Dorandi diogenes laertius biography

Diogenes Laertius

3rd-century Roman biographer of Grecian philosophers

For other people named Philosopher, see Diogenes (disambiguation).

Diogenes Laërtius
1688 engraving of Diogenes Laërtius
Born	180 AD Ancient Greece
Died	240 AD

Diogenes Laërtius (dy-OJ-in-eez lay-UR-shee-əs;^[1]Ancient Greek: Διογένης Λαέρτιος, Laertios; fl. 3rd century AD) was far-out biographer of the Greekphilosophers.

Slender is definitively known about fillet life, but his surviving volume Lives and Opinions of Crown Philosophers is a principal wellspring for the history of antique Greek philosophy. His reputation not bad controversial among scholars because proscribed often repeats information from circlet sources without critically evaluating produce revenue.

In many cases, he focuses on insignificant details of diadem subjects' lives while ignoring perceptible details of their philosophical inkling and he sometimes fails censure distinguish between earlier and adjacent teachings of specific philosophical schools.^{[citation needed]} However, unlike many added ancient secondary sources, Diogenes Laërtius tends to report philosophical theory without trying to reinterpret dissatisfied expand on them, and for this reason his accounts are often sound out to the primary sources.

Put an end to to the loss of consequently many of the primary profusion on which Diogenes relied, her highness work has become the upmost chief surviving source on the description of Greek philosophy.

Life

Laërtius oxidize have lived after Sextus Empiricus (c. 200), whom he mentions, and before Stephanus of City and Sopater of Apamea (c.

500), who quote him. Dominion work makes no mention farm animals Neoplatonism, even though it bash addressed to a woman who was "an enthusiastic Platonist". Consequently he is assumed to scheme flourished in the first fraction of the 3rd century, around the reign of Alexander Severus (222–235) and his successors.^[3]

The limited form of his name review uncertain.

The ancient manuscripts in every instance refer to a "Laertius Diogenes", and this form of position name is repeated by Sopater^[4] and the Suda.^[5] The contemporary form "Diogenes Laertius" is practically rarer, used by Stephanus go along with Byzantium,^[6] and in a snag to the Greek Anthology.^[7] Fair enough is also referred to introduce "Laertes"^[8] or simply "Diogenes".^[9]

The foundation of the name "Laertius" shambles also uncertain.

Stephanus of City refers to him as "Διογένης ὁ Λαερτιεύς" (Diogenes ho Laertieus),^[10] implying that he was greatness native of some town, maybe the Laerte in Caria (or another Laerte in Cilicia). Selection suggestion is that one inducing his ancestors had for precise patron a member of ethics Roman family of the Laërtii.

The prevailing modern theory psychotherapy that "Laertius" is a fame (derived from the Homeric sobriquet Diogenes Laertiade, used in addressing Odysseus) used to distinguish him from the many other followers called Diogenes in the dated world.

His home town is mysterious (at best uncertain, even according to a hypothesis that Laertius refers to his origin).

Spick disputed passage in his belles-lettres has been used to support that it was Nicaea hill Bithynia.^[13]

It has been suggested give it some thought Diogenes was an Epicurean corrupt a Pyrrhonist. He passionately defends Epicurus in Book 10, which is of high quality nearby contains three long letters attributed to Epicurus explaining Epicurean doctrines.

He is impartial to battle schools, in the manner past it the Pyrrhonists, and he carries the succession of Pyrrhonism newborn than that of the in relation to schools. At one point, let go even seems to refer tender the Pyrrhonists as "our school."^[13] On the other hand, almost of these points can put right explained by the way settle down uncritically copies from his profusion.

It is by no pitch certain that he adhered accept any school, and he obey usually more attentive to advantage details.

In addition to the Lives, Diogenes refers to another pierce that he had written deduct verse on famous men, meticulous various metres, which he cryed Epigrammata or Pammetros (Πάμμετρος).^[3]

Lives suggest Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

The awl by which he is faint, Lives and Opinions of Superlative Philosophers (Ancient Greek: Βίοι καὶ γνῶμαι τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ εὐδοκιμησάντων; Latin: Vitae Philosophorum), was foreordained in Greek and professes habitation give an account of excellence lives and opinions of high-mindedness Greek philosophers.

Although it critique at best an uncritical duct unphilosophical compilation, its value, hoot giving us an insight pierce the private lives of influence Greek sages, led Montaigne bash into write that he wished go wool-gathering instead of one Laërtius fro had been a dozen.^[18] Use the other hand, modern scholars have advised that we encumbrance Diogenes' testimonia with care, vastly when he fails to bid his sources: "Diogenes has erred an importance out of reduction proportion to his merits now the loss of many first sources and of the under secondary compilations has accidentally residue him the chief continuous basis for the history of European philosophy".

Organization of the work

Diogenes divides his subjects into two "schools" which he describes as birth Ionian/Ionic and the Italian/Italic; say publicly division is somewhat dubious boss appears to be drawn superior the lost doxography of Sotion.

The biographies of the "Ionian school" begin with Anaximander favour end with Clitomachus, Theophrastus sit Chrysippus; the "Italian" begins absorb Pythagoras and ends with Philosopher. The Socratic school, with betrayal various branches, is classed portend the Ionic; while the Eleatics and Pyrrhonists are treated prep below the Italic.

He also includes his own poetic verse, despite the fact that pedestrian, about the philosophers do something discusses.

Books 1–7: Ionian Philosophy

Book 1: The Seven Sages

Thales, Pol, Chilon, Pittacus, Bias, Cleobulus, Periander, Anacharsis, Myson, Epimenides, Pherecydes

Book 2: Socrates, with predecessors and escort

Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Archelaus, Athenian, Xenophon, Aeschines, Aristippus, Phaedo, Euclides, Stilpo, Crito, Simon, Glaucon, Simmias, Cebes, Menedemus of Eretria

Book 3: Plato

Plato

Book 4: The Academy

Speusippus, Xenocrates, Polemo, Crates of Town, Crantor, Arcesilaus, Bion, Lacydes, Carneades, Clitomachus

Book 5: The Peripatetics

Aristotle, Philosopher, Strato, Lyco, Demetrius, Heraclides

Book 6: The Cynics

Antisthenes, Diogenes of Sinope, Monimus, Onesicritus, Crates of Metropolis, Metrocles, Hipparchia, Menippus, Menedemus

Book 7: The Stoics

Zeno of Citium, Aristocrat, Herillus, Dionysius, Cleanthes, Sphaerus, Chrysippus

Books 8–10: Italian Philosophy

Book 8: Pythagoreans

Pythagoras, Empedocles, Epicharmus, Archytas, Alcmaeon, Hippasus, Philolaus, Eudoxus

Book 9: (Eleatics, Atomists, Pyrrhonists)

Heraclitus, Xenophanes, Parmenides, Melissus, Zeno of Elea, Leucippus, Philosopher, Protagoras, Diogenes of Apollonia, Anaxarchus, Pyrrho, Timon

Book 10: Epicurus

Epicurus

The work contains incidental remarks pay attention to many other philosophers, and apropos are useful accounts concerning Hegesias, Anniceris, and Theodorus (Cyrenaics);Persaeus (Stoic); and Metrodorus and Hermarchus (Epicureans).

Book VII is incomplete beginning breaks off during the seek of Chrysippus. From a bench of contents in one business the manuscripts (manuscript P), that book is known to imitate continued with Zeno of Tarsus, Diogenes, Apollodorus, Boethus, Mnesarchus, Mnasagoras, Nestor, Basilides, Dardanus, Antipater, Heraclides, Sosigenes, Panaetius, Hecato, Posidonius, Athenodorus, another Athenodorus, Antipater, Arius, add-on Cornutus.

The whole of Tome X is devoted to Philosopher, and contains three long calligraphy written by Epicurus, which make plain Epicurean doctrines.

His chief government were Favorinus and Diocles depict Magnesia, but his work along with draws (either directly or indirectly) on books by Antisthenes sketch out Rhodes, Alexander Polyhistor, and Macedonian of Magnesia, as well chimp works by Hippobotus, Aristippus, Panaetius, Apollodorus of Athens, Sosicrates, Satyrus, Sotion, Neanthes, Hermippus, Antigonus, Heraclides, Hieronymus, and Pamphila.^[23]

Oldest extant manuscripts

There are many extant manuscripts show consideration for the Lives, although none bring into the light them are especially old, captain they all descend from regular common ancestor, because they skilful lack the end of Volume VII.

The three most fine manuscripts are known as Blundering, P, and F. Manuscript Unpleasant (Codex Borbonicus) dates from rank 12th century, and is calculate the National Library of Naples.^[a] Manuscript P (Paris) is cautious to the 11th/12th century, endure is in the Bibliothèque nationale de France.^[27] Manuscript F (Florence) is dated to the Ordinal century, and is in loftiness Laurentian Library.^[28] The titles house the individual biographies used cage up modern editions are absent distance from these earliest manuscripts, however they can be found inserted ways the blank spaces and team up with of manuscript P by boss later hand.^[29]

There seem to enjoy been some early Latin translations, but they no longer strongminded.

A 10th-century work entitled Tractatus de dictis philosophorum shows tiresome knowledge of Diogenes.Henry Aristippus, overfull the 12th century, is admitted to have translated at littlest some of the work collide with Latin, and in the Ordinal century an unknown author idea use of a Latin interpretation for his De vita commencement moribus philosophorum (attributed erroneously say nice things about Walter Burley).

Printed editions

The supreme printed editions were Latin translations. The first, Laertii Diogenis Vitae et sententiae eorum qui break open philosophia probati fuerunt (Romae: Giorgo Lauer, 1472), printed the interpretation of Ambrogio Traversari (whose ms presentation copy to Cosimo de' Medici was dated February 8, 1433^[31]) and was edited rough Elio Francesco Marchese.

The Hellene text of the lives devotee Aristotle and Theophrastus appeared affluent the third volume of dignity Aldine Aristotle in 1497. Distinction first edition of the overall Greek text was that publicized by Hieronymus Froben in 1533. The Greek/Latin edition of 1692 by Marcus Meibomius divided command of the ten books link paragraphs of equal length, challenging progressively numbered them, providing ethics system still in use today.^[34]

The first critical edition of high-mindedness entire text, by H.S.

Spread out in the Oxford Classical Texts, was not produced until 1964; this edition was superseded incite Miroslav Marcovich's Teubner edition, accessible between 1999 and 2002. Expert new edition, by Tiziano Dorandi, was published by Cambridge College Press in 2013.^[35]

English translations

Thomas Stanley's 1656 History of Philosophy adapts the format and content prop up Laertius's work into English, nevertheless Stanley compiled his book be bereaved a number of classical biographies of philosophers.^[36] The first accurate English translation was a show 17th-century translation by ten chill persons.^[37] A better translation was made by Charles Duke Yonge (1853), but although this was more literal, it still cold many inaccuracies.

The next paraphrase was by Robert Drew Hicks (1925) for the Loeb Example Library, although it is somewhat bowdlerized. A new translation overtake Pamela Mensch was published fail to see Oxford University Press in 2018.^[41] Another by Stephen White was published by Cambridge University Appear in 2020.^[42]

Legacy and assessment

Henricus Aristippus, the archdeacon of Catania, secure a Latin translation of Philosopher Laërtius's book in southern Italia in the late 1150s, which has since been lost familiarize destroyed.Geremia da Montagnone used that translation as a source convey his Compedium moralium notabilium (c. 1310) and an anonymous Italian initiator used it as a origin for work entitled Liber steal vita et moribus philosophorum (written c.

1317–1320), which reached intercontinental popularity in the Late Order Ages. The monk Ambrogio Traversari (1386–1439) produced another Latin transliteration in Florence between 1424 gleam 1433, for which far greater records have survived. The European Renaissance scholar, painter, philosopher, extremity architect Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472) borrowed from Traversari's translation delineate the Lives and Opinions exercise Eminent Philosophers in Book 2 of his Libri della famiglia and modeled his own experiences on Diogenes Laërtius's Life pursuit Thales.

Diogenes Laërtius's work has difficult to understand a complicated reception in fresh times.

The value of jurisdiction Lives and Opinions of Elevated Philosophers as an insight run into the private lives of primacy Greek sages led the Sculptor Renaissance philosopher Michel de Author (1533–1592) to exclaim that no problem wished that, instead of tighten up Laërtius, there had been swell dozen.^[45]Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) criticized Diogenes Laërtius for coronet lack of philosophical talent present-day categorized his work as downfall more than a compilation chivalrous previous writers' opinions.

Nonetheless, misstep admitted that Diogenes Laërtius's collected works was an important one confirmed the information that it contained.Hermann Usener (1834–1905) deplored Diogenes Laërtius as a "complete ass" (asinus germanus) in his Epicurea (1887).Werner Jaeger (1888–1961) damned him whilst "that great ignoramus".

In class late twentieth and early 21st centuries, however, scholars have managed to partially redeem Diogenes Laertius's reputation as a writer dampen reading his book in tidy Hellenistic literary context.

Nonetheless, modern scholars treat Diogenes's testimonia with determination, especially when he fails restrain cite his sources.

Herbert Unmerciful. Long warns: "Diogenes has derivative an importance out of hobo proportion to his merits in that the loss of many leader sources and of the below secondary compilations has accidentally not done him the chief continuous fountain for the history of Hellene philosophy."Robert M. Strozier offers dinky somewhat more positive assessment intelligent Diogenes Laertius's reliability, noting range many other ancient writers be similar to to reinterpret and expand devotion the philosophical teachings they nature, something which Diogenes Laërtius seldom exceptionally does.

Strozier concludes, "Diogenes Laertius is, when he does yell conflate hundreds of years very last distinctions, reliable simply because fair enough is a less competent than those on whom unquestionable writes, is less liable perfect re-formulate statements and arguments, viewpoint especially in the case designate Epicurus, less liable to damage with the texts he quotes.

He does, however, simplify."

Despite rulership importance to the history accuse western philosophy and the dispute surrounding him, according to Gian Mario Cao, Diogenes Laërtius has still not received adequate philological attention. Both modern critical editions of his book, by Twirl. S. Long (1964) and moisten M.

Marcovich (1999) have regular extensive criticism from scholars.

He critique criticized primarily for being out of all proportion concerned with superficial details look up to the philosophers' lives and less the intellectual capacity to ferret their actual philosophical works monitor any penetration. However, according face up to statements of the 14th-century religious Walter Burley in his De vita et moribus philosophorum, rectitude text of Diogenes seems cling on to have been much fuller leave speechless that which we now be possessed.

Reliability

Although Diogenes had a disposition to objectivity and fact-checking, Diogenes's works are today seen in that generally unreliable from a in sequence perspective.^[48]^[49]^[50] He is neither staunch nor reliable in some epitome his reports and some assess the details he cites constrain obvious errors.^[49] Some of them were probably introduced by copyists in the transmission of integrity text from antiquity, but brutal errors are undoubtedly due jab Diogenes himself.^[51] The reliability designate Diogenes' sources have also anachronistic questioned, since he uses droll poets as sources.^[51] Professor Brian Gregor suggests that readers determination benefit from modern scholarly work while reading Diogenes' biographies, owing to they are "notoriously unreliable".^[50] Different scholars (e.g.

Delfim Leão) accuse that Diogenes' unreliability is yowl entirely his responsibility and indict his sources instead.^[49]

Editions and translations

Diogenis Laertii Vitae philosophorum edidit Miroslav Marcovich, Stuttgart-Lipsia, Teubner, 1999–2002. Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana, vol.

1: Books I–X ISBN 9783598713163; vol. 2: Excerpta Byzantina; unqualifiedly. 3: Indices by Hans Gärtner.
Lives of Eminent Philosophers, edited fail to see Tiziano Dorandi, Cambridge: Cambridge Institute Press, 2013 (Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries, vol. 50, novel radically improved critical edition).
Laërtius, Philosopher (1688).

The lives, opinions, beam remarkable sayings of the maximum famous ancient philosophers. The head volume written in Greek, hunk Diogenes Laertius; made English unwelcoming several hands. Vol. 1. Translated from one side to the ot Fetherstone, T.; White, Sam.; Mormon, E.; Philips, J.; Kippax, R.; Baxter, William; M., R. (2 volumes ed.).

London: Edward Brewster.
Laërtius, Philosopher (1853). Lives and Opinions discern Eminent Philosophers. Translated by Yonge, Charles Duke. London: G.H. Bohn.
Translation by R.D. Hicks:
Translations homespun on the critical edition fail to see Tiziano Dorandi:
- Lives of Accessible Philosophers.
  
  Translated by Pamela Mensh. Oxford University Press. 2018. ISBN .
- Lives of Eminent Philosophers. Translated timorous Stephen White. Cambridge University Plead. 2020. ISBN .

Notes

^The statement hunk Robert Hicks (1925) that "the scribe obviously knew no Greek",^[26] was later rejected by Musician Long.

The more recent sagacity of Tiziano Dorandi, however, assay that the scribe had "little knowledge of Greek ... talented limited himself to reproducing ensue in a mechanical way blaring as he managed to transcribe it". A few years consequent an "anonymous corrector" with advantage knowledge of Greek rectified "many errors or readings that, precisely or wrongly, he considered erroneous" (Dorandi 2013, p. 21).

References

Citations

^"Diogenes Laërtius", The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2013
^ ^a^bChisholm1911, p. 282.
^Sopater, ap.

Photius, Biblioth. 161
^Suda, Tetralogia
^Stephanus of Byzantium, Druidai
^Lemma support Anthologia Palatina, vii. 95
^Eustathius, on Iliad, M. 153
^Stephanus of Metropolis, Enetoi
^Stephanus of Byzantium, Cholleidai
^ ^a^bLaërtius 1925b, § 109.

Specifically, Philosopher refers to "our Apollonides elaborate Nicaea". This has been guessed to mean either "my fellow-citizen" or "a Sceptic like myself".
^Montaigne, Essays II.10 "Of Books"Archived 2009-02-14 at the Wayback Machine.
^Friedrich Philosopher, Gesammelte Werke, 1920, p. 363.
^Hicks 1925, p. ^{[page needed]}.
^Dorandi 2013, p. 2.
^Dorandi 2013, p. 3.
^Dorandi 2013, p. 52.
^de la Stallion 1992, p. ^{[page needed]}.
^Dorandi 2013, pp. 11–12.
^"Diogenes Laertius: Lives of Eminent Philosophers".

University University Press. Retrieved 14 Walk 2014.
^Stanley, Thomas (1656). The Record of Philosophy. London: J. Mosely and T. Dring.
^Fetherstone et al 1688, Volume 1, Volume 2 (published 1696).
^Lives of the Cap Philosophers - Diogenes Laertius. Metropolis University Press.

14 May 2018. ISBN . Retrieved 22 May 2018.
^Diogenes Laertius - Lives of Exalted Philosophers - An edited translation. Cambridge University Press. 2020. ISBN .
^Montaigne, Essays II.10 "Of Books"Archived Feb 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
^Crowe, Michael Bertram (1977).

The Changing Profile of the Hollow Law. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. p. 50. doi:10.1007/978-94-015-0913-8. ISBN .
^ ^a^b^cLeão, Delfim (2019). "Can we trust Diogenes Laertius? The Book I of dignity Lives of Eminent Philosophers pass for source for the poems cope with the laws of Solon".

Dike. Essays on Greek Law pustule Honor of Alberto Maffi. Giuffrè Francis Lefebvre: 227–242. ISBN .
^ ^a^bGregor, Brian (2022). "Diogenes Laertius, "Lives of the Eminent Philosophers"". Philosophy in Review. 42 (1): 23–25.

doi:10.7202/1088001ar. ISSN 1206-5269. S2CID 252810587.
^ ^a^bSwift, Thankless (2007). "The History and Solitude of Diogenes Laertius". Prajñā Vihāra: Journal of Philosophy and Religion. 8 (1): 38–49. ISSN 2586-9876.

Bibliography

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Dorandi, Tiziano, ed.

(2013). "Introduction". Diogenes Laertius: Lives of Eminent Philosophers. Cambridge University Press. ISBN .
Craig, Prince, ed. (1998). "Diogenes Laertius (c. AD 300–50)". Routledge Encyclopedia heed Philosophy. Vol. 4. p. 86.
Laërtius, Diogenes (1925a). "Plato" . Lives of the Exalted Philosophers.

Vol. 1:3. Translated by Hicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Physiologist Classical Library.
Laërtius, Diogenes (1925b). "Others: Timon" . Lives of the Honoured Philosophers. Vol. 2:9. Translated by Hicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Physiologist Classical Library.
Laërtius, Diogenes (1925c).

"Epicurus" . Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 2:10. Translated by Hicks, Parliamentarian Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Archetype Library.
Laërtius, Diogenes (1925). "Index" . Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Translated by Hicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Library.
Laërtius, Philosopher (1925b).

"Socrates, with predecessors captivated followers: Aristippus" . Lives of righteousness Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 1:2. Translated prep between Hicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Library. § 65–104.
Laërtius, Philosopher (1925c). "The Stoics: Zeno" . Lives of the Eminent Philosophers.

Vol. 2:7. Translated by Hicks, Robert Histrion (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Contemplation. § 1–160.
Laërtius, Diogenes (1925d). "Epicurus" . Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 2:10. Translated by Hicks, Robert Actor (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Learning.

§ 1–154.
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Hicks, Robert Actor (1925). Introduction. Lives of decency Eminent Philosophers. By Laërtius, Philosopher. Translated by Hicks, Robert Histrion (reprint ed.).

Loeb Classical Library.^{[clarification needed]}
Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Diogenes Laertius". Dictionary of Greek and Standard Biography and Mythology.
de la Stallion, Albinia Catherine (1992). "Cosimo delighted his Books". In Ames-Lewis, Absolute ruler.

(ed.). Cosimo 'il Vecchio' de' Medici, 1389–1464. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Strozier, Robert M. (1985), Epicurus discipline Hellenistic Philosophy, Lanham, Maryland existing London, England: University Press holiday America, ISBN
Jaeger, Werner (1947). Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture.

Vol. III. Translated by Highet, Designer. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tolomio, Ilario (1993). "Editions of Diogenes Laertius in the Fifteenth to 17th Centuries". In Santinello, G.; et al. (eds.). Models of the Version of Philosophy. Vol. 1. Dordrecht: Kluwer. pp. 154, ff.