Praxiphanes

Praxiphanes (Greek: Πραξιφάνης) a Peripatetic philosopher, was a native of Mytilene, who lived a long time in Rhodes.^[1] He lived in the time of Demetrius Poliorcetes and Ptolemy I Soter, and was a pupil of Theophrastus, about 322 BC.^[2] He subsequently opened a school himself, in which Epicurus is said to have been one of his pupils.^[3] Praxiphanes paid special attention to grammatical studies, and is hence named along with Aristotle as the founder and creator of the science of grammar.^[4][5]

Writings

Of the writings of Praxiphanes, which appear to have been numerous, two are especially mentioned, a Dialogue ποιητῶν (Poiitón, 'Poetry')^[6] in which Plato and Isocrates were the speakers, and an historical work cited by Marcellinus in his Life of Thucydides^[7] under the title of Περὶ ἱστορίας (Perí istorías, 'About History').^[5]

Praxiphanes also wrote a works titled On Friendship,^[8] On Rare Words,^[9] On the Universe,^[10] On Poems, and commentaries on Homer's Odyssey, Hesiod's Works and Days, Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus, and Plato's Timaeus.^[11][12]

Notes

1. Algra, K., The Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy. Page 36. Cambridge University Press. (1999). Cf. Clement of Alexandria, i.; Strabo, xiv.
2. Proclus, i. in Timaeum; John Tzetzes, ad Hesiod. Op. et Dies, 1.
3. Diogenes Laërtius, x. 13
4. Clement of Alexandria, i.
5. Smith 1870.
6. Diogenes Laërtius, iii. 8
7. Marcellinus, Thucydides, §29
8. Carneiscus, Philistas fr. 95
9. Demetrius, De elocutione 55-58
10. Epiphanius, De fide 9.35-39
11. Proclus, In Timaeum, 5c
12. Matelli 2018, p. 76-78.

References

•  Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Praxiphanes". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
•  Laërtius, Diogenes (1925). "Plato" . Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 1:3. Translated by Hicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Library.
• Matelli, Elisabetta (12 January 2018). "Praxiphanes of Mytilene (called "of Rhodes"): The Sources, Text, and Translation". Praxiphanes of Mytilene and Chamaeleon of Heraclea: Text, Translation, and Discussion. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-49713-8. Retrieved 3 August 2023.

Further reading

• Preller, Ludwig (1842). De Praxiphane peripatetico inter antiquissimos grammaticos nobili disputatio. (Index scholarum in Univ. litt. Caesarea Dorpatensi) (in Latin). Schünmann. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
• Martano, Andrea, ed. (12 January 2018). Praxiphanes of Mytilene and Chamaeleon of Heraclea: Text, Translation, and Discussion. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-49713-8. Retrieved 3 August 2023.