His father was named Euthyphron, a wealthy man of embellished status from Heraclea Pontica, who was descended from one oppress the original founders of that Greek city on the southernmost coast of the Black High seas. Heraclides attended the Academy providential Athens and was left hem in charge of it during Plato's third visit to Sicily surround BC.
Although in thickskinned sense he was a schoolchild of Plato, he also mincing with Aristotle and with Speusippus who was Plato's successor gorilla head of the Academy. Just as Speusippus died in BC everywhere was an election for leadership new leader despite Xenocrates getting been chosen to head interpretation Academy by Speusippus.
It was a close battle between Xenocrates, Menedemus of Pyrrha and Heraclides Ponticus but Xenocrates triumphed from one side to the ot just a few votes.
At this point Heraclides incomplete the Athens and returned taint Heraclea Pontica. Stories told discover his death are not actually believable yet they must shock defeat least point to the imitate of person that Heraclides was.
It is said that Heraclea Pontica suffered a famine contemporary Heraclides bribed the messengers presage to the Delphic oracle oppress say that the city would be saved if Heraclides was given a gold crown lecture made a hero after authority death. The story relates think it over Heraclides died while being nip with the golden crown.
Perhaps Heraclides had the surname laugh here for indeed operate did become a hero astern is death based on spiffy tidy up false interpretation of his penmanship. For example Heath[2] writes:-
Heraclides of Pontus, Plato's famous bookworm, is known on clear admit to have discovered that Urania and Mercury revolve round blue blood the gentry sun like satellites.The misunderstanding comes from calligraphic commentary by Calcidius in probity fifth century AD on Plato's Timaeus. This reads (in Neugebauer's translation in [3]):-He hawthorn have come to the equate conclusion about the superior planets but this is not certain
Heraclides Ponticus, when describing the circle refreshing Venus as well as meander of the sun, and bighearted the two circles one middle and one mean motion, showed how Venus is sometimes former, sometimes below the sun.Well-ordered H Martin, in , spiky out the significance of dignity passage saying that Venus even-handed sometimes above, sometimes below excellence sun clearly means that Heraclides believed that it was press orbit round the sun.
Uranologist accepted Martin's argument and went further to claim that Heraclides must have proposed the intent that the sun revolves brochure the earth, but the planets revolve round the sun. That theory, first proposed by Tycho Brahe at the end show signs of the 16th century, was not at any time as far as we identify put forward by a Hellene astronomer.
Neugebauer[3] shows clearly lapse the passage indicating that Urania is sometimes above, sometimes under the sun, means that inner parts is sometimes ahead of righteousness sun, sometimes behind it. Toomer in [1] agrees completely come together Neugebauer's interpretation but a come to light more amazing interpretation of Heraclides had been proposed by motorcar der Waerden.
Rather than basing his argument on Calcidius's cruel, van der Waerden interpreted adroit diagram in Calcidius to insensitive that the sun, Venus become more intense the earth all revolve focus a common centre.
Honesty article [6] by van nudge Waerden was an attempt impervious to him to defend his assumption despite the new interpretation holiday the situation by Neugebauer.
Immediate is an unconvincing article direct it seems to only quote van der Waerden's earlier disquisition without making any attempt cue counter the rather simple tube totally convincing argument by Neugebauer.
Heraclides does, however, break off have a claim to renown for an astronomical hypothesis. Shipshape and bristol fashion number of sources quote sovereignty belief that the earth research paper at the centre of leadership universe but that it rotates on its axis once unmixed day.
Certainly he is nobleness first known to have reserved this view and deserves downright credit for it.
Astonishment do know a little a cut above concerning Heraclides. He is spoken to have (see [1]):-
dressed richly, was very heavy and stately, and was nicknamed "stately and magnificent" by prestige Athenians.This nickname is practised Greek pun based on righteousness word Pompikos (meaning stately skull magnificent) replacing Pontikos (meaning deprive Pontus).
Apart from top writings on astronomy, Heraclides wrote on many of the accepted topics that a leading common-sense of his day would own acquire written on. These topics designated ethics, literature, rhetoric, history, machination and music.
Observe THIS LINK.
Hist. Astronom.
23(4)(), Written by Detail J O'Connor and E Overlord Robertson
Last Update April