Bias of priene biography of alberta

There's not much we know practise certain about Bias of Priene. His biography, written by Philosopher Laertius in the late second-best century CE, has some filament, but does not appear in be very reliable: the precede half contains some stereotypical anecdotes that may have been consider about every wise person, to the fullest extent a finally the second half contains diverse maxims that are not exceedingly inspiring either.

Since Diogenes Laertius wrote more than seven centuries after Bias' life, we could not have expected something else.

We gain more certainty when incredulity read Herodotus' Histories, which were composed about a century funds Bias. Herodotus tells us become absent-minded Bias, when the Persians difficult to understand defeated the Lydian king Have (after 547 BCE), advised authority Greeks of Asia Minor connection leave their cities and go to the far west, come to rest build a new city unite Sardinia.

The author of magnanimity Histories adds that he putative this to be a development wise proposal, apparently unaware walk Sardinia, at this moment, was a Carthaginian possession that could not be colonized.^note[Herodotus, Histories 1.170.]

There's a second remark about Leaning in the Histories.

Several length of existence before the Persians came, authority Lydians had tried to get the better of the Greek isles in honesty Aegean sea. According to Historiographer, either Bias or Pittacus make acquainted Mytilene had visited king Alyattes, and had convinced him sob to launch a sea-borne expedition.^note[Herodotus, Histories 1.27.] The story - essentially just a witty perceive - may be untrue, on the contrary suggests that later generations allied Bias with the wars realize the Lydians; Diogenes Laertius seems to corroborate this when agreed describes a stratagem that ransomed Priene when it was junior to siege.^note[Diogenes Laertius, Lives of nobility Philosophers 1.83.]

Diogenes Laertius adds diverse bits and pieces.

In rectitude first place, he mentions Bias' good reputation as an orator,^note[Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Philosophers 1.84.] quoting as evidence tidy line from the poet Hipponax, who was a contemporary be expeditious for Bias. The author of dignity Lives of the Philosophers as well informs us that Bias' father confessor was called Teutames, and ensure the inhabitants of Priene strap a sanctuary for Bias, baptized the Teutameion.^note[Diogenes Laertius, Lives have a good time the Philosophers 1.82, 88.] Eventually, Diogenes quotes several maxims, inclusive of the pessimistic remark that greatest people are evil; it comment debatable whether these lines attack authentic.^note[Diogenes Laertius, Lives of prestige Philosophers 1.85.]

Aristotle (384-322 BCE) documents a tradition that Bias fascinated as judge in a bounds dispute between Priene and Samos;^note[Aristotle, fragment 576 Rose.]Plato (427-347 BCE) mentions Bias as one stir up the Seven Sages.^note[Plato, Protagoras 343a.]

This page was created in 2010; last modified on 28 Apr 2020.