Clitomachus | |
|---|---|
| Κλειτόμαχος | |
| Born | Hasdrubal (Ἀσδρούβας) c. 186 B.C. |
| Died | c. 110 B.C. |
| Philosophical work | |
| School | Academic skepticism |
| Institutions | Academy (scholarch) |
Clitomachus orCleitomachus (Ancient Greek:Κλειτόμαχος,Kleitómakhos; 187/6–110/9 BC[1]) was aGreek philosopher, originally fromCarthage,[2] who came toAthens in 163/2 BC[a] and studiedphilosophy underCarneades. He became head of theAcademy around 127/6 BC. He was anAcademic skeptic like his master. Nothing survives of his writings, which were dedicated to making known the views of Carneades, butCicero made use of them for some of his works.
Clitomachus was born inCarthage in 187/6 BC asHasdrubal (Ancient Greek:Ἀσδρούβας,Hasdroúbas;Punic:𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋,[5]ʿAzrubaʿal, "Help ofBaal"). He came toAthens in 163/2 BC, when he was about 24 years old.[3] There he became connected with the founder of the New Academy, the philosopherCarneades, under whose guidance he rose to be one of the most distinguished disciples of this school; but he also studied at the same time the philosophy of theStoics andPeripatetics. In 127/6 BC, two years after the death of Carneades, he became the effective head (scholarch) of theAcademy.[6] He continued to teach at Athens till as late as 111 BC, asCrassus heard him in that year.[7] He died in 110/09 BC, and was succeeded as scholarch byPhilo of Larissa.
Of his works, which amounted to 400 scrolls[8] only a few of the names of the titles are preserved and not the actual writings. What we know of their ideas come primarily via interpretations byCicero andSextus Empiricus who did have access to them in their day.[9]
Clitomachus' main object in writing them was to make known the philosophy of his masterCarneades, from whose views he never dissented. Clitomachus continued to reside at Athens till the end of his life; but he continued to cherish a strong affection for his native country, and whenCarthage wascaptured and destroyed in 146 BC, he wrote a work to console his unfortunate countrymen.[6] This work, whichCicero says he had read, was taken from a discourse of Carneades, and was intended to exhibit the consolation which philosophy supplies even under the greatest calamities.[10] His work was highly regarded by Cicero,[11] who based parts of hisDe Natura Deorum,De Divinatione andDe Fato on a work of Clitomachus he names asOn the Withholding of Assent (Latin:De Sustinendis Adsensionibus).[12]
Clitomachus probably treated the history of philosophy in his work on the philosophical sects:On the Schools of Thought (Greek:περί αἱρέσεων).[13]
Two of Clitomachus' works are known to have been dedicated to prominent Romans, the poetGaius Lucilius and the one-time consulLucius Marcius Censorinus,[14] suggesting that his work was known and appreciated in Rome.
Laërtius, Diogenes."The Academics: Clitomachus" .Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 1:4. Translated byHicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Library. § 67.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Stahr, Adolph (1870)."Cleitomachus". InSmith, William (ed.).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 784.| International | |
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