ARISTOTLE’S CARETAKER

It is generally recognized that for better or for worse Greek philosophy ends with Aristotle. To prove this point one can be asked to name a few post-Aristotelian philosophers, and a tense silence provides the answer. This is not exactly fair to the best few among the left-outs, but otherwise it is still a decent reflection of the truth.

Ironically, those learned responders to the aforementioned challenge who may have come up with a better answer than a vacant look on the face, will probably ignore the name of the man who was recognized as the best student of Aristotle by the master himself; who took over from Aristotle the business of philosophical instruction and administration at the Peripatetic Lyceum and saw it flourish like never before under his 35-year “reign.” Aside from this distinction, he was also made guardian of Aristotle’s children and his estate.

His name was Theophrastus, a native of Lesbos, but a naturalized and greatly honored Athenian. Born circa 372 BC, he died at the old age of eighty-five in 287 BC, being only twelve years his teacher’s junior.

Theophrastus was a multifaceted scholar, but in all his undertakings he was Aristotle’s follower, which can explain his versatility that had characterized Aristotle’s encyclopedic grasp. Thus, his own lack of originality leaves Theophrastus outside the door of the Pantheon of the greats, although this does not mean that his legacy is totally undistinguished. On the contrary, the seldom awarded title of father of something has been given to him on account of his considerable achievements in the field of botany. Thus any bona fide practitioner of the game of Trivial Pursuit is supposed to know the answer to the question: “Who was the father of botany?”, which is Theophrastus, of course.

This notable distinction is still not a sufficient reason in itself to include Theophrastus in this section, but it gives me a good excuse to do it in order to create a bridge between the two sections: Magnificent Shadows and Significant Others. What kind of bridge is easy to guess, and I am leaving it to the good reader to figure this out…

Now, as long as we are still on the subject of the Peripatetics, who already get my admiration by virtue of their adherence to the practice of walking, let me mention another notable, Eudemus of Rhodes (circa 370-300 BC), Aristotle’s second most esteemed pupil, who however was left out as Aristotle’s successor in favor of Theophrastus, yet compelled by his teacher to compile a history of mathematics and astronomy, for which effort he has become known as the first historian of science.

A third name to be added here would be that of Straton of Lampsacus (340?-270 BC) whose natural science was glowingly praised by Cicero, who however criticized him for showing little interest in ethics. Straton is also historically important as the third Head of the Lyceum, after Aristotle and Theophrastus.