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

In Arist. Cat., 264.33ff. =
fr. 459 Hülser; D. L. VII, 135.
51
T 83–84 E.-K; Bréhier, E. Posidonius d’Apamée, théoricien de la géométrie,
Etudes
de philosophie antique, Paris 1955, 117–130; Kouremenos, T. Posidonius and Gemi-

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1. The decline of the historiography of science
289
fully fits with the obvious influence exercised on him by Plato and Aristotle. In
his works, Posidonius treated the problems of astronomy and mathematical
geography at great length and wrote a special treatise to defend Euclid’s ge-
ometry against the attacks of the Sceptical Academy and the Epicureans, Zeno
of Sidon in particular (fr. 46–47 E.-K.). Despite Posidonius’ genuine interest in
science, his view of its relations with philosophy remains typically Stoic:
ma-
the¯mata are but auxiliary means at philosophy’s service.
52
Proceeding from Ar-
istotle’s passage on the difference between physics and mathematical astron-
omy,
53
Posidonius shifts the accents radically. Physics establishes the basic
principles and deduces from them its propositions on the size, shape, and order
of heavenly bodies; astronomy borrows from physics these principles and in-
vestigates the same problems proceeding from observations. Physics explains
the causes, while astronomy is a descriptive discipline; its various hypotheses
attempt to ‘save the phenomena’ without providing the true explanation of their
causes. Among the principles that the astronomer is obliged to borrow from
philosophy is the proposition that the movement of heavenly bodies is simple,
regular, and ordered. Proceeding from this, the scientist proves this movement
to be the circular one.
54
While Aristotle considered
mathe¯mata the most exact of sciences and ad-
vised listening to mathematicians,
55
Posidonius believed that the proper func-
nus on the foundations of mathematics,
Hermes 122 (1994) 437–450. Of all the
Stoics only two Posidonians – Geminus of Rhodes and Diodorus of Alexandria –
wrote on mathematics and astronomy: Steinmetz, P. Die Stoa,
Die Philosophie der
Antike, Vol. 4, 710f. (On Posidonius’ later follower Cleomedes, see below, 292
n. 73). To be sure, whether and to what extent they were Stoic philosophers remains
unclear. Diodorus, e.g., is regularly called
mathe¯matikos (Achil. Isag., 30.20, 41.17
Maass; Pasquali,
op. cit., 196.26 and below, 290 n. 56). Rather, they appear as math-
ematicians influenced by Posidonius, in particular by his meteorology. Both wrote
on this subject, admittedly, not a usual one for a mathematician, but their purely phi-
losophical works are unknown.
52
Fr. 90 E.-K.; Kidd, I.G. Philosophy and science in Posidonius,
A & A 24 (1978) 7–15.
Posidonius’ theory of the origin of culture (fr. 284 E.-K.) maintains that many if not
all the practical arts were discovered by ‘wise men’, a kind of primitive philoso-
phers. Cf. Seneca’s objections to making philosophy responsible for technical prog-
ress, too (
Ep. 90, 5f.).
53
Phys. 193b 22f.; see above, 132 n. 59.
54
lhptéon dè aÿtŒ @rcà~ parà toñ fusikoñ, âplã~ e£nai kaì ômalà~ kaì te-
tagména~ kin2sei~ tõn Ástrwn, di^ %n @podeíxei ëgkúklion oÑsan t3n core-
ían âpántwn … (fr. 18 E.-K.).
55
Cael. 306a 27 and above, 250. According to Ptolemy, only mathematics provides firm
and reliable knowledge (see above, 118). This view was shared by Aristotle’s com-
mentators. Explaining why of the three parts of philosophy only the middle one is
called
mathe¯mata, Elias says: because only mathe¯mata can provide reliable demon-
strations; tañta gàr manqánomen @kribõ~, tà dè Álla eıkázomen mãllon 9
manqánomen (In Porph. Isag., 28.24f.). David closes the same considerations with an

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Chapter 8: Historiography of science after Eudemus: a brief outline
290
tion of the astronomer is to subordinate his research to the results of the physi-
cist. Only by following the latter’s lead will he produce a description of the
heavenly motions that is an accurate representation of reality.
56
This demon-
stration of philosophy’s superiority over science is manifestly Platonic in inspi-
ration, and coreía, related by Posidonius to the movement of heavenly bodies,
refers us directly to Plato’s
Timaeus (40c). Projecting Posidonius’ statement
into the domain of the history of science, we easily reproduce the situation de-
scribed later by Sosigenes: Plato, proceeding from the fundamental principle of
planets’ regular and ordered movement, sets a problem for astronomers, and
Eudoxus is the first to advance the hypothesis of ‘saving the appearances’.
57
Sosigenes’ words could well suggest a direct influence of Posidonius, had not
this notion of science’s direct dependence on philosophy been a commonplace
in his time. We find the same attitude both in the Platonist Dercyllides
58
and the
Peripatetic Adrastus.
59
It is hard to say whether Posidonius himself was fa-
miliar with the legend of Plato as the architect of