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

De sensibus, dealing
with the objects of the senses, Democritus comes first and Plato after him (sections
59–92). Fritz, K. von. Democritus’ theory of vision,
Science, medicine and history.
Essays written in honour of Ch. Singer, ed. by E. Underwood, Vol. 1, Oxford, 1953,
83, considered this work to be critical and historical, presenting theories in chro-
nological order. Cf. Mansfeld, J. Aristote et la structure du
De sensibus de Théo-
phraste,
Phronesis 41 (1996) 158–188; Baltussen. Theophrastus, 15f.

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6. Doxography: between systematics and history
159
(parts) and chapters corresponding to the categories of the Peripatetic physics.
Within the chapters devoted to specific problems, the main ‘units’ consisted of
the theories of individual philosophers, which were united into groups accord-
ing to their similarity (if this was relevant) and/or often, but not necessarily,
were set in chronological order.
168
This picture is confirmed by Simplicius’ quotations from the chapter
On the
Principles, in which Theophrastus introduces his main characters to the reader.
The quotations are given in the commentary to the passage of Aristotle’s
Physics I, 2, where principles of the Presocratics are arranged by the method of
division. Simplicius notes that diaeresis of the
Physics may be developed by di-
viding the group of the monists on the principle of ‘limited – unlimited’ and the
group of the pluralists on the principle of ‘motionless – in motion’.
169
But since
the pluralists whose principles would be motionless were unknown to him (as
well as to Aristotle), he limits his development of diaeresis to the group of mon-
ists alone (
In Phys., 22.16–21), characterizing them in accordance with the fol-
lowing scheme (
left to right):
Simplicius’ explanations preceding his overview of the principles leave no
doubt that his order of exposition has hardly anything to do with the sequence
of names in the chapter
On the Principles.
170
In contrast to the schematic ped-
antry of the late commentator, Theophrastus’ fragments feature a historically
oriented picture of philosophers’ teachings similar in many respects to the his-
torico-doxographical survey in the
Metaphysics. Simplicius himself pointed
168
Cf. Regenbogen’s opinion concerning the
Physiko¯n doxai: “Der Aufbau scheint
nach Sach- und Problemkategorien geordnet gewesen zu sein, innerhalb deren so-
wohl die zeitliche Folge als auch die angeblichen Schulzusammenhänge bestim-
mend waren.” (Theophrast, 1536).
169
In Phys., 21.34f., 22.20f. Before him, this question was raised by Alexander, who,
however, was satisfied with Aristotle’s division (ibid., 21.35f.). See von Kienle,
op.
cit., 59f.
170
Ámeinon dè Ísw~ ëk telewtéra~ diairésew~ tà~ dóxa~ pása~ perilabónta~
oÛtw to$~ toñ ^Aristotélou~ ëpelqe$n (In Phys., 22.20–21). Cf. Dox., 104f.;
McDiarmid,
op. cit., 88f.; Steinmetz, op. cit., 338ff.; von Kienle, op. cit., 62f.;
Wiesner, J. Theophrast und der Beginn des Archereferats von Simplikios’ Physik-
kommentar,
Hermes 117 (1989) 288–303; Mansfeld. Studies, 243ff.
motionless
neither in motion
nor at rest
in motion
unlimited
limited
neither unlimited
nor limited
limited
unlimited
Melissus
Parmenides
Xenophanes
Thales, Hippon,
Heraclitus,
Hippasus
Anaximander,
Anaximenes,
Diogenes

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Chapter 4: The historiographical project of the Lyceum
160
this out at the end of his overview: “This is the summary account of what has
been ascertained about the principles, recorded not in chronological arrange-
ment, but according to affinities of doctrines.”
171
While katà t3n t4~ dóxh~
suggéneian characterizes Simplicius’ own method of presenting the material,
the contrasting oÿ katà crónou~ implies that, in Theophrastus, philosophers
followed each other katà crónou~ (cf. Dox., 104 n. 4). To fit the material into
his scheme, Simplicius breaks this succession, placing Melissus before Parme-
nides, Parmenides before Xenophanes, and Thales, the founder of physics, in
the middle of the group of monists, which results in a manifest contradiction
between the quotations from Theophrastus and the commentary. Simplicius
groups the pluralists who admitted a limited number of principles by the
number of their principles: two (Parmenides, who had already figured among
the monists, and the Stoics), three (Aristotle), four (Empedocles), six (Plato),
and ten (the Pythagoreans). They are followed by those who admitted an unli-
mited number of principles of one kind (Anaxagoras, Archelaus), and, next to
them, of principles different in kind (Leucippus, Democritus, Metrodorus).
Meanwhile, Theophrastus’ words make it clear that in his survey, as well as in
Aristotle, Plato, instead of figuring in the middle of the group of pluralists,
came after all other physicists.
172
Besides, Theophrastus ascribes to Plato (in
physics) only two causes, not six. Simplicius’ construction therefore appears
obviously artificial.
Theophrastus records the relative chronology of the physicists much more
consistently than Aristotle. Thales: the founder of physics who eclipsed his
anonymous precursors (fr. 1 Diels); Anaximander: diádoco~ kaì maqht2~ of
Thales (cf.
Dox., 476n.); Anaximenes: êta$ro~ of Anaximander (fr. 2); Xe-
nophanes: “is said to have listened to Anaximander” (fr. 6a); Parmenides: a
pupil of Xenophanes (fr. 5); Anaxagoras: shared in the philosophy of Anax-
imenes (fr. 4); Empedocles: “a little younger than Anaxagoras”, an admirer of
Parmenides (fr. 3); Archelaus: a student of Anaxagoras and an associate of So-
crates (fr. 4); Leucippus: shared in the philosophy of Parmenides; Democritus:
êta$ro~ of Leucippus (fr. 8); Diogenes of Apollonia: “almost the youngest of
171
In Phys., 28.30–31 = fr. 229 FHSG. Interestingly, in the next sentence (28.32f.) Sim-
plicius criticizes those whose notions of disagreements between philosophers are
based on a superficial knowledge of îstorikaì @nagrafaí. Diels suggested that
works like that of Diogenes Laertius are implied here, but Simplicius does not men-
tion Diogenes. More probably, under îstorikaì @nagrafaí, he might have meant
the