N ⇒ C N
Nepualios or Neptunianus (100 – 200 CE?)
Authored a treatise On Antipathy and Sympathy or Phusika (I A, Kest. 2.4),
preserved in a Byzantine epitome (86 sentences). Pretending to reject vulgar marvels and
following the pseudo-De ̄mokritean tradition (see B), the book describes treatments
used by animals (1–26), prophylactics against enemies, and wide-spread sympathies (lion
fears cock, magnet attracts iron, salamander does not burn, etc.). Flagrant parallels can be
found with T G and -Z (in G 15.1).
Ed.: W. Gemoll, Nepualii fragmentum Peri to ̄n kata antipatheian kai sumpatheian & Democriti Peri sumpatheio ̄n kai
antipatheio ̄n, Städtisches Realprogymnasium zu Striegau (1884) 1–3.
RE 16.2 (1935) 2535–2537, W. Kroll; BNP 9 (2006) 663, C. Hünemörder.
Arnaud Zucker
Nesto ̄r of Laranda, Septimius (195 – 210 CE)
Father of Peisandros the epic poet, and dwelt for a time in Nikaia of Bithunia; was honored
in his lifetime by statues in Paphos, Ephesos, Kuzikos, Ostia, and Rome (Souda N-261).
Wrote didactic and epic verse in the tradition of N K, especially
a Metamorphoses of which a few fragments survive in the Greek Anthology: 9.129 the dragon
Python drinking up the River Ke ̄phisos, 9.536 the Alphaios flowing sweetly through the salt
sea, and 9.364, 537. His Alexike ̄pos (“antidote garden”) is cited by C B in the
G, 12.16.1 and 12.17.16–17 (on the antipathy of cabbage and grape-vine), as is
Nesto ̄r’s Panakeia (“Heal-all”): 15.1.11, the hyaena’s attack, and 15.1.32, the paradoxical
properties of lignite (gagate ̄s), as in P 36.141.
BNP 9 (2006) 683 (#3), J. Latacz.
PTK
N ⇒ X()
N ⇒ (1) S; (2) T; (3) T
P. Nigidius Figulus (70 – 45 BCE)
Influential Roman politician and scholar, born ca 100 BCE. Senator and supporter of Pompey
in the civil war, he died in exile 45 BCE. His friend C (Timaeus 1) describes him as a
hard-working researcher and the renewer of the ancient disciplina pythagorica (though the
extent of this revival remains uncertain). Nigidius Figulus was a very learned and versatile
scholar with a wide range of interests, compared by some, e.g., Aulus Gellius 19.14.3, to
V. The extant fragments and the titles of his works suggest that he devoted himself to
the study of natural sciences (De uentis, De hominum natura), zoology (De animalibus), astronomy
(De sphaera), grammar, occultism and divination. In his Commentarii grammatici, he treated
questions of phonetics and morphology and displayed a deep interest in speech. He main-
tained the natural origin of language, according thereby a pivotal role to etymology. His
work On Gods (De diis) was the first comprehensive study on Roman divinities. He built up a
society (sodalicium), of uncertain nature, perhaps a philosophical school or secret society.
NEPUALIOS OR NEPTUNIANUS