Sphaerus

Sphaerus
Engraving by Girolamo Olgiati, 1580
Born	c. 285 BC
Died	c. 210 BC
Era	Ancient philosophy
Region	Western philosophy
School	Stoicism

Sphaerus (Greek: Σφαῖρος; c. 285 BC – c. 210 BC) of Borysthenes^[1] or the Bosphorus,^[2] was a Stoic philosopher.

Life

Sphaerus studied first under Zeno of Citium, and afterwards under Cleanthes. He taught in Sparta, where he acted as advisor to Cleomenes III.^[1] He moved to Alexandria at some point, (possibly when Cleomenes himself was exiled there in 222 BC) where he lived in the court of Ptolemy IV Philopator.

Ideas

Little survives of his works, but Sphaerus had a considerable reputation among the Stoics for the accuracy of his definitions.^[3]

Examine the definitions of courage: you will find it does not require the assistance of passion. Courage is, then, an affection of mind that endures all things, being itself in proper subjection to the highest of all laws; or it may be called a firm maintenance of judgment in supporting or repelling everything that has a formidable appearance, or a knowledge of what is formidable or otherwise, and maintaining invariably a stable judgment of all such things, so as to bear them or despise them ... for the above definitions are Sphaerus’s, a man of the first ability as a layer-down of definitions, as the Stoics think.

— Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, iv. 24 [53]^[3]

Diogenes Laërtius^[4] and Athenaeus^[5] tell a story of how he once saved himself from admitting that he had been deceived by a trick played upon him by King Ptolemy:

And once, when there was a discussion concerning the question whether a wise man would allow himself to be guided by opinion, and when Sphaerus affirmed that he would not, the king, wishing to refute him, ordered some pomegranates of wax to be set before him; and when Sphaerus was deceived by them, the king shouted that he had given his assent to a false perception. But Sphaerus answered very neatly, that he had not given his assent to the fact that they were pomegranates, but to the fact that it was probable that they might be pomegranates. And that a perception which could be comprehended differed from one that was only probable.^[4]

Writings

According to Diogenes Laërtius, Sphaerus wrote the following works:^[6]

Περὶ κόσμου δύο – On the Universe (two books) Περὶ στοιχείων – On the Elements [Περὶ] σπέρματος – [On] Seed Περὶ τύχης – On Fortune Περὶ ἐλαχίστων – On the Smallest Things Πρὸς τὰς ἀτόμους καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα – Against Atoms and Images Περὶ αἰσθητηρίων – On the Senses Περὶ Ἡρακλείτου πέντε διατριβῶν – On Heraclitus (five lectures) Περὶ τῆς ἠθικῆς διατάξεως – On the Arrangement of Ethics Περὶ καθήκοντος – On Duty Περὶ ὁρμῆς – On Impulse Περὶ παθῶν δύο – On Passions (two books) Περὶ βασιλείας – On Kingship Περὶ Λακωνικῆς πολιτείας – On the Lacedaemonian Constitution Περὶ Λυκούργου καὶ Σωκράτους τρία – On Lycurgus and Socrates (three books)

Περὶ νόμου – On Law Περὶ μαντικῆς – On Divination Διαλόγους ἐρωτικούς – Dialogues on Love Περὶ τῶν Ἐρετριακῶν φιλοσόφων – On the Eretrian Philosophers Περὶ ὁμοίων – On Things Similar Περὶ ὅρων – On Terms Περὶ ἕξεως – On Habits Περὶ τῶν ἀντιλεγομένων τρία – On Contradictions (three books) Περὶ λόγου – On Discourse Περὶ πλούτου – On Wealth Περὶ δόξης – On Glory Περὶ θανάτου – On Death Τέχνης διαλεκτικῆς δύο – Art of Dialectics (two books) Περὶ κατηγορημάτων – On Predicates Περὶ ἀμφιβολιῶν – On Ambiguity Ἐπιστολάς – Letters

Notes

1. Plutarch, Cleomenes, 2.2.
2. Diogenes Laërtius, vii. 37, 177
3. Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, iv. 24.
4. Diogenes Laërtius, vii. 177
5. Athenaeus, Deipnosophists, viii. 354
6. Diogenes Laërtius, vii. 178

References

•  Laërtius, Diogenes (1925). "The Stoics: Sphaerus" . Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 2:7. Translated by Hicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Classical Library.

The surviving fragments of Sphaerus' writings are collected in:

• Arnim, Hans Friedrich August von (1964). Stoicorum veterum fragmenta (in Ancient Greek and Latin). Stutgardiae In aedibus B.G. Tuebneri. Retrieved 31 May 2023.