Diodorus of Aspendus

Diodorus of Aspendos (Greek Διόδωρος ) was an ancient Greek Pythagoreans. He lived in the 4th century BC

Life

Diodorus was born in the city of Aspendos in Pamphylia ( in the south of Asia Minor). He is said to have received his education in southern Italy in a product coming from Lucania Pythagoreans called aresas. Allegedly took him aresas only because as a student at, because at that time lacked the Pythagoreans to young - a message that is likely to come from a hostile source. Later he lived in Greece, where he spread Pythagorean teachings. His chronology is only approximately possible. A clue provides the news that aresas was rescued by friends visiting from a life-threatening unspecified; this can be obviously not be the antipythagoreischen unrest of the 5th century BC, but rather a part of the episode probably in the time of the campaign of the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse in southern Italy in the year 388 BC In the course of the following decades, even in the first half or the middle of the fourth century, took part in the teaching of Diodorus aresas.

Diodorus belonged to the direction of the Pythagoreans, did not drive mathematical and scientific research, but Pythagorean philosophy conceived primarily as a doctrine of the right of life and practiced. The similarity of his attitude with that of the Cynics falls on, the excited then stir; the famous Cynic Diogenes of Sinope was his contemporary. A relationship is not clear from the sources, although they produced, but may Diodorus was influenced by Cynicism or was itself a model for Cynics. A major feature of his and the Cynic way of life was the ascetic frugality, which was also worn externally on display. Diodorus noticed by its appearance and dress; he was long haired, langbärtig and dirty and stepped barefoot on a double philosopher's cloak ( Tribon ), knapsack and stick. This appearance was an innovation, which he is said to have introduced; his appearance contrasted with the earlier Pythagoreans who " wore brightly shining robes, bathed, anointed and normal haircut wore ," as the historian of philosophy Sosikrates of Rhodes notes. Sosikrates evaluates the new style as arrogant; yet he probably tracing its source Aristoxenus, an opponent of the represented by Diodorus direction. In the diet practiced Diodorus the Pythagorean vegetarianism. He was a prominent representative of the then known in Greece, mocked by the comedy writers type of the poor, as applicable cranky " Pythagoristen ". In this sense takes Archestratos in his gastronomic poem Hēdypátheia ( about 330 BC ) with regard to him, and the contemporary Strato Nikos mentioned in a Spottvers be " crazy animal garment" and criticized him as arrogant. However Diodorus was apparently also admired because Strato Nikos finds that he has had numerous listeners. His new lifestyle earned him even the suspicion of being no real Pythagoreans: Timaeus claims of Tauromenion that he had only given his Pythagoreanism.

Claudianus Mamertus, a church writer of the 5th century, mentions among the Pythagorean authors, who expressed in their works on the immateriality of the soul, a Diodorus; meant is probably Diodorus of Aspendos, but Claudianus must have known no authentic copy of the Pythagoreans.

Swell

• Holger Thesleff (Ed.): The Pythagorean Texts of the Hellenistic Period. Åbo Akademi, Åbo 1965, p 69-70