Simplicius on the Planets and Their Motions: In Defense of a Heresy

353 Pages·2013·4.593 MB·English

by  Alan C. Bowen

Simplicius on the Planets and Their Motions
Philosophia Antiqua
A Series of Studies on Ancient Philosophy
PreviousEditors
J.H.Waszink†
W.J.Verdenius†
J.C.M.VanWinden
Editedby
K.A.Algra
F.A.J.deHaas
J.Mansfeld
C.J.Rowe
D.T.Runia
Ch.Wildberg
VOLUME133
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/pha
Simplicius on the Planets
and Their Motions
In Defense of a Heresy
By
AlanC.Bowen
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2013
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Simplicius,ofCilicia.
[AristotelisDecaelocommentaria.English]
Simpliciusontheplanetsandtheirmotions:indefenseofaheresy/byAlanC.Bowen.
pages.cm.–(Philosophiaantiqua;volume133)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-90-04-22708-8(hardback:alk.paper)–ISBN978-90-04-24171-8(e-book)
1.Astronomy–Earlyworksto1800.2.Simplicius,ofCilicia.3.Aristotle.Decaelo.I.Bowen,Alan
C.II.Title.III.Series:Philosophiaantiqua;v.133.
Q151.A8S57132013
523.4–dc23
2012035045
Thispublicationhasbeentypesetinthemultilingual“Brill”typeface.Withover5,100
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ISSN0079-1687
ISBN978-90-04-22708-8(hardback)
ISBN978-90-04-24171-8(e-book)
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CONTENTS
Preface.................................................................. xv
Acknowledgments......................................................xvii
Conventions ............................................................ xix
ListofFigures........................................................... xxi
THEARGUMENT
Introduction............................................................ 3
Simplicius’LifeandWritings ........................................ 3
TheCommentaryonDecaelo2.10–12 ................................ 6
ThePlaceof2.10–12intheDecaelo ............................... 8
Simplicius’Predicament .......................................... 10
TheTextandTranslation.......................................... 15
TheAnnotation................................................... 19
PlanetaryRetrogradation:AReview ................................. 20
1. TheHeresyofNon-HomocentricAetherialMotion.................. 27
AetherialRotation ................................................... 29
TheTaskRemaining ................................................. 33
SimpliciusontheHeavens........................................... 34
2. TheHereticalRejectionofAllHypotheses........................... 37
Simplicius,Inphys.2.2193b22–35..................................... 38
AristotleonPhysicalTheoryandMathematicalScience.......... 38
PhysicalTheoryandAstronomyRecast........................... 40
SimpliciusandthePathNotTaken .................................. 50
TheNeedforObservation......................................... 51
TheEmpiricalLimitationsofAstronomy ......................... 52
AQuestionofPriority............................................. 54
Conclusion........................................................... 57
3. Simplicius,theApologist ............................................ 59
SavingAristotle ...................................................... 60
TheHarmonizedAristotle ........................................ 60
Aristotle,thePhysicalTheorist.................................... 61
Conclusion........................................................ 67
viii contents
SavingtheDecaelo................................................... 68
SavingtheLatePlatonists............................................ 69
Conclusion........................................................... 71
4. Simplicius,theHistorian............................................. 73
SimpliciusandHisSources .......................................... 73
AlexanderofAphrodisias ......................................... 74
OnTeleology ................................................... 74
OntheIsodromicPlanets ...................................... 76
OntheMotionbyNatureofLargerSpheres.................... 76
OnaCircularArgument........................................ 77
OnanEllipsis .................................................. 77
OntheFirstProblemof2.12.................................... 77
OntheFourElements.......................................... 78
OnaLexicalMatter ............................................ 79
AlexanderandPorphyry ....................................... 79
Conclusion..................................................... 79
EudemusofRhodes............................................... 80
OnAnaximander............................................... 81
EudemuswithSosigenes....................................... 81
OnCallippus ................................................... 83
Conclusion..................................................... 84
ClaudiusPtolemy ................................................. 84
Sosigenes.......................................................... 86
Coda ................................................................. 87
5. Conclusion........................................................... 91
TRANSLATION
Indecaelo2.10.Theproportionalityoftheplanetaryspeeds............ 97
291a29–b10........................................................... 97
470.29–471.11 Contextualization .............................. 97
471.12–14 BasicAstronomicalFact........................ 99
471.14–28 ThisFactIsUnexpected ........................ 99
471.29–472.4 Aristotle’sSolution ............................. 100
472.4–7 ProblemwithThisSolution .................... 100
472.8–20 Alexander’sResponse .......................... 100
472.21–473.7 ProblemofNaturalMotionRemains ........... 102
473.8–474.6 AnotherSolution ............................... 103
contents ix
474.7–13 Alexander:TheIsodromicPlanets.............. 104
474.14–30 Criticism........................................ 105
474.30–33 Alexander:TheUpperPlanets.................. 106
474.33–475.8 Criticism........................................ 106
475.9–23 PlatoonPlanetarySpeeds ...................... 106
475.23–476.10 AristotleReinterpreted ......................... 107
476.10–27 RejectionofYetAnotherSolution .............. 108
476.28–477.2 ProblemofIsodromicPlanetsRemains ........ 109
Indecaelo2.11.TheSphericityoftheWanderingStars.................. 111
291b11–17 ............................................................. 111
477.5–14 Contextualization .............................. 111
477.14–23 FirstArgumentforSphericity .................. 112
477.24–27 QuestionofCircularity ......................... 112
477.27–478.3 Alexander’sProposal ........................... 112
478.3–8 Criticism........................................ 112
478.8–14 AristotleReinterpreted ......................... 113
478.15–32 FurtherExplicationofFirstArgument ......... 113
291b17–23 ............................................................ 114
479.3–10 SecondArgumentforSphericity(Part1) ....... 114
479.10–23 TheMeaningof‘dichotomos’ ................... 114
479.23–480.15 LunarPhasesandSphericity ................... 115
480.16–24 SecondArgumentforSphericity(Part2) ....... 117
Indecaelo2.12.TheProportionalityofthePlanetaryMotions .......... 119
291b24–292a18 ....................................................... 119
480.26–481.22 RestatementoftheLemma ..................... 120
481.22–30 Alexander’sComment.......................... 122
292a18–b10........................................................... 122
482.3–485.2 TheFirstProblemandItsSolution ............. 123
292b10–25............................................................ 129
485.5–487.20 FurtherExplicationoftheSolution............. 130
487.20–488.9 Simplicius’ReconstructionoftheSolution..... 134
488.10–14 PlanetaryHypothesesRejected................. 135
488.14–24 PlanetaryHypotheses:Genesis................. 136
488.25–489.4 CriticismoftheFirstProblem .................. 136
489.5–11 PlatoandtheTrueAccount .................... 137
489.12–30 Alexander:TheElementsLackSoul ............ 137
292b25–30 ........................................................... 139
489.33–490.16 SecondProblemandFirstResponse............ 139