Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Eclecticism in modern and ancient thought
- Chapter 2 Eclecticism and Alexandria in the first century bc
- Chapter 3 Potamo of Alexandria, life and work
- Chapter 4 The eclectic system of Potamo's Elementary Teaching
- Chapter 5 Potamo and Aristotle's On the Heavens
- Chapter 6 Further references to Potamo
- Chapter 7 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- General index
- Index of passages cited
Chapter 3 - Potamo of Alexandria, life and work
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Eclecticism in modern and ancient thought
- Chapter 2 Eclecticism and Alexandria in the first century bc
- Chapter 3 Potamo of Alexandria, life and work
- Chapter 4 The eclectic system of Potamo's Elementary Teaching
- Chapter 5 Potamo and Aristotle's On the Heavens
- Chapter 6 Further references to Potamo
- Chapter 7 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- General index
- Index of passages cited
Summary
Potamo is one of the most intriguing figures in first-century bc philosophy. The limited information available on him comes mainly from Diogenes Laertius, who mentions Potamo almost as an appendix or afterthought to his lists of the various philosophical persuasions (αἱρέσεις), without attempting to fit him into any classification. In fact, immediately before the reference to Potamo Diogenes seems to be rounding off his general survey of philosophical sects: αἵδε μὲν ἀρχαὶ καὶ διαδοχαὶ καὶ τοσαῦτα μέρη καὶ τόσαι φιλοσοφίας αἱρέσεις (‘so these are the beginnings and successions of philosophy and this is how many parts and sects it has’, 1.20). Potamo is treated as an exceptional case because he did not subscribe to any of the systems listed by Diogenes and did not belong to any of the traditional successions, but introduced his own Eclectic sect by means of selection (ἐκλεξαμένου) from more than one existing sect:
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011