor Bulmer-Thomas in the Dictionary of Scientific Biography .
  2. ↑ For an explanation cf. Konrat Ziegler : Theodosios 5). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VA, 2, Stuttgart 1934, column 1930.
  3. ↑ Some sentences point to a lost textbook on spherical geometry that preceded Euclid, possibly by Eudoxus , as a possible source by Theodosius. Bulmer-Thomas , Dictionary of Scientific Biography.
  4. ↑ So named to distinguish Ptolemy's main work on astronomy. Bulmer-Thomas, Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  5. ^ Konrat Ziegler: Theodosios 5). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VA, 2, Stuttgart 1934, Col. 1934 f.
  6. ↑ He also wrote a Latin edition of Sphärik, Berlin 1852
personal data
SURNAME Theodosius of Bithynia
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Theodosius of Tripoli (wrongly)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek mathematician and astronomer
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC BC or 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 1st century BC Chr.