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

Phaenomena
and
On Velocities; from the Circuit of the Earth there is only one quotation,
unrelated to geography. Though Eudoxus is called an astronomer, geometer,
and physician, the nature of his achievements in mathematics, astronomy, and
geography interested neither the biographer himself nor, apparently, his
readers. The biography of Archytas is similar. The account of his scientific dis-
coveries – the mathematization of mechanics and the solution to the problem
of doubling the cube – is compressed into two short sentences (D. L. VIII,
83).
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In considering the biographies from Diogenes Laertius’ collection, we
should of course take into account the specific characteristics of this author.
Yet there is no evidence that the preceding biographical tradition was substan-
tially different: it could be interested in eûr2mata, not in scientific theories.
Later biography made no new contribution in this respect. Proclus’ pupil and
biographer Marinus does not say a word about his mathematical and astro-
nomical works, but considers it relevant to cite his teacher’s horoscope. Even
Neopythagorean biography, such as Porphyry’s
Life of Pythagoras, which
gave no less attention to
dogmata than to bios, still passed over scientific the-
ories in silence. Iamblichus’ extensive
On the Pythagorean Life also briefly
mentions
 mathe¯mata, without much detail, Iamblichus having reserved this
subject for the subsequent volumes of his Pythagorean series, which com-
prised ten books.
Unlike biography, doxography after Theophrastus underwent considerable
changes and, as a result, included a wealth of new historico-scientific evi-
dence. In the first part of the first century BC, Posidonius’ school, notable for
the revival of interest in physical problems, produced a short version of
Physi-
ko¯n doxai in six books,
85
which Diels called
Vetusta placita. Included in it
were the opinions of Aristotle, Peripatetics, Academics, Epicureans, and es-
pecially Stoics. Since Posidonius’ concept of physics was much broader than
natural to think of its author as a person both close to Archimedes and versed in
science.
83
Eudoxus studied mathematics with Archytas, but he never was a Pythagorean, nor
did he write any philosophical works.
84
See above, 176.
85
Diels, H. Über das physikalische System des Straton,
Sitzungsb. der Preuss. Ak. d.
Wiss. (1893) 102.

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Chapter 8: Historiography of science after Eudemus: a brief outline
296
that of Aristotle and Theophrastus,
86
doxography was enriched thematically as
well. According to Posidonius, the founder of this much extended physics is
not Thales any longer, but Homer (fr. 48–49, 137, 222 E.-K.); it includes man-
tic (fr. 7, 26–27 E.-K.); medicine draws still closer to physics;
87
mathe¯mata
turns from an independent branch of theoretical sciences into physics’ auxili-
ary instrument (fr. 18, 90 E.-K.). In accordance with the new criteria of select-
ing the material,
Vetusta placita included opinions absent from Theophrastus:
1) those of ancient theologians and poets (Aët. I, 6); 2) of mathematicians, i.e.,
astronomers, and sometimes astrologers, whose teachings interested Posido-
nius (cf. fr. 111–112 E.-K.); 3) of the classical (Hippocrates, Polybus, Diocles)
and especially of Hellenistic physicians (Herophilus, Erasistratus, Asclepia-
des).
Leaving out theologians, doctors, and Hellenistic physicists, let us note that
in Aëtius (who in the first century AD revised