about a circle, and the taking of some intermediate polygon. Apparently Bruso ̄n relied
on some general principle of continuity to infer the existence of this intermediate.
Aristotle refers to a sophist Bruso ̄n as holding obscenity to be impossible (Rh. 3.2
[1450b8–10]), and twice identifies him as the son of H (of He ̄rakleia Pontike ̄:
Hist. An. 6.5 [563a7] and 9.22 [615a9–10]). Other sources identify a Bruso ̄n as a pupil
of Kleinomakhos of Thurii, of Euclid of Megara (disputed), and of So ̄crate ̄s (generally
rejected), and as a teacher of Pyrrho of E ̄lis, of Polyxenos, and of T K.
T (Athe ̄naios, Deipn. 11 [508c–d]) accused P of plagiarizing from Bruso ̄n
of He ̄rakleia. It is an open question which if any of these Bruso ̄ns are identical with the
man who attempted to square the circle.
K. Döring, Die Megariker (1972) 62–67, 157–166; Ian Mueller, “Aristotle and the quadrature of
the circle,” in N. Kretzmann, ed., Infinity and Continuity in Ancient and Medieval Thought (1982) 146–164;
R. Muller, Les Mégariques (1985) 67–71, 174–179.
Ian Mueller
Burzo ̄y (550 – 600 CE?)
Sasanian physician, son of Azdhar, generally but highly improbably identified with
W, vizir of Xusraw I (531–579). According to Islamic sources (in Arabic and
Persian), Burzo ̄y traveled to India, translating from Sanskrit into Pahlavi some Buddhist
stories and the Pañcatantra. His work Kal ̄ılag ud Damnag – in Arabic translation (Kal ̄ılah wa
Dimnah) – was the origin of subsequent versions in Greek and other European languages.
Burzo ̄y probably knew and practiced Indian medicine and pharmacology: the introduction
to the Kal ̄ılah wa Dimnah refers to Indian medical concepts such as embryology.
Diels (1905–1907) 2.81, s.v. Perzoë; Th. Nöldeke, Burzo ̄es Einleitung zu dem Buche Kal ̄ıla waDimna, übersetzt
und erlautert (1912); G. Sarton, Introduction to the History of Sciences 1 (1927) 449; F. De Blois. Burzo ̄y’s
Voyage to India and the Origin of the Book of Kal ̄ılah wa Dimnah (1984); EI 4 (1990) 381–382, D.K. Motlagh
(s.v. Borzu ̄ya); PLRE 3 (1992) 991, s.v. Perzoë; Antonio Panaino, La novella degli Scacchi (1999)
105 – 119.
Antonio Panaino
BURZO ̄Y