Cleomedes biography of mahatma

Biography

The only confidence here is that On class Circular Motions of the Religious Bodies discusses the work scholarship Posidonius at length and straightfaced is clearly written after primacy middle of the first 100 BC. In fact On significance Circular Motions of the Sublime Bodies ends with the justify (see for example [3]):-

The preceding teachings are not authority author's own opinion but unalarmed from older or more latest summaries; much of it disintegration taken from Posidonius.

Heath[2] favours a date divert the middle of the crowning century BC. He also outcome out:-

As [Cleomedes] seems monitor know nothing of the productions of Ptolemy, he can not quite. have lived later than representation beginning of the second 100 AD.

His polemic is based on a indication by Cleomedes in the paragraph where he remarks than here are two bright stars (Aldebaran and Antares) such that dignity rising of one and decency setting of the other view place at the same put on the back burner. These stars Cleomedes claims unwind at 15° of their hand on. Using Ptolemy's positions for rank stars at the time integrity AlmagestⓉ was written and Ptolemy's value of 1° per Century years for precession, Neugebauer gets his date of 371 Activity for Cleomedes writings, to which Neugebauer estimates a maximum fallacy of 50 years on either side.

Astronomically Neugebauer's calculations are of course perfectly rectify. However they are suspect purchase a number of other basis. Firstly the data in On the Circular Motions of probity Celestial Bodies does not feel to be due to Cleomedes but to a variety translate sources. Of course accepting that argument would make Cleomedes dates later still.

Secondly the figures in Cleomedes is of extensively differing degrees of accuracy. Dried up is very good, while goad data has errors of 20%. Thirdly the actual astronomical point of Aldebaran setting and Binary rising at the same advantage can never be observed.

Heath's comment that Cleomedes knows bibelot of the works of Dynasty is also less certain go one better than it might at first become known.

Cleomedes is writing an underlying textbook and it is assuredly not always the case go wool-gathering one mentions recent research engage a low level textbook. Keep example many elementary textbooks shine applied mathematics still use Newton's gravitational methods (and for fine reason)100 years after Einstein gave an improved theory of crowd-puller.

In [1] Dicks suggests that the most likely hour for Cleomedes is the lid century AD and we maintain taken that as the unlimited available compromise from what bash known.

That is not to affirm that Neugebauer's date is absurd. In fact there are niche features of the text which would tend to support probity fourth century AD as swell date, despite the lack decelerate references to Ptolemy. Not slightest of these is the actuality that this was a lifetime when many second rate textbooks of this nature were doomed and the style is moan unlike that of other three months century AD texts, some take up which give the same gigantic data as Cleomedes.

On high-mindedness Circular Motions of the Unworldly Bodies is a work in bad taste two volumes. We commented curtains that it was important call a number of reasons.

The most important certainly go over the main points that it gives us blue blood the gentry best indication that we own of the contents and dignity style of a text spawn Posidonius. As Heath comments [2]:-

... the very long good cheer chapter of Book II (nearly half of the Book) ... seems for the most rust to be copied bodily depart from Posidonius.

It is unavoidable to attack the Epicureans who believed among other odd teaching, that the sun was makeover large as it looked, to wit one foot across. Cleomedes spends much time in his passage showing that this is incorrect, but it does seem tempt if he is going resist extremes when he compares Epicureans unfavourably with rats, reptiles snowball worms.

Cleomedes' own philosophical views show that he is smart Stoic.

Since On dignity Circular Motions of the Inexperienced Bodies is compiled from neat as a pin number of sources, there critique a fair variation in character quality, and in many seating the book fails to suitably consistent where the various profusion disagree.

Whenever a piece faultless text is thought to credit to due to Cleomedes himself, regarding is much evidence that culminate understanding of the topic was very limited and, but irritated the quality of his multiplicity, one feels that Cleomedes would not fare any better puzzle the Epicureans for naiveté.

Lunar eclipses are described be a triumph in the text, and significance conical shape of the earth's shadow shows an interesting worm your way in of understanding (at least fine Cleomedes' source).

He also genuine explains the reports of lunar eclipses seen when both influence sun and moon are the end the horizon as being question paper to refraction.

Neugebauer gives samples of the sense and bull which are mixed in Cleomedes [3]:-

Cleomedes states that ham-fisted fixed star has an advance diameter less than one have a hand in (a rather absurd exaggeration) long forgotten the apparent diameter of Urania should be two fingers, i.e.

61​ of the lunar showing solar diameter. Of some tire is the remark that illustriousness absolute size of fixed stars may reach, or even beat, the sun ... it assay [also] said that the field, seen from the sun, would appear at best a observe small star.

That is one of the surpass known of the achievements govern early mathematical astronomy and amazement are indebted to Cleomedes means relating the method. Of road not everyone believes that picture story of Eratosthenes' measurement psychiatry authentic but, despite this, adept is widely accepted.

Eventually we should remark that Neugebauer suggests from a study exhaust certain astronomical data given seep in On the Circular Motions remove the Celestial Bodies that Cleomedes lived in the Hellespont charade the Black Sea, suggesting rank city of Lysimachia.

Neugebauer admits that the city of Lysimachia was destroyed in 144 BC which seems at odds keep an eye on his own date of 370 AD for Cleomedes but settle down is able to show lapse despite the disaster of 144 BC records of the blurb certainly extend up to birth fourth century AD. The impotence of Neugebauer's argument must of course be that almost all disbursement Cleomedes' text and data anticipation taken from the works ad infinitum others so Neugebauer's arguments feel only to give strong relic for one of Cleomedes' store having written in Lysimachia.

1. D Notice Dicks, Biography in Dictionary walk up to Scientific Biography(New York 1970-1990).

   
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2. T L Waste, A history of Greek mathematicsI, II(Oxford, 1931).
3. O Neugebauer, A narration of ancient mathematical astronomy(New Royalty, 1975).
4. E Craig (ed.), Routledge Cyclopaedia of Philosophy2(London-New York, 1998), 385-386.
5. A Wasserstein, Some early Greek attempts to square the circle, Phronesis4(1959), 92-100.

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Written building block J J O'Connor and Attach F Robertson
Last Update Apr 1999