Leonid Zhmud The Origin of the History of Science in Classical Antiquity

Aristotle’s Theology. A commentary on the Book L of the Metaphysics,
Assen 1972.
50
Met. 983b 29, 1000a 9, 1071b 27, 1091a 34; Palmer, J. Aristotle on the ancient theo-
logians,
Apeiron 33 (2000) 181–205. Palmer relates Xenophanes to the theologians,
but in Theophrastus he figures among the physicists.
51
The only fragment of this work (fr. 150), preserved by Damascius, does not contain a
title, but Usener,
op. cit., 64, rightly related it to Tõn perì tò qe$on îstoría~ aV–~V,
listed among Theophrastus’ works (251 No. 2 FHSG). Wehrli, who entitled it “Ge-
schichte der Theologie?” nevertheless argued against this identification (Eud. fr.150,
comm.). Meanwhile, we have, on the one hand, a title in Theophrastus’ list, which
does not agree with any of his known fragments, and, on the other, Eudemus’ frag-
ment that perfectly matches this title (cf. Damascius’ reference: katà t3n Eÿd2mou
îstorían, p. 70.6 Wehrli). See also Betegh, G. On Eudemus fr. 150 (Wehrli), Eude-
mus of Rhodes, ed. by I. Bodnár, W. W. Fortenbaugh, New Brunswick 2002,
337–357; Zhmud, L. Eudemos aus Rhodos,
Die Philosophie der Antike, Vol. 3,
558–564.
52
The chronological sequence of theologians was broken in one case: Acusilaus (ca.
500 BC) is mentioned after Hesiod, whom he seems to have closely followed in his
Genealogiai (9 A 4 DK), but before Epimenides and Pherecydes. We have no re-
liable chronology of Acusilaus, and nor could Eudemus have. In Plato’s
Symposium
(178b = 9 B 2) it is said that Acusilaus followed Hesiod (which is confirmed by the

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2. Aristotelian theory of science and the Peripatetic historiographical project
131
Eudemus’ choice of main personages for his
History of Theology fits quite
well with what the
Metaphysics says about the theologians. Here they comprise
a rather definite group of ancient poets (Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod) and the auth-
ors of mythical cosmogonies (Pherecydes),
53
who were to be treated separately
from the philosophers (fusikoí).
54
In the first place, theologians belong to a
more ancient period;
55
second, they reasoned not rationally but ‘mythically’.
56
Accordingly, the philosophers whom Aristotle placed among the physicists and
whom we usually call the Presocratics do not figure in the
History of Theology.
And vice versa: none of Eudemus’ theologians are mentioned in Theophrastus’
Opinions of the Physicists. The boundary between these groups coincides to a
considerable degree with the contemporary boundary between rational philos-
ophy and mythical theogonies and cosmogonies. We are much indebted to Ar-
istotle that the history of Greek philosophy still starts with Thales and not with
Homer or Orpheus.
57
It is worth recalling that, before Aristotle, Hippias of Elis
(86 B 6) emphasized affinities rather than differences between philosophers,
poets, and ‘barbarian’ sages and that, since the Hellenistic period, allegorical
interpretations transform Homeric poems into a source of all wisdom, includ-
ing philosophy.
58
In their choice of the theologians and physicists, Eudemus and Theophrastus
not only followed Aristotle’s criteria, they obviously aimed at coordinating
their own plans. We see the same approach in the distribution of the material
between Eudemus’
History of Astronomy and the astronomical division of
affinity of their principles), and in the
Laws Epimenides is dated to ca. 500 BC
(642d 4 = 3 A 5). Eudemus (or Damascius) could have taken Plato’s remarks into
account.
53
oî perì ˆHsíodon (1000a 9); oî @rca$oi poihtaí (1091b 3ff.), among them Or-
pheus (@rc2 Night), Homer (Ocean, cf. 983b 27), Hesiod (Chaos, cf. 984b 26–28),
and finally, Pherecydes and the Persian Magi (1091b 10–11). Aristotle mentions the
principles of the Magi, Ormuzd and Ahriman, in his dialogue