Knowledge, Theory of -- Early works to 1800; Philosophy -- Early works to 1800
§123. _Habitari ait_: for this edd. qu. Lactant. _Inst._ III. 23, 12.
_Portenta_: "monstrosities these," cf. _D.F._ IV. 70. _Iurare_: cf. 116.
_Neque ego_, etc.: see fragm. 30 of _Ac. Post._ Αντιποδας: this doctrine
appears in Philolaus (see Plut. _Plac. Phil._ III. 11 qu. R. and P. 75),
who give the name of αντιχθων to the opposite side of the world. Diog.
VIII. 26 (with which passage cf. Stob. _Phys._ XV. 7) mentions the theory
as Pythagorean, but in another passage (III. 24) says that Plato first
invented the name. The word αντιπους seems to occur first in Plat. _Tim._
63 A. The existence of αντιποδες; was of course bound up with the doctrine
that the universe or the world is a globe (which is held by Plat. in the
_Tim._ and by the Stoics, see Stob. _Phys._ XV. 6, Diog. VII. 140), hence
the early Christian writers attack the two ideas together as unscriptural.
Cf. esp Aug. _De Civ. Dei_ XVI. 9. _Hicetas_: he was followed by Heraclides
Ponticus and some Pythagoreans. Sext. _A.M._ X. 174 speaks of the followers
of Aristarchus the mathematician as holding the same doctrine. It seems
also to be found in Philolaus, see R. and P. 75. _Theophrastus_: who wrote
much on the history of philosophy, see R. and P. 328. _Platonem_: the words
of Plato (_Tim._ 40 B) are γην δε τροφον μεν ‛ημετεραν, ειλλομενην δε περι
τον δια παντος πολον τεταμενον. _Quid tu, Epicure_: the connection is that
Cic., having given the crotchets of other philosophers about φυσικη,
proceeds to give the peculiar crotchet of Epic. _Putas solem ... tantum_: a
hard passage. _Egone? ne bis_ is the em. of Lamb. for MSS. _egone vobis_,
and is approved by Madv., who thus explains it (_Em._ 185) "_cum
interrogatum esset num tantulum (quasi pedalem 82) solem esse putaret,
Epic. non praecise definit (tantum enim esse censebat quantus videretur vel
paulo aut maiorem aut minorem) sed latius circumscribit, ne bis quidem
tantum esse, sed inter pedalem magnitudinem et bipedalem_". (_D.F._ I. 20)
This explanation though not quite satisfactory is the best yet given.
Epicurus' absurdity is by Cic. brought into strong relief by stating the
outside limit to which Epic. was prepared to go in estimating the sun's
size, i.e. twice the apparent size. _Ne ... quidem_ may possibly appear
strange, cf. however _ne maiorem quidem_ in 82. _Aristo Chius_: for this
doctrine of his see R. and P. 358.
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