Domninus of Larissa

Domninos of Larissa (Greek Δομνῖνος, also Domninos of Larissa; * beginning of the 5th century ) was a late ancient philosopher ( Neoplatonist ) and mathematician from Syria. He received his education at the Neo-Platonic school of philosophy in Athens. Later he lived and taught in his Syrian homeland.

Life

Little is known about the life of Domninos. The Neoplatonist Damascius reports that he was Syrian and " from Laodicea and Larissa, a city of Syria " was born. Like the dual display of hometown is meant is unclear and controversial. In the Greek-speaking east of the Roman Empire (Larissa ) the names of cities and Laodicea Larisa came several times before, but is not a city known who carried both names. Various explanations have been put forward:

• His father came from a town, his mother from the other.
• His hometown was Larisa, but later he had his permanent residence in Laodicea.
• Larisa was a suburb of Laodicea.
• Laodicea was originally called Larisa.

After a traditional anecdote of Damascius Domninos suffered from a chronic illness for which he often spat blood; Asclepius, the god of healing, advised him to eat a lot of pork. This Council had followed Domninos and had been healed; he had but from now on, to avoid relapses, must consume every day pork. He had, defied the Syrian custom that forbade this food. The Greek philosopher Plutarch of Athens, however, the Asklepios had recommended the same remedy, have not been able to bring themselves, though not a traditional diet rule forbade him such food. He had asked the God for an alternative proposal, which he argued that it must be a solution also for sick Jews. It has been concluded in the research that Domninos was a Jew. However, this conclusion is not mandatory, because the abstinence from pork was practiced not only by Jews but also by other peoples in the east of the empire; also speaks of the explicit reference to a Syrian custom against this hypothesis.

In Athens Domninos entered the Neoplatonist philosophers local school when she was still managed by its founder who died at 432 Plutarch of Athens. Plutarch presented his teaching for some time before his death largely a. It can be concluded that Domninos ' birth is expected to fall into the first decade of the 5th century. Among his classmates was later famous, apparently somewhat younger philosopher Proclus was ( 412-485 ). Domninos was as a pupil of Proclus Syrianos, who took over as the successor to the office of Plutarch Scholarchen ( headmaster ). A tradition, according to which Domninos even Scholarch was later applies according to the current state of research as untrustworthy, but he was clearly the most outstanding members of the school.

In his last phase of life Domninos lived in retirement in Laodicea. As Damascius tells he reached a great age.

Works

From the works of Domninos have remained only two get to be " manual for Introduction to Arithmetic" ( Encheiridion arithmētikḗs eisagōgḗs ) and a brief statement of " How to Win a mathematical relationship from another ." At the end of the manual, he announced that he would ( arithmētikḗ stoicheíōsis ) discuss various topics there passed over in another pamphlet entitled " elementary theory of arithmetic "; whether he has realized this intention is unknown.

Domninos wrote a commentary on the " Sophistic refutations " of Aristotle. From this work still existed in the 17th century - apparently incompletely preserved or only an extract containing - handwriting, which burned in 1671, as in the library of El Escorial a fire broke out. He also seems to have written a natural philosophical work, as Proclus mentioned that he interpreted a passage in Plato's dialogue Timaeus.

Teaching and reception

Domninos was apparently of the speculative and metaphysical orientation of most late antique Neoplatonist away and thinking more scientifically; so he tried to explain the physical discussed in Plato's Timaeus and interpreted as a natural disaster conflagration of Phaethon myth. Also in the philosophy of mathematics, he was not one of the metaphysical -oriented flow of neo-Pythagoreanism, dominated their influence in the Neo-Platonists, but continued the tradition of Euclid. Damascius ruled Although Domninos was a good mathematician, but have been a superficial philosopher; he had many teachings of Plato corrupted by mixing with his own views. According to Damascius ' report Proclus wrote a treatise " to clean the teachings of Plato ," in which he pointed out the distortions and pulled Domninos accountable. Also in his life Domninos did not set the behavior on the day that was expected of a philosopher.

In the Middle Ages and the early modern period was the " Manual for Introduction to Arithmetic" unknown; It was first printed in 1832 in Paris ( critical edition of Jean François Boissonade ).

Text editions and translations

• Francesco Romano: Domnino di Larissa. La filosofia della matematica neoplatonica svolta impossibile. Manuale di introduzione all'aritmetica. Cooperativa Universitaria Editrice Catanese di Magistero, Catania 2000 ( critical edition of the "Manual for Introduction to Arithmetic" with Italian Translation )
• Charles -Émile Ruelle (ed.): Texts inédit de Domninus de Larisse sur l' avec traduction et commentaire arithmétique. In: Revue de philology, de littérature et d' histoire anciennes. Nouvelle série 7, 1883, pp. 82-94 ( with French translation; first and only edition of " How to Win a mathematical relationship from another " )
• Paul Tannery: Le manuel d' introduction du philosophe arithmétique Domninos de Larissa. In: Paul Tannery: Memoires scientifiques, Vol 3, Toulouse - Paris 1915, pp. 255-281 ( French translation of the "Manual for Introduction to Arithmetic" )