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

hetaireia.
25
In the chain of gen-
eration from Pythagoras to Hippasus, Theodorus, and Archytas, only one link,
that between Hippasus and Theodorus, is missing. The further progress in
mathematics is associated with Theodorus’ student Theaetetus and, in particu-
lar, with Archytas’ student Eudoxus, the founder of the first Greek mathemat-
ical and astronomical school in Cyzicus.
26
At the very end of the fourth century,
Eudoxus’ followers were challenged by Epicurus, who succeeded in winning
some of them, Polyaenus of Lampsacus in particular, to his side.
27
Hence, this
school, starting with Eudoxus (born ca. 390), had lasted for at least three gen-
21
Lennox, J. G. The disappearance of Aristotle’s biology: A Hellenistic mystery,
Apei-
ron 27 (1994) 7–24.
22
Hydrostatics was pursued by Menelaus, whose work has not survived.
23
Netz. Greek mathematics, 205, with reference to Runia, D. Aristotle and Theo-
phrastus conjoined in the writings of Cicero,
Cicero’s knowledge of the Peripatos,
ed. by W.W. Fortenbaugh, P. Steinmetz, New Brunswick, 1989 (Rutgers University
Studies in Classical Humanities, Vol. 4), 23–38.
24
On the poor institualization of Greek mathematics, see Asper,
op. cit., 17ff.
25
Zhmud.
Wissenschaft, 78ff.
26
Among the members of the school were Menaechmus, Dinostratus, Callippus, Po-
lemarchus, Athenaeus, Helicon, Amyclas, Theudius, and Hermotimus. See above,
98f.
27
Sedley. Epicurus, 23f. On Polyaenus, see below, 287.

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1. The decline of the historiography of science
285
erations. After the beginning of the third century, we do not hear of it anymore,
nor of other mathematical schools that lasted for such a long time and were so
large in number. “Mathematics during the Hellenistic period – as Toomer justly
remarked – was pursued not in ‘schools’ established in ‘cultural centres’, but
by individuals all over the Greek world, who were in lively contacts with each
other both by correspondence and in their travels.”
28
For the Lyceum, Eudoxus and his school represented science as such; it is
from here that Eudemus drew information about new scientific theories and,
still more important, the criteria for what is scientific and what is not.
29
The ab-
sence of such schools in the later period had a negative effect on the relations
between philosophy and mathematics, as well as on the history of science, par-
ticularly because activities of the philosophical and medical schools were re-
corded in a rich historiographical literature. In the Hellenistic period there ap-
pear two special historiographical genres related to philosophical schools: the
successions of philosophers (Diadocaí) with the main focus on biography, and
the literature on philosophical schools (Perì aîrésewn),
30
which lay closer to
doxography. Both these genres are found in medical historiography as well.
Dated to the period from 50 BC to 50 AD are Ischomachus’ Perì t4~ ˆIppo-
krátou~ aîrésew~ (FGrHist 1058 F 1) and the three works with the same title
of Perì t4~ ˆHrofílou aîrésew~.
31
A renowned physician, Soranus of Ephe-
sus (first half of the second century AD), wrote
Successions of Physicians
(Diadocaì ıatrõn), from which we have Hippocrates’ biography (FGrHist
1062 F 1–4). On the whole, the ancient historiography of medicine is repre-
sented by quite a number of works, and the introduction to Celsus’
On Medi-
cine, based on Hellenistic models, demonstrates the interest of contemporary
physicians in the general history of medicine as well.
32
Since the Renaissance, the history of science, philosophy, and medicine has
generally been pursued by specialists who taught at the universities or had, at
least, studied in them. In Antiquity the functions of the universities were partly
performed by philosophical and medical schools, which served as higher edu-
cation and research centers. In the exact sciences such centers were, to all evi-
28
Toomer.