Posidonius: Volume 2, Commentary, Part 1

Examines Posidonius' contribution to the learning of his time in the history of ideas.

Posidonius (Author), I. G. Kidd (Author)

9780521604420, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 20 May 2004

564 pages
21.6 x 14.1 x 3.1 cm, 0.743 kg

Posidonius was one of the most important philosophers and intellectuals writing in the Greco-Roman world of the first half of the first century B.C. This book is a commentary on the surviving testimonia and fragments of his work collected in volume 1. Its purpose is to explicate and understand the evidence of these fragments, which must form the basis for any estimate of Posidonius' contribution to the learning of his time in the history of ideas. Since Posidonius was reported by at least sixty different writers, an attempt has been made to disentangle what Posidonius said, as distinct from the interpretations and distortions of his reporters. Posidonius wrote at length not only on philosophy, but also on the sciences, and a large History, and Professor Kidd has assessed Posidonius' work against the background of the philosophical, scientific and historical writings of his predecessors, contemporaries amd followers; for this many other related passages are cited and examined.

Preface
Part I. Testimonia: 1. Life and influence
2. Characteristics of his philosophy
3. Dubia
Part II. Fragments and titles of named books: 4. Physics
5. Ethics
6. Logic
7. Sciences and history
8. Dubia
Part III. Fragments Not Assigned to Books: 9. Divisions and content of philosophy
10. Physics
References
Indices.

Subject Areas: General & world history [HBG]