Difference between revisions of "Posidonius" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:Posidonius.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The bust of Posidonius as an older man depicts his character as a Stoic philosopher. His brow is slightly creased to indicate the effort of thinking, but his expression is calm. His hair and philosopher’s beard are cut short and groomed plainly to indicate his concern with matters deeper than mere appearance.]]
 
[[Image:Posidonius.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The bust of Posidonius as an older man depicts his character as a Stoic philosopher. His brow is slightly creased to indicate the effort of thinking, but his expression is calm. His hair and philosopher’s beard are cut short and groomed plainly to indicate his concern with matters deeper than mere appearance.]]
  
'''Poseidonus''' or '''Posidonius''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Ποσειδώνιος) "of [[Rhodes]]" (ο Ρόδιος) or, alternatively, "of [[Apamea (Syria)|Apameia]]" (ο Απαμεύς) (ca. [[135 BCE]] - [[51 BCE]]), was a [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] [[Stoic]] [[philosopher]], politician, [[astronomer]], [[geographer]], [[historian]], and teacher. He was acclaimed as the greatest [[polymath]] of his age. None of his vast body of work can be read today as it has all been lost.
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'''Poseidonus''' or '''Posidonius''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Ποσειδώνιος) "of [[Rhodes]]" (ο Ρόδιος) or, alternatively, "of [[Apamea (Syria)|Apameia]]" (ο ΑπαμεϿς) (ca. 135 b.c.e. - 51 b.c.e.), was a Greek [[Stoicism|Stoic]] philosopher, politician, astronomer, geographer, historian, and teacher.  Born in Apamea, a Roman city in [[Syria]], he settled in Rhodes around 95 B.C.E. and rose to such prominence that he served as a prytaneis (president) of Rhodes and was sent [[Rome]] as an ambassador. He conducted research in  numerous fields and traveled widely throughout the [[Roman Empire]]. His school in Rhodes attracted many Greek and Roman students, and his lectures were attended by [[Cicero]] during a visit to Rhodes.
  
==Life==
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He was the first Stoic to admit that passions were an inherent part of human nature, rather than errors in judgment based on an incorrect understanding of desire.
Posidonius (also spelled Poseidonius), nicknamed "the Athlete", was born to a Greek family in [[Apamea (Syria)|Apamea]], a Roman city on the river [[Orontes]] in northern [[Syria]], and probably died in [[Rome]] or [[Rhodes]].  
 
  
Posidonius completed his higher education in [[Athens]], where he was a student of the aged [[Panaetius]], the head of the [[Stoic]] school.  
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He was acclaimed as the greatest polymath of his age. His vast body of work has all been lost, but is referenced in the works of numerous later writers, and the titles and subjects of many of his works are known.
  
He settled around [[95 B.C.E.]] in Rhodes, a maritime state which had a reputation for scientific research, and became a citizen.  
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== Life ==
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Posidonius (also spelled Poseidonius), nicknamed "the Athlete", was born c. 135 B.C.E. to a Greek family in Apamea, a Roman city on the river Orontes in northern Syria.  He completed his studies in [[Athens]] under [[Panaetius]], head of the Stoic school. Around 95 B.C.E. he settled in Rhodes, a maritime state which had a reputation for scientific research, and became a citizen.  He established a school in Rhodes; though little is known about its organization, it is clear that Poseidonis taught a number of Greek and Roman students.  
  
===Political offices===
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Posidonius took an active part in the political life of Rhodes, and attained the highest public office as one of the prytaneis (presidents, having a six months tenure) of Rhodes. He also served as ambassador to Rome in 87 - 86 b.c.e., during the [[Marian]] and [[Sulla|Sullan]] era.  In Rome he associated with some of the leading figures of late republican Rome, including Cicero and [[Pompey]], both of whom visited him in Rhodes. Cicero attended Posidonius’s lectures in 77 B.C.E. and the two corresponded. In his work ''De Finibu'', Cicero closely followed Posidonius's presentation of Panaetius's ethical teachings. Pompey visited Posidonius in Rhodes twice, once in 66 B.C.E. during his campaign against the pirates and again in 62 B.C.E. during his eastern campaigns, and asked Posidonius to write his biography. As a gesture of respect and great honor, Pompey lowered his ''fasces'' before Posidonius's door. Posidionis was also visted in Rhodes by the Romans Velleius, Cotta, and Lucilius.
In Rhodes, Posidonius actively took part in political life, and his high standing is apparent from the offices he held. He attained the highest public office as one of the [[prytaneis]] (presidents, having a six months tenure) of Rhodes. He served as an ambassador to Rome in 87 - 86 BCE, during the Marian and Sullan era.  
 
  
Along with other Greek intellectuals, Posidonius favored Rome as the stabilizing power in a turbulent world. His connections to the Roman ruling class was for him not only politically important and sensible but was also important to his scientific researches. His entry into the highest government circles enabled Posidonius to undertake his travels into the west beyond the borders of Roman control, which, for a Greek traveler, would have been impossible without such Roman support.
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After establishing himself in Rhodes, Posidonius traveled throughout the Roman world and even beyond its boundaries, and conducted scientific research. He traveled in [[Greece]], [[Spain]], [[Africa]], [[Italy]], [[Sicily]], [[Dalmatia]], [[Gaul]], [[Liguria]], [[North Africa]], and on the eastern shores of the [[Adriatic]].  
  
===Travels===
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In Spain, on the Atlantic coast at Glades (the modern Cadiz), Posidonius observed that the daily tides were connected with the orbit and the monthly tides with the cycles of the moon , and he hypothesized about the connections of the yearly cycles of the tides with the equinoxes and solstices.  
After he had established himself in Rhodes, Posidonius made one or more journeys traveling throughout the Roman world and even beyond its boundaries to conduct scientific research. He traveled in [[Greece]], [[Spain]], [[Africa]], [[Italy]], [[Sicily]], [[Dalmatia]], [[Gaul]], [[Liguria]], [[North Africa]], and on the eastern shores of the [[Adriatic]].  
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In Gaul, he studied the [[Celts]]. He left vivid descriptions of things he saw with his own eyes while among them: men who were paid to allow their throats to be slit for public amusement and the nailing of skulls as trophies to the doorways. Posidionis. noted that the Celts honored the [[Druids]], whom Posidonius saw as philosophers, and concluded that even among the barbaric 'pride and passion give way to wisdom, and Ares stands in awe of the Muses'.  Posidonius wrote a geographic treatise on the lands of the Celts which has since been lost, but which has been assumed to be one of the sources for ''[[Tacitus Germania]]''.
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Posidionis conducted research in many areas of study, including astronomy, mathematics, history, political science and the art of war, always placing philosphy in the highest position as the master science which gave direction to everything else.  
  
In Spain, on the Atlantic coast at Glades (the modern [[Cadiz]]), Posidonius studied the tides. He observed that the daily tides were connected with the orbit and the monthly tides with the cycles of the [[Moon]] , and he hypothesized about the connections of the yearly cycles of the tides with the equinoxes and solstices.  
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Together with his teacher, Panaetius, Posidionus is credited with establishing Stoicism as a strong influence in the Roman world, through his writing and his extensive personal contacts with influential Roman intellectuals.  A century later, [[Seneca]] referred to Posidonius as one of those who had made the largest contribution to philosophy.
  
In Gaul, he studied the [[Celt]]s. He left vivid descriptions of things he saw with his own eyes while among them: men who were paid to allow their throats to be slit for public amusement and the nailing of skulls as trophies to the doorways. But he noted that the Celts honored the [[Druids]], whom Posidonius saw as philosophers, and concluded that even among the barbaric 'pride and passion give way to wisdom, and Ares stands in awe of the Muses'. Posidonius wrote a geographic treatise on the lands of the [[Celt]]s which has since been lost, but which has been assumed to be one of the sources for [[Tacitus]] ''[[Germania (book)|Germania]]''.
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After his death in 51 B.C.E., his grandson Jason, who was the son of his daughter and Menekrates of Nysa, succeeded Posidonius as the head of his school in Rhodes.
  
===School===
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== Thought and Works ==
Posidonius's extensive writings and lectures gave him authority as a scholar and made him famous everywhere in the Graeco-Roman world, and a school grew around him in Rhodes. His grandson Jason, who was the son of his daughter and Menekrates of [[Nysa]], followed in his footsteps and continued Posidonius's school in Rhodes. Although little is known of the organization of his school, it is clear that Posidonius had a steady stream of Greek and Roman students.
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In his own era, his writings on almost all the principal divisions of philosophy made Posidonius a renowned figure throughout the Graeco-Roman world and he was widely cited by writers of his era, including Cicero, [[Livy]], [[Plutarch]], [[Strabo]] (who called Posidonius "the most learned of all philosophers of my time"), Cleomedes, Seneca the Younger, Diodorus Siculus (who used Posidonius as a source for his Bibliotheca historia ("Historical Library"), and others. Although his ornate and rhetorical style of writing passed out of fashion soon after his death, Posidonius was acclaimed during his life for his literary ability and as a stylist.  All of his original works have been lost, but scholars have been able to piece together substantial portions from the references and citations in the works of  other writers.
  
===Partial scope of writings===
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Posidonius also wrote on [[physics]] (including [[meteorology]] and [[geography|physical geography]]), [[astronomy]], [[astrology]] and [[divination]], [[seismology]], [[geology]] and [[mineralogy]], [[hydrology]], [[botany]], [[ethics]], [[logic]], [[mathematics]], [[history]], [[natural history]], [[anthropology]], and tactics. His studies, though not without error, were serious attempts at scientific investigation.
Posidonius was celebrated as a polymath throughout the Greco-Roman world because he came near to mastering all the knowledge of his time, similar to [[Aristotle]] and [[Eratosthenes]]. He attempted to create a unified system for understanding the human intellect and the universe which would provide an explanation of and a guide for human behavior.  
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At one time, scholars perceived Posidonius's influence in almost every subsequent writer, whether warranted or not. Today, Posidonius is recognized as having had an inquiring and wide-ranging mind, not entirely original, but with a breadth of view that connected, in accordance with his underlying Stoic philosophy, all things and their causes and all knowledge into an overarching, unified world view. 
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 +
=== Philosophy ===
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Although a firm Stoic, Posidonius was, like Panaetius and other Stoics of the middle period, eclectic. He followed not only the older Stoics, but accepted some of the views of [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]]. (It is thought that Posidonius may have written a commentary on Plato's Timaeus.)
  
Posidonius wrote on physics (including, meteorology and physical geography), astronomy, astrology and divination, seismology, geology and mineralogy, hydrology, botany, ethics, logic, mathematics, history, natural history, anthropology, and tactics. His studies were major investigations into their subjects, although not without errors.  
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He was the first Stoic to depart from the orthodox doctrine that passions were faulty judgments based on an incorrect understanding of desire, and to allow that passions were inherent in human nature. In addition to the rational faculties, Posidonius taught that the human soul had faculties that were spirited (anger, the desire for power, the desire for possessions) and desiderative (desires for sex and food). Ethics taught how to deal with these passions and restore reason as the dominant faculty.  
  
All of his works are now lost. All that we have found are fragments, although the titles and subjects of many of his books are known.[http://assets.cambridge.org/052160/4419/toc/0521604419_toc.pdf]
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Posidonius considered philosophy the dominant master art which alone could explain the cosmos, saying that fundamental principles depended on philosophers and individual problems on scientists. He accepted the Stoic categorization of philosophy into physics (natural philosophy, including metaphysics and theology), logic (including dialectic), and ethics. These three categories for him were, in Stoic fashion, inseparable and interdependent parts of an organic, natural whole. He compared them to a living being, with physics the meat and blood, logic the bones and tendons which held the organism together, and ethics – the most important part – the soul.
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Like the early Stoics, Posidonius regarded the universe as a single interconnected corporeal entity. He upheld the Stoic concept of [[logos]], a divine fire which imbued the entire universe and gave it form and direction.. Posidonius also affirmed the Stoic doctrine that the universe passed through endless cycles, each one ending with a conflagration. His influence on philosophical thinking lasted until the Middle Ages, as is shown by references to his works in the ''[[Suda]]'', the massive medieval lexicon.
  
====Philosophy====
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=== Astronomy ===
For Posidonius, philosophy was the dominant master art and all the individual sciences were subordinate to philosophy, which alone could explain the cosmos. All his works, from scientific to historical, were inseparably philosophical.  
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Some fragments of Posidionis’ writings on astronomy survive in a treatise by Cleomedes, ''On the Circular Motions of the Celestial Bodies''.  The first chapter of the second book appears to have been mostly copied from Posidonius.  
  
He accepted the Stoic categorization of philosophy into physics (natural philosophy, including metaphysics and theology), logic (including dialectic), and ethics. These three categories for him were, in Stoic fashion, inseparable and interdependent parts of an organic, natural whole. He compared them to a living being, with physics the meat and blood, logic the bones and tendons which held the organism together, and ethics – the most important part – the soul. His philosophical grand vision was that the universe itself was similarly interconnected, as if an organism, through cosmic "sympathy", in all respects from the development of the physical world to the history of humanity.
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Posidonius advanced the theory that the sun emanated a vital force which permeated the world. He attempted to measure the distance and size of the sun. In about 90 b.c.e.Posidonius estimated the astronomical unit to be a0/rE = 9893, which was still too small by half. In measuring the size of the sun, however, he reached a figure larger and more accurate than those proposed by other Greek astronomers and Aristarchus of Samos. Posidonius also calculated the size and distance of the Moon. He constructed an [[orrery]], possibly similar to the Antikythera mechanism. Posidonius's orrery, according to Cicero, exhibited the diurnal motions of the sun, moon, and the five known planets.
 
 
Although a firm Stoic, Posidonius was, like Panaetius and other Stoics of the middle period, eclectic. He followed not only the older Stoics, but [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]]. Although it is not certain, Posidonius may have written a commentary on Plato's ''[[Timaeus]]''. 
 
 
 
He was the first Stoic to depart from the orthodox doctrine that passions were faulty judgments and posit that Plato's view of the soul had been correct, namely that passions were inherent in human nature. In addition to the rational faculties, Posidonius taught that the human soul had faculties that were spirited (anger, desires for power, possessions, etc.) and desiderative (desires for sex and food). Ethics was the problem of how to deal with these passions and restore reason as the dominant faculty.
 
 
 
Posidonius upheld the Stoic doctrine of [[Logos]], which ultimately passed into [[Judeo-Christian]] belief. Posidonius also affirmed the Stoic doctrine of the future conflagration.
 
 
 
====Physics====
 
In Stoic physics, Posidonius advocated a theory of cosmic "sympathy", the organic interrelation of all appearances in the world, from the sky to the earth, as part of a rational design uniting humanity and all things in the universe, even those that were temporally and spatially separate. Although his teacher Panaetius had doubted divination, Posidonius used the theory of cosmic sympathy to support his belief in divination - whether through astrology or prophetic dreams - as a kind of scientific prediction.
 
 
 
====Astronomy====
 
Some fragments of his writings on astronomy survive through the treatise by [[Cleomedes]], ''On the Circular Motions of the Celestial Bodies'', the first chapter of the second book appearing to have been mostly copied from Posidonius.
 
 
 
Posidonius advanced the theory that the Sun emanated a vital force which permeated the world.
 
 
 
He attempted to measure the distance and size of the [[Sun]]. In about [[90 BCE]] Posidonius estimated the [[astronomical unit]] to be ''a''<sub>0</sub>/''r''<sub>E</sub> = 9893, which was still too small by half. In measuring the size of the Sun, however, he reached a figure larger and more accurate than those proposed by other Greek astronomers and [[Aristarchus of Samos]].  
 
 
 
Posidonius also calculated the size and distance of the [[Moon]].
 
 
 
Posidonius constructed an [[orrery]], possibly similar to the [[Antikythera mechanism]]. Posidonius's orrery, according to [[Cicero]], exhibited the diurnal motions of the sun, moon, and the five known planets.
 
 
 
====Geography, ethnology and geology====
 
Poseidonios’s fame beyond specialized philosophical circles had begun, at the latest, in the eighties with the publication of the work "about the ocean and the adjacent areas". This work was not only an overall representation of geographical questions according to current scientific knowledge, but it served to popularize his theories about the internal connections of the world, to show how all the forces had an effect on each other and how the interconnectedness applied also to human life, to the political just as to the personal spheres. In this work, Posidonius detailed his theory of the effect on  a people’s character by the climate, which included his representation of the "geography of the races". This theory was not solely scientific, but also had political implications — his Roman readers were informed that the climatic central position of Italy was an essential condition of the Roman destiny to dominate the world. As a Stoic he did not, however,  make a fundamental distinction between the civilized Romans as masters of the world and the less civilized peoples.
 
 
 
Posidonius measured [[Earth]]'s circumference from the position of the star [[Canopus (star)|Canopus]]. As explained by Cleomedes, Posidonius used the elevation of Canopus, to determine the difference in latitude between Rhodes and Alexandria.  Due to observational errors, his result was 240,000 [[stadia]], or about a third smaller than the actual circumference of the Earth.[http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Distances.htm] See [[history of geodesy]].
 
 
 
Like [[Pytheas]], he believed the [[tide]] is caused by the [[Moon]]. Posidonius was, however, wrong about the cause. Thinking that the Moon was a mixture of air and fire, he attributed the cause of the tides to the heat of the Moon, hot enough to cause the water to swell but not hot enough to evaporate it.
 
 
 
He recorded observations on earthquakes and volcanoes, including accounts of the eruptions of the volcanoes in the [[Aeolian Islands]], north of [[Sicily]].
 
 
 
====Meteorology====
 
Posidonius in his writings on meteorology followed Aristotle. He theorized on the causes of clouds, mist, wind, and rain as well as frost, hail, lightning, and rainbows.
 
 
 
====Mathematics====
 
In addition to his writings on geometry, Posidonius was credited for creating some mathematical definitions, or for articulating views on technical terms, for example 'theorem' and 'problem'.
 
 
 
====History and tactics====
 
In his ''Histories'', Posidonius continued the ''World History'' of [[Polybius]]. His history of the period 146 - 88 B.C.E. is said to have filled 52 volumes. His ''Histories'' continue the account of the rise and expansion of Roman dominance, which he appears to have supported. Posidonius did not follow Polybius's more detached and factual style, for Posidonius saw events as caused by human psychology; while he understood human passions and follies, he did not pardon or excuse them in his historical writing, using his narrative skill in fact to enlist the readers' approval or condemnation. 
 
 
   
 
   
For Posidonius "history" extended beyond the earth into the sky; humanity was not isolated each in its own political history, but was a part of the cosmos. His ''Histories'' were not, therefore, concerned with isolated political history of peoples and individuals, but they included discussions of all forces and factors (geographical factors, mineral resources, climate, nutrition), which let humans act and be a part of their environment. For example, Posidonius considered the climate of Arabia and the life-giving strength of the sun, tides (taken from his book on the oceans), and climatic theory to explain people’s ethnic or national characters.  
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Posidonius measured the earth’s circumference by observing the position of the star Canopus. As explained by Cleomedes, Posidonius used the elevation of Canopus to determine the difference in latitude between Rhodes and [[Alexandria]]. His method was correct, but due to observational errors, his result was 240,000 stadia, or about a third smaller than the actual circumference of Earth. [[Ptolemy]] was impressed by the sophistication of Posidonius's methods, which included correcting for the refraction of light passing through denser air near the horizon. Ptolemy's approval of Posidonius's result, rather than [[Eratosthenes]]'s earlier and more correct figure, caused it to become the accepted value for Earth's circumference for the next 1,500 years.
 
 
Of Posidonius's work on tactics, ''The Art of War'', the Roman historian [[Arrian]] complained that it was written 'for experts', which suggests that Posidonius may have had first hand experience of military leadership or, perhaps, utilized knowledge he gained from his acquaintance with [[Pompey]].
 
  
==Reputation and influence==
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=== Geography, Ethnology, Meteorology and Geology ===
In his own era, his writings on almost all the principal divisions of philosophy made Posidonius a renowned international figure throughout the Graeco-Roman world and he was widely cited by writers of his era, including Cicero, [[Livy]], [[Plutarch]], [[Strabo]] (who called Posidonius "the most learned of all philosophers of my time"), Cleomedes, [[Seneca the Younger]], [[Diodorus Siculus]] (who used Posidonius as a source for his ''Bibliotheca historia'' ("Historical Library"), and othersAlthough his ornate and rhetorical style of writing passed out of fashion soon after his death, Posidonius was acclaimed during his life for his literary ability and as a stylist.  
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About ten years after he arrived in Rhodes, Posidionus published a work "about the ocean and the adjacent areas." This work reviewed geographical questions according to scientific knowledge of the time.  It also served to popularize his theories about the inteconnectedness of the world, to show how all the forces had an effect on each other and on human life, political as well as personal. Posidonius put forth a detailed theory of the effect of climate on the character of a people, including a "geography of the races." This theory also had political implications — his readers were informed that the climatic central position of Italy was an essential condition of the Roman destiny to dominate the world. As a Stoic he did not make a fundamental distinction between the civilized Romans as masters of the world and the less civilized peoplesHowever, like other Greek intellectuals of that era, he favored Rome as a stabilizing power in a turbulent world.
  
Posidonius appears to have moved with ease among the upper echelons of Roman society as an ambassador from Rhodes. He associated with some of the leading figures of late republican Rome, including Cicero and Pompey, both of whom visited him in Rhodes. In his twenties, Cicero attended his lectures (77 B.C.E.) and they continued to correspond. Cicero in his ''De Finibus'' closely followed Posidonius's presentation of Panaetius's ethical teachings. Posidonius met Pompey when he was Rhodes's ambassador in Rome and Pompey visited him in Rhodes twice, once in 66 B.C.E. during his campaign against the pirates and again in 62 B.C.E. during his eastern campaigns, and asked Posidonius to write his biography. As a gesture of respect and great honor, Pompey lowered his ''[[fasces]]'' before Posidonius's door. Other Romans who visited Posidonius in Rhodes were Velleius, Cotta, and [[Lucilius]].  
+
Like [[Pytheas]], Posidonius believed the tides are caused by the Moon. He was, however, wrong about the cause. Thinking that the Moon was a mixture of air and fire, he attributed the cause of the tides to the heat of the Moon, hot enough to cause the water to swell but not hot enough to evaporate it.
 +
He recorded observations on earthquakes and volcanoes, including accounts of the eruptions of the volcanoes in the Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily.  
 +
Posidonius’ writings on meteorology followed the ideas of Aristotle. He theorized about the causes of clouds, mist, wind, and rain as well as frost, hail, lightning, and rainbows.
  
[[Ptolemy]] was impressed by the sophistication of Posidonius's methods, which included correcting for the refraction of light passing through denser air near the horizon. Ptolemy's approval of Posidonius's result, rather than Eratosthenes's earlier and more correct figure, caused it to become the accepted value for the Earth's circumference for the next 1,500 years.
+
In addition to his writings on geometry, Posidonius is credited with creating some mathematical terms, including 'theorem' and 'problem'.  
  
Posidonius fortified the Stoicism of the middle period with contemporary learning. Next to his teacher Panaetius, he did most, by writings and personal contacts, to spread Stoicism in the Roman world.  
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=== History and Tactics ===
A century later, Seneca referred to Posidonius as one of those who had made the largest contribution to philosophy.  
+
In his ''Histories'', Posidonius continued the ''World History'' of [[Polybius]]. His history of the period 146 - 88 b.c.e. is said to have filled 52 volumes, and continued the account of the rise and expansion of Roman dominance. Posidonius did not follow Polybius's more detached and factual style, for Posidonius saw human psychooogy as the cause of events; while he understood human passions and follies, he did not pardon or excuse them in his historical writing, using his narrative skill, in fact, to enlist the readers' approval or condemnation.  
  
His influence on philosophical thinking lasted until the [[Middle Ages]], as is shown by citation in the [[Suda]], the massive medieval [[lexicon]].  
+
The ''Histories'' of Posidonius was not only the political history of individuals and peoples, but included discussions of all forces and factors (geographical factors, mineral resources, climate, nutrition), which let humans act and be a part of their environment. For example, Posidonius considered the climate of [[Arabia]] and the life-giving strength of the sun, tides, and climatic theory to explain people’s ethnic or national characters.  
  
At one time, scholars perceived Posidonius's influence in almost every subsequent writer, whether warranted or not. Today, Posidonius seems to be recognized as having had an inquiring and wide-ranging mind, not entirely original, but with a breadth of view that connected, in accordance with his underlying Stoic philosophy, all things and their causes and all knowledge into an overarching, unified world view.  
+
Of Posidonius's work on tactics, ''The Art of War'', the Roman historian [[Arrian]] complained that it was written 'for experts,'  which suggests that Posidonius may have had first hand experience of military leadership or, perhaps, utilized knowledge he gained from his acquaintance with Pompey.  
  
The [[Posidonius (crater)|Posidonius crater]] on the [[Moon]] is named for him.
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A crater on the moon is named for Posidonius.  
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==

Revision as of 15:39, 20 May 2006

File:Posidonius.jpg
The bust of Posidonius as an older man depicts his character as a Stoic philosopher. His brow is slightly creased to indicate the effort of thinking, but his expression is calm. His hair and philosopher’s beard are cut short and groomed plainly to indicate his concern with matters deeper than mere appearance.

Poseidonus or Posidonius (Greek: Ποσειδώνιος) "of Rhodes" (ο Ρόδιος) or, alternatively, "of Apameia" (ο ΑπαμεϿς) (ca. 135 B.C.E. - 51 B.C.E.), was a Greek Stoic philosopher, politician, astronomer, geographer, historian, and teacher. Born in Apamea, a Roman city in Syria, he settled in Rhodes around 95 B.C.E. and rose to such prominence that he served as a prytaneis (president) of Rhodes and was sent Rome as an ambassador. He conducted research in numerous fields and traveled widely throughout the Roman Empire. His school in Rhodes attracted many Greek and Roman students, and his lectures were attended by Cicero during a visit to Rhodes.

He was the first Stoic to admit that passions were an inherent part of human nature, rather than errors in judgment based on an incorrect understanding of desire.

He was acclaimed as the greatest polymath of his age. His vast body of work has all been lost, but is referenced in the works of numerous later writers, and the titles and subjects of many of his works are known.

Life

Posidonius (also spelled Poseidonius), nicknamed "the Athlete", was born c. 135 B.C.E. to a Greek family in Apamea, a Roman city on the river Orontes in northern Syria. He completed his studies in Athens under Panaetius, head of the Stoic school. Around 95 B.C.E. he settled in Rhodes, a maritime state which had a reputation for scientific research, and became a citizen. He established a school in Rhodes; though little is known about its organization, it is clear that Poseidonis taught a number of Greek and Roman students.

Posidonius took an active part in the political life of Rhodes, and attained the highest public office as one of the prytaneis (presidents, having a six months tenure) of Rhodes. He also served as ambassador to Rome in 87 - 86 B.C.E., during the Marian and Sullan era. In Rome he associated with some of the leading figures of late republican Rome, including Cicero and Pompey, both of whom visited him in Rhodes. Cicero attended Posidonius’s lectures in 77 B.C.E. and the two corresponded. In his work De Finibu, Cicero closely followed Posidonius's presentation of Panaetius's ethical teachings. Pompey visited Posidonius in Rhodes twice, once in 66 B.C.E. during his campaign against the pirates and again in 62 B.C.E. during his eastern campaigns, and asked Posidonius to write his biography. As a gesture of respect and great honor, Pompey lowered his fasces before Posidonius's door. Posidionis was also visted in Rhodes by the Romans Velleius, Cotta, and Lucilius.

After establishing himself in Rhodes, Posidonius traveled throughout the Roman world and even beyond its boundaries, and conducted scientific research. He traveled in Greece, Spain, Africa, Italy, Sicily, Dalmatia, Gaul, Liguria, North Africa, and on the eastern shores of the Adriatic.

In Spain, on the Atlantic coast at Glades (the modern Cadiz), Posidonius observed that the daily tides were connected with the orbit and the monthly tides with the cycles of the moon , and he hypothesized about the connections of the yearly cycles of the tides with the equinoxes and solstices. In Gaul, he studied the Celts. He left vivid descriptions of things he saw with his own eyes while among them: men who were paid to allow their throats to be slit for public amusement and the nailing of skulls as trophies to the doorways. Posidionis. noted that the Celts honored the Druids, whom Posidonius saw as philosophers, and concluded that even among the barbaric 'pride and passion give way to wisdom, and Ares stands in awe of the Muses'. Posidonius wrote a geographic treatise on the lands of the Celts which has since been lost, but which has been assumed to be one of the sources for Tacitus Germania.

Posidionis conducted research in many areas of study, including astronomy, mathematics, history, political science and the art of war, always placing philosphy in the highest position as the master science which gave direction to everything else.

Together with his teacher, Panaetius, Posidionus is credited with establishing Stoicism as a strong influence in the Roman world, through his writing and his extensive personal contacts with influential Roman intellectuals. A century later, Seneca referred to Posidonius as one of those who had made the largest contribution to philosophy.

After his death in 51 B.C.E., his grandson Jason, who was the son of his daughter and Menekrates of Nysa, succeeded Posidonius as the head of his school in Rhodes.

Thought and Works

In his own era, his writings on almost all the principal divisions of philosophy made Posidonius a renowned figure throughout the Graeco-Roman world and he was widely cited by writers of his era, including Cicero, Livy, Plutarch, Strabo (who called Posidonius "the most learned of all philosophers of my time"), Cleomedes, Seneca the Younger, Diodorus Siculus (who used Posidonius as a source for his Bibliotheca historia ("Historical Library"), and others. Although his ornate and rhetorical style of writing passed out of fashion soon after his death, Posidonius was acclaimed during his life for his literary ability and as a stylist. All of his original works have been lost, but scholars have been able to piece together substantial portions from the references and citations in the works of other writers.

Posidonius also wrote on physics (including meteorology and physical geography), astronomy, astrology and divination, seismology, geology and mineralogy, hydrology, botany, ethics, logic, mathematics, history, natural history, anthropology, and tactics. His studies, though not without error, were serious attempts at scientific investigation.

At one time, scholars perceived Posidonius's influence in almost every subsequent writer, whether warranted or not. Today, Posidonius is recognized as having had an inquiring and wide-ranging mind, not entirely original, but with a breadth of view that connected, in accordance with his underlying Stoic philosophy, all things and their causes and all knowledge into an overarching, unified world view.

Philosophy

Although a firm Stoic, Posidonius was, like Panaetius and other Stoics of the middle period, eclectic. He followed not only the older Stoics, but accepted some of the views of Plato and Aristotle. (It is thought that Posidonius may have written a commentary on Plato's Timaeus.)

He was the first Stoic to depart from the orthodox doctrine that passions were faulty judgments based on an incorrect understanding of desire, and to allow that passions were inherent in human nature. In addition to the rational faculties, Posidonius taught that the human soul had faculties that were spirited (anger, the desire for power, the desire for possessions) and desiderative (desires for sex and food). Ethics taught how to deal with these passions and restore reason as the dominant faculty.

Posidonius considered philosophy the dominant master art which alone could explain the cosmos, saying that fundamental principles depended on philosophers and individual problems on scientists. He accepted the Stoic categorization of philosophy into physics (natural philosophy, including metaphysics and theology), logic (including dialectic), and ethics. These three categories for him were, in Stoic fashion, inseparable and interdependent parts of an organic, natural whole. He compared them to a living being, with physics the meat and blood, logic the bones and tendons which held the organism together, and ethics – the most important part – the soul.

Like the early Stoics, Posidonius regarded the universe as a single interconnected corporeal entity. He upheld the Stoic concept of logos, a divine fire which imbued the entire universe and gave it form and direction.. Posidonius also affirmed the Stoic doctrine that the universe passed through endless cycles, each one ending with a conflagration. His influence on philosophical thinking lasted until the Middle Ages, as is shown by references to his works in the Suda, the massive medieval lexicon.

Astronomy

Some fragments of Posidionis’ writings on astronomy survive in a treatise by Cleomedes, On the Circular Motions of the Celestial Bodies. The first chapter of the second book appears to have been mostly copied from Posidonius.

Posidonius advanced the theory that the sun emanated a vital force which permeated the world. He attempted to measure the distance and size of the sun. In about 90 b.c.e.Posidonius estimated the astronomical unit to be a0/rE = 9893, which was still too small by half. In measuring the size of the sun, however, he reached a figure larger and more accurate than those proposed by other Greek astronomers and Aristarchus of Samos. Posidonius also calculated the size and distance of the Moon. He constructed an orrery, possibly similar to the Antikythera mechanism. Posidonius's orrery, according to Cicero, exhibited the diurnal motions of the sun, moon, and the five known planets.

Posidonius measured the earth’s circumference by observing the position of the star Canopus. As explained by Cleomedes, Posidonius used the elevation of Canopus to determine the difference in latitude between Rhodes and Alexandria. His method was correct, but due to observational errors, his result was 240,000 stadia, or about a third smaller than the actual circumference of Earth. Ptolemy was impressed by the sophistication of Posidonius's methods, which included correcting for the refraction of light passing through denser air near the horizon. Ptolemy's approval of Posidonius's result, rather than Eratosthenes's earlier and more correct figure, caused it to become the accepted value for Earth's circumference for the next 1,500 years.

Geography, Ethnology, Meteorology and Geology

About ten years after he arrived in Rhodes, Posidionus published a work "about the ocean and the adjacent areas." This work reviewed geographical questions according to scientific knowledge of the time. It also served to popularize his theories about the inteconnectedness of the world, to show how all the forces had an effect on each other and on human life, political as well as personal. Posidonius put forth a detailed theory of the effect of climate on the character of a people, including a "geography of the races." This theory also had political implications — his readers were informed that the climatic central position of Italy was an essential condition of the Roman destiny to dominate the world. As a Stoic he did not make a fundamental distinction between the civilized Romans as masters of the world and the less civilized peoples. However, like other Greek intellectuals of that era, he favored Rome as a stabilizing power in a turbulent world.

Like Pytheas, Posidonius believed the tides are caused by the Moon. He was, however, wrong about the cause. Thinking that the Moon was a mixture of air and fire, he attributed the cause of the tides to the heat of the Moon, hot enough to cause the water to swell but not hot enough to evaporate it. He recorded observations on earthquakes and volcanoes, including accounts of the eruptions of the volcanoes in the Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily. Posidonius’ writings on meteorology followed the ideas of Aristotle. He theorized about the causes of clouds, mist, wind, and rain as well as frost, hail, lightning, and rainbows.

In addition to his writings on geometry, Posidonius is credited with creating some mathematical terms, including 'theorem' and 'problem'.

History and Tactics

In his Histories, Posidonius continued the World History of Polybius. His history of the period 146 - 88 B.C.E. is said to have filled 52 volumes, and continued the account of the rise and expansion of Roman dominance. Posidonius did not follow Polybius's more detached and factual style, for Posidonius saw human psychooogy as the cause of events; while he understood human passions and follies, he did not pardon or excuse them in his historical writing, using his narrative skill, in fact, to enlist the readers' approval or condemnation.

The Histories of Posidonius was not only the political history of individuals and peoples, but included discussions of all forces and factors (geographical factors, mineral resources, climate, nutrition), which let humans act and be a part of their environment. For example, Posidonius considered the climate of Arabia and the life-giving strength of the sun, tides, and climatic theory to explain people’s ethnic or national characters.

Of Posidonius's work on tactics, The Art of War, the Roman historian Arrian complained that it was written 'for experts,' which suggests that Posidonius may have had first hand experience of military leadership or, perhaps, utilized knowledge he gained from his acquaintance with Pompey.

A crater on the moon is named for Posidonius.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Posidonius (from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica)
  • E. Vernon Arnold, Roman Stoicism, 1911.
  • Edwyn Bevan, Stoics and Skeptics. ISBN 0890053642, 1913.
  • I. G. Kidd, Posidonius: Volume 3, The Translation of the Fragments. ISBN 0521604419, 1999.
  • Juergen Malitz, Poseidonios from Grosse Gestalten der griechischen Antike. 58 historische Portraits von Homer bis Kleopatra. Hrsg. von Kai Brodersen. München: Verlag C.H. Beck. S. 426-432.
  • F. H. Sandbach, The Stoics, 2nd ed. ISBN 0872202534, 1994.

See also

Twin Study

External links

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