historical Dogmatic physicians (MM 1.3.13 [10.28 K. = p. 15 Hankinson], On Venesection,
Against Erasistratos 5 [11.163 K. = p. 25 Brain], etc.). A votive inscription seemingly confirm-
ing the association between Dieukhe ̄s and Mne ̄sitheos quotes both their names (or of mem-
bers of their families: IG II2 1449, 350 BCE). Dieukhe ̄s applied to the human body the
“Hippokratic” four qualities theory (Gale ̄n MM 7.3 [10.462 K.]), practiced bloodletting
(Gale ̄n 11.163 K.) and used cataplasms of hellebore (O Coll. 7.26.196 [CMG
6.1.1, p. 245]). P quotes him five times as an authority for many treatments (20.31, 78,
191, 23.60, 24.145). Oreibasios also quotes Dieukhe ̄s (from a work perhaps entitled On the
preparation of bread) prescribing special food for patients and maritime travelers, recommend-
ing vomiting and light food.
Ed.: J. Bertier, Mnésithée et Dieuchès (1972).
BNP 4 (2004) 404–405, V. Nutton.
Daniela Manetti
Dikaiarkhos of Messe ̄ne ̄ (Sicily) (340 – 290 BCE)
Son of Pheidias, student of A and student or colleague of T,
dwelt in the Peloponnesus, wrote on the Spartan constitution, Life of Greece (a “biography”
of the Greek people explaining civilization on naturalistic grounds), doxographical bio-
graphies including T, P, and P, plus literary criticism and political
philosophy. In On the Soul he denied there was a soul separable from the mortal and material
body.
Ca 305 BCE, supported by kings Kassandros of Macedon and Ptolemy of Egypt, and
employing the method of E, Optics 19, he measured the heights of mountains, to show
that even tall peaks did not significantly affect the sphericity of the Earth. (Probably he was
refuting E’ revival of A’ hypothesis that the Sun sets by moving behind
high mountains at the edge of the flat Earth; such high peaks were still part of Platonic
and Aristotelian spherical-Earth models: Meteor. 1.13 [350a28–35].) An un-attributed
measurement of the Earth’s circumference as 30 myriad stades (A, Aren. 1.8,
K 1.5.57–75) was probably part of the same work. In Circuit of the Earth, he drew
maps of the oblong known inhabited world and established a non-equatorial central lati-
tude, running through Sardinia, Sicily, the Peloponnesus, Karia, Lukia, the Tauros Mts.,
and some western part of the Himalayas; his data west of Sicily were not very reliable. In
the same book, he explained the rise of the Nile as an influx from the Atlantic (via a west
African river) – much as had H, Iliad 21.194–197, and E – presum-
ably assuming the Atlantic was higher than the Mediterranean (cf. Aristotle, Meteor. 1.14
[352b22–31], HA 8.13 [598b15–18], S in S 1.3.4–5, and -S
20). He advocated a solar-attraction theory of tides.
V’s Life of the Roman People probably owed much to Dikaiarkhos’ Life of Greece; Varro
praised him as “most learned,” as did C and P, both of whom utilized his works.
P used him for doxography, P and P for his record of
Greek ways.
W.W. Fortenbaugh and E. Schütrumpf, edd., Dicaearchus of Messana: Text, Translation, and Discussion
= RUSCH 10 (2001), esp. P.T. Keyser, “The Geographical Work of Dikaiarchos,” 353 – 372.
PTK
DIKAIARKHOS OF MESSE ̄NE ̄ (SICILY)