The Encyclopedia of Ancient Natural Scientists: The Greek tradition and its many heirs

(Ron) #1

Aristokle ̄s of Messe ̄ne ̄ (Sicily) (1st c. CE?)


Peripatetic philosopher who wrote a treatise On Philosophy in ten books, transmitted by
E in Praeparatio Euangelica Books 11, 14 and 15. All the fragments come from Books
7 and 8 of Aristokle ̄s’ treatise and deal mainly with the epistemology of the Skeptics,
Cyrenaics, P, M  K, Epicureans, and Eleatics. The
purpose of Aristokle ̄s’ treatise as such is not known but he seems to have had extensive
knowledge of the history of philosophy.


M.L. Chiesara, Aristocles of Messene: testimonia and fragments (2001).
Jørgen Mejer


Aristokrate ̄s (30 – 80 CE)


Grammarian, possibly identifiable with Cornutus’ friend Petronius Aristocrates (RE 19.1
[1937] 1214 [#30], O. Stein: ca 35 – 65 CE). A in G CMLoc 5.5
(12.878–879 K.) preserves his toothache remedy compounded from poppy, sagape ̄non,
silphion, pepper, sphondulion (D 3.76), myrrh, galbanum, purethron, and
saffron, made glutinous with honey. Andromakhos then gives Aristokrate ̄s’ gingivitis
remedy.


RE 2.1 (1895) 941 (#27), M. Wellmann.
GLIM


Aristokreo ̄n (ca 300 – 250 BCE?)


Cited with B and D as a foreign authority on geography and ethnography (P
1.ind.5–6). In his Aithiopika, he estimated the country’s dimensions (6.183), placed Elephantis
750 Roman miles from the Mediterranean, presumably following the Nile (5.59), and
placed Tolles five days from Meroe (towards Libya), a further 12 days being needed to reach
Aesar (which town Bio ̄n calls Sape ̄s: 6.191). H cites Aristokreo ̄n’s witness to an
“Ethiopian” tribe whose king was a dog (A, HA 7.40; FGrHist 667). The name is
rare, attested on Cyprus and at Ko ̄s (2nd to 1st cc. BCE: LGPN 1.70), so he may be the same
as, or an ancestor of, the homonymous Stoic, active 230– 185 BCE, the nephew and student
of C (D L 7.185).


RE 2.1 (1895) 941–942 (#1), H. Berger.
GLIM


Aristolaos (250 BCE – 80 CE)


A, in G CMLoc 9.5 (13.296 K.), notes that he employed an enema
similar to that of A, which itself contained minerals (lime, realgar, etc.), plus sour
grapes and ashed papyrus, in myrtle wine.


Fabricius (1726) 83.
PTK


Aristomakhos of Soloi (325 – 25 BCE)


Wrote a treatise on beekeeping (Melittourgika) which according to P, 11.19, was based
on 58 years of first-hand experience. He recommended feeding bees on moon-trefoil, and


ARISTOKLE ̄S OF MESSE ̄NE ̄ (SICILY)
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