The central core of the Life of Heraclitus handed down by Diogenes Laërtius is represented by a biographical-characterological portrait, in which the haughtiness and the superciliousness attributed to this philosopher are ridiculed for openly satirical and polemical purposes. Substantial analogies are detectable in the moral-protreptic letter On the Relieving of Arrogance, amply quoted and paraphrased by Philodemus in the closing section of PHerc. 1008 ([On Arrogance], cols. 10-24). Significantly, at the beginning of the latter (col. 10.16-26 Ranocchia) Heraclitus is expressly mentioned, along with other philosophers and poets, amongst those who became arrogant «on account of philosophy». To the similarities formerly identified by W. Knögel and S.N. Mouraviev it is now possible to add numerous further thematic correspondences between these writings, which suggest that both originally belonged to the same philosophical tradition, whose goal was to describe, and cure, arrogance. This tradition possibly embraced both a general illustration/therapy of vice and specific exemplifications of it by means of lively portraits of ‘arrogant’ philosophers and poets like Heraclitus, Empedocles, Pythagoras, Socrates, Hippias and Euripides.
Heraclitus’ Portrait in Diogenes Laërtius and Philodemus’ On Arrogance (PHerc. 1008),
Ranocchia G
2019-01-01
Abstract
The central core of the Life of Heraclitus handed down by Diogenes Laërtius is represented by a biographical-characterological portrait, in which the haughtiness and the superciliousness attributed to this philosopher are ridiculed for openly satirical and polemical purposes. Substantial analogies are detectable in the moral-protreptic letter On the Relieving of Arrogance, amply quoted and paraphrased by Philodemus in the closing section of PHerc. 1008 ([On Arrogance], cols. 10-24). Significantly, at the beginning of the latter (col. 10.16-26 Ranocchia) Heraclitus is expressly mentioned, along with other philosophers and poets, amongst those who became arrogant «on account of philosophy». To the similarities formerly identified by W. Knögel and S.N. Mouraviev it is now possible to add numerous further thematic correspondences between these writings, which suggest that both originally belonged to the same philosophical tradition, whose goal was to describe, and cure, arrogance. This tradition possibly embraced both a general illustration/therapy of vice and specific exemplifications of it by means of lively portraits of ‘arrogant’ philosophers and poets like Heraclitus, Empedocles, Pythagoras, Socrates, Hippias and Euripides.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
