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

Physiko¯n doxai, which he had just finished quoting (1 súntomo~ perílhyi~ tõn
îstorhménwn perì @rcõn oÿ katà crónou~ @nagrafe$sa) and which was
known to him under the title Fusik3 îstoría (fr. 226b, 228b, 234 FHSG; Sharples.
Commentary, 12). If this is true, the designation of Theophrastus’ doxography as a
historical writing will prove revealing, in many respects.
172
“Theophrastus, after giving his account of the other physicists, says: ‘After these
came Plato, before them in reputation and ability though after them in time.’” (fr. 9
Diels = fr. 230 FHSG).

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6. Doxography: between systematics and history
161
all the physicists”, imitated Anaxagoras and Leucippus (fr. 2); Metrodorus: ad-
mitted the same principles as Democritus (fr. 8); Plato: follows chronologically
all the rest (fr. 9). Thirteen philosophers have a chronological reference of some
kind, the four others (Hippasus, Heraclitus, Hippon, and Melissus) lack it. But
it is possible that, though Theophrastus provided it, Simplicius left it out.
173
References to teacher-student relationships are also more numerous and dif-
ferentiated than in
Metaphysics A. In a number of cases, they presuppose per-
sonal connection (Thales and Anaximander, Anaximander and Anaximenes,
Xenophanes and Parmenides, Leucippus and Democritus, Anaxagoras and
Archelaus); the others imply the borrowing of ideas and the influence of the
older on the younger (Anaximenes and Anaxagoras, Parmenides and Leucip-
pus, Anaxagoras and Diogenes, Democritus and Metrodorus). The birthplaces
of the philosophers are always mentioned. The only exception is Hippon – due,
probably, to an omission by Simplicius rather than to Theophrastus’ lack of in-
formation.
174
Apart from birthplaces, Theophrastus cites the philosophers’
patronymics. Simplicius preserved them in five cases (Thales, Anaximander,
Anaximenes, Parmenides, Anaxagoras), but there are many reasons to believe
that Theophrastus cited the patronymic as a rule, rather than as an exception.
175
Finally, the principle of the
pro¯tos heurete¯s was also applied: Thales invented
natural philosophy (fr. 1 Diels), Anaximander the notion of @rc2 (fr. 2); An-
axagoras was the first to introduce the efficient cause (fr. 4).
176
Theophrastus did
not confine the references to discoverers to the first book of his work: Parme-
nides’ discoveries (fr. 6a, 17) concern astronomy, not the principles. It is no co-
incidence that all the other references to the discoveries in Aëtius also relate to
astronomy:
177
in this science, it was possible to speak about discoveries, i.e.,
173
Theodoretus, who relied on Aëtius, called Melissus the êta$ro~ of Parmenides
(
Dox., 286 n. 14).
174
Aristoxenus thought that Hippon was born on Samos, Meno says his birthplace was
Croton, Censorinus Metapontum, Hippolitus and Ps.-Galen Rhegium (38A 1, 3, 11).
What place Theophrastus indicated is unknown. He could have given several vari-
ants, as in the case of Leucippus (fr. 8 Diels).
175
Archelaus’ patronymic was certainly given by Theophrastus (
Dox., 139, 280.9). For
the patronymics, see also: Pythagoras (
Dox., 280.17), Xenophanes (284 n. 12),
Metrodorus (285.5), Democritus (285 n. 16), Melissus (286 n. 14), Empedocles
(286.19), Zeno (289.1), and Plato (289.17). Cf. above, 143 n. 113.
176
In Aëtius, Pythagoras and Ecphantus are also called prõto~ (Dox., 280.20, 286.21).
Anaximenes is said to be the only one to explain physical processes by condensation
and rarefaction (fr. 226b FHSG). Since this obviously contradicts the facts, Usener
and Diels corrected móno~ to prõto~ (Dox., 144 n. 2, 477n.; cf. DK 13 A 5n.).
177
Pythagoras was the first to give the name ‘cosmos’ to the universe (
Dox., 327.8) and
to discover the obliquity of the ecliptic (340.21: Oenopides contests his priority),
Thales was the first to find the cause of the solar eclipse (353.20) and the source of
the moon’s light (358.15), Parmenides divided the earth into zones (377.18) and
identified the Morning and the Evening Stars with Venus (345b 14), and Anaxagoras
was the first to explain the eclipses and phases of the moon (562.26). To be sure, the

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Chapter 4: The historiographical project of the Lyceum
162
about indisputable things and not just about true opinions, as e.g. in meteorol-
ogy or embryology.
Thus, there is no doubt that the first chapter of the