Philodemus of Gadara
Philodemus of Gadara (b. Gadara c. 110-d. after 40 bce) was an Epicurean philosopher (see also Oxford Bibliographies article in Classics “Epicureanism”) and poet of Greek epigrams (for a discussion whether the poet and the philosopher were different persons, see Biography). After studying in Athens...
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| Dokumenttyp: | Article (Journal) Kapitel/Artikel |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Veröffentlicht: |
20 December 2018
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Oxford bibliographies in Classics
Year: 2018, Pages: 1-31 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/obo/9780195389661-0246 |
| Online-Zugang: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780195389661-0246 Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://academic.oup.com/reference/62365/reference-article/554601288 
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| Verfasserangaben: | Holger Essler |
| Zusammenfassung: | Philodemus of Gadara (b. Gadara c. 110-d. after 40 bce) was an Epicurean philosopher (see also Oxford Bibliographies article in Classics “Epicureanism”) and poet of Greek epigrams (for a discussion whether the poet and the philosopher were different persons, see Biography). After studying in Athens with Zeno of Sidon, the head of the Epicurean Garden at the time, he moved to Italy and became a protégé of L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, father-in-law of Julius Caesar and consul in 58 bce. He seems to have been in contact with part of the Roman political and cultural elite, especially with members of the circle of Maecenas. Cicero calls him a personal acquaintance (In Pisonem 68) and may have drawn on his De pietate in the doxographical part of De natura deorum 1. Horace seems to be influenced by him in his Ars poetica and Philodemus himself addresses several of his books to high-ranking individuals: apart from his patron Piso, to C. Vibius Pansa Caetronianus, consul 43 bce, to Virgil (also Vergil) and to his (and Horace’s) friends Plotius Tucca, L. Varius Rufus, and Quintilius Varus. Whereas Philodemus’s poems enjoyed some popularity during his lifetime and thirty-four of them were included in the Greek Anthology, all of his extensive philosophical writings are preserved only in the charred scrolls discovered at the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum. The majority contain philosophical works by Philodemus, some books are preserved in multiple copies, some appear to be drafts. They cover several areas, most prominently history of philosophy, ethics, aesthetics (rhetoric, music, poetry), and theology. The discussion can be very subtle and specialized. Philodemus often provides information about or quotations from Hellenistic sources otherwise lost or unattested. The scrolls are, however, heavily damaged and difficult to read. Thus, analysis of the content of Philodemus’s philosophical writings largely depends on the availability of new and reliable editions of these papyri and many general conclusions depend on single readings (see the Oxford Bibliographies article in Classics “Herculaneum Papyri” by W. B. Henry). |
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| Beschreibung: | Gesehen am 20.08.2026 |
| Beschreibung: | Online Resource |
| DOI: | 10.1093/obo/9780195389661-0246 |