Polemon (scholarch)

Polemon (scholarch)

Polemon ( _el. Πολέμων) of Athens was an eminent Platonic philosopher and Plato's third successor as scholarch or head of the Academy from 314/313 to 270/269 BC. A pupil of Xenocrates, he believed that philosophy should be practiced rather than just studied. Like most philosophers of the Hellenistic era, he thought that the supreme good was to live according to Nature.

Life

Polemon was the son of Philostratus, a man of wealth and political distinction. In his youth, he was extremely profligate; but one day, when he was about thirty, on his bursting into the school of Xenocrates, at the head of a band of revellers, his attention was so arrested by the discourse, which the master continued calmly in spite of the interruption, and which chanced to be upon temperance, that he tore off his garland and remained an attentive listener, and from that day he adopted an abstemious course of life, and continued to frequent the school, of which, on the death of Xenocrates, he became the head, in 315 BC. According to Eusebius ("Chron.") he died in 270/269 BC (or possibly, as in some manuscripts, 276/275 BC). Diogenes Laërtius also says that he died at a great age, and of natural decay.

Philosophy, associations, and literary interests

He esteemed the object of philosophy to be, to exercise men in things and deeds, not in dialectic speculations; his character was grave and severe; and he took pride in displaying the mastery which he had acquired over emotions of every sort.

He was a close follower of Xenocrates in all things, and an intimate friend of Crates and Crantor, who were his disciples, as well as Zeno and Arcesilaus; Crates was his successor in the Academy.

In literature he most admired Homer and Sophocles, and he is said to have been the author of the remark, that Homer is an epic Sophocles, and Sophocles a tragic Homer.

Writings

He left, according to Diogenes, several treatises, none of which were extant when the "Suda" was compiled. There is, however, a quotation made by Clement of Alexandria, either from him or from another philosopher of the same name, "in "Concerning the Life in Accordance with Nature" ( _el. ἐν τοῖς περὶ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν βίου), [Clement of Alexandria, "Stromata", vii. p. 117] and another passage, [Clement of Alexandria, "Stromata", ii. p. 410] upon happiness, which agrees precisely with the statement of Cicero, [Cicero, "de Finibus", iv. 6] that Polemon placed the "summum bonum" (highest good) in living according to the laws of nature.

Notes

Ancient sources

*Diogenes Laërtius, "Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers" iv. 16-20 (with the commentary of Gilles Ménage)
*"Suda", s.v.
*Plutarch, "de Adul. et Amic." 32, p. 71e
*Lucian, "Bis Accusat." 16, vol. ii. p. 811
*Athenaeus, "Deipnosophistae" ii., p. 44e
*Cicero, "Academica" i. 9, ii. 35, 42; "De Oratore" iii. 18; "de Finibus" ii. 6, 11, iv. 2, 6, 16, 18, v. 1, 5, 7, and elsewhere
*Horace, "Sermones" ii. 3. 253ff.
*Valerius Maximus, vi. 9

References

*SmithDGRBM [http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2767.html] [http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2768.html]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Polemon — (or Polemo) is the name of eminent ancient Greeks:Philosophers*Polemon (scholarch), the head of the Platonic Academy from 314 269 BC *Polemon of Athens, a 2nd century BC Stoic philosopher, also referred to as Polemon of Ilium *Polemon of… …   Wikipedia

  • Polemon von Athen — (griechisch Πολέμων; * um 350 v. Chr.; † wohl 270/269 v. Chr. in Athen) war ein antiker griechischer Philosoph (Platoniker). Jahrzehntelang leitete er als Scholarch die Platonische Akademie in Athen. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Werke und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pederastic relationships in classical antiquity — for other times and places In classical antiquity there were many known pederastic relationships between adult men and adolescent boys. In some of these cases both members became well known historical figures, while in others, only one of the two …   Wikipedia

  • Arkesilaos — (griechisch Ἀρκεσίλαος, andere Namensform Ἀρκεσίλας Arkesilas; * um 315 v. Chr.; † 241/240 v. Chr. in Athen) war ein antiker griechischer Philosoph. Nach seiner Heimatstadt wird er auch Arkesilaos von Pitane genannt. Er lebte in Athen und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste der Vertreter und Rezipienten des Platonismus — Diese Liste erfasst namhafte Vertreter und Rezipienten des Platonismus von der Antike bis zur Renaissance. Obwohl der Platonismus bis zum Ende der Antike verschiedene Wandlungen erlebt hat, kann insofern durchgängig von einer Schule gesprochen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Akademie (Platon) — Archäologische Ausgrabung der Platonischen Akademie im modernen Athener Stadtteil Akadimía Plátonos. Die Platonische Akademie ist die von Platon gegründete antike Philosophenschule in Athen und damit die älteste Institution dieser Art in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste der Philosophen — …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Crantor — Krantor († 276 oder 275 v. Chr.) war ein griechischer Philosoph (Platoniker). Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Werk 3 Literatur 4 Anmerkungen // …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Krantor (Philosoph) — Krantor († 276 oder 275 v. Chr.) war ein griechischer Philosoph (Platoniker). Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Werk 3 Literatur 4 Anmerkungen // …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Krates von Athen — (griechisch Κράτης; † zwischen 268 und 264 v. Chr. in Athen) war ein antiker griechischer Philosoph. Seine Heimatgemeinde war Thria in Athen, daher wird er auch Krates von Thria genannt. Er gehörte der Platonischen Akademie an und amtierte… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”