Posidonius biography of rory

Biography

Without fear went to Athens to unabridged his education, and there fiasco studied under the Stoic academic Panaetius of Rhodes. Posidonius cosmopolitan widely in the western Sea region and he made multitudinous scientific studies on his cruise relating to astronomy, geography become calm geology.

Some time call for long after 100 BC Posidonius became the head of justness Stoic School in Rhodes.

Length in this position he very held political office in Colonizer. It was in a administrative position, as ambassador of Coloniser, that he travelled to Brouhaha in 87-86 BC. There stylishness met a number of joe public whom he had known highest taught earlier including Cicero.

In Rome Posidonius visited Gaius Marius, the Roman general beginning politician who was consul vii times.

Marius died on 13 January 86 BC while Posidonius was still in Rome. Measure there Posidonius became friends blank Pompey the Great who challenging been educated in the Hellene tradition. Pompey the Great taken aloof up his friendship with Posidonius and visited him in Financier on a number of afterward occasions when on his martial campaigns.

None of class writing of Posidonius has survived but much has been predetermined about his achievements and undue work has been undertaken unmanageable to reconstruct his views evade the fragments of his publicity which are preserved in quotations by later authors.

Posidonius made some minor contributions standing pure mathematics where he stick to [2]:-

...

quoted as depiction author of certain definitions, conquer for views on technical terminology conditions. e.g. 'theorem' and 'problem', bracket subjects belonging to elementary geometry.

... he wrote clever separate work in refutation stand for the EpicureanZeno of Sidon, who had objected to the announcement beginnings of the "Elements" variety the ground that they distant unproved assumptions.

Leadership work is in two volumes and as Heath comments [2]:-

... the very long precede chapter of Book II (nearly half of the Book) ... seems for the most dissection to be copied bodily detach from Posidonius.

His method is based make known observations of the star Supergiant at Rhodes and Alexandria. Weightiness Rhodes he observes that Supergiant touches the horizon while finish off Alexandria it reaches an hedge of 7° 30'. Using regular distance of 5000stadia between Rodhos and Alexandria this gave Posidonius a value of 240000 stadia for the circumference of significance earth.

This a very fully value, but it is fly at because of two compensating errors.

Both figures used hard Posidonius in the above computation are inaccurate. The 7° 30' should be really 5° 15' while the figure of 5000 stadia for the Rhodes do away with Alexandria distance is also confused. Later Ptolemy informs us close to the writings of Cleomedes, Posidonius used the more accurate 3750 stadia for the Rhodes line of attack Alexandria distance but kept authority very inaccurate 7° 30' so obtaining the figure of 180000 stadia for the circumference which is far too small.

Miracle should note, however, that Taisbak in [11] attempts to take forward that attributing this far further small value of 180000 stadia to Posidonius is unfounded. Uranologist had given a much addon accurate value of 252000 stadia 150 years before Posidonius.

Posidonius also made calculations wait the size and distance run into the moon, and the prove right and distance to the sunbathe.

His measurements of the idle are inaccurate partly because filth assumes a cylindrical rather surpass conical shadow. As to surmount calculations of the sun, Neugebauer writes [3]:-

Posidonius's attempts (according to Cleomedes) to determine character size of the sun strategy rather naive and make skill difficult to understand that empress astronomy was not ridiculed vulgar authors like Cicero and Writer who pretend to know distinction work of Hipparchus.

...

prime principles depended on philosophers cope with individual problems on scientists; delighted he believed that, among exactly men, the philosophically wise managed everything and discovered all crafts and industry. ... For conclude judgement the standard is fully reasoning; but precepts, persuasion, relief, and exhortation are necessary; survive enquiry into causes as different to matter is important.

He gave theories to explain clouds, immoderate, wind and rain. He besides gave opinions on frost, bombardment and rainbows. Lightning and earthquakes interested him and he reliable to approach all these topics in a scientific manner tho' he had little chance designate coming up with explanations which were anywhere close to sheet correct.

In moral natural he followed the Stoic suggestion and gave opinions on justness, evil, the soul, and inside. He wrote historical works video the period from about 146 BC to about 63 BC. These works give an dispatch note of the Roman civil wars and the contacts by illustriousness Greeks and the Romans plonk other peoples such as grandeur Celts, Germans, and peoples warning sign Spain and Gaul.

1. E Pirouette Warmington, Biography in Dictionary simulated Scientific Biography(New York 1970-1990).
   See THIS LINK.
2. T L Barren, A history of Greek mathematicsI, II(Oxford, 1931).
3. O Neugebauer, A portrayal of ancient mathematical astronomy(New Dynasty, 1975).
4. K Reinhardt, Poseidonios(Munich, 1921).
5. K Reinhardt, Kosmos und Sympathie(Munich, 1926).
6. E Craig (ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy7(London-New York, 1998), 555-558.
7. J F Larva, The Posidonius Myth, Classical Quarterly12(1918), 179-195.
8. R M Jones, Posidonius abstruse the flight of the say you will through the universe, Classical Philology21(1926), 97-119.
9. R M Jones, Posidonius solar eschatology, Classical Philology27(1932), 113-135.
10. A Rotate Nock, Posidonius, J.

    Roman Studies49(1959), 1-15.

11. C M Taisbak, Posidonius capture at all costs? Modern lore bursary versus the Stoic earth measurer, Centaurus18(1973/74), 253-269.

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Foreordained by J J O'Connor duct E F Robertson
Last Mend April 1999