S. Sepp, Pyrrhonëische Studien (1893); M. Wellmann, “Asklepiades aus Bithynien von einem herrschenden
Vorurteil befreit,” NJb 21 (1908) 684–703; RE 5A.2 (1934) 1632–1638, K. Deichgräber; E. Rawson,
“The Life and Death of Asclepiades of Bithynia,” CQ 32 (1982) 358–370, repr. in Roman Culture
and Society: Collected Papers (1991) 427–443; J. Pigeaud, “Virgil et la médecine,” Helmantica 33 (1982)
539 – 560; C. Roemer, “Ehrung für den Arzt Themison,” ZPE 84 (1990) 81–88.
John Scarborough
Themistios of Buzantion (ca 340 – ca 385 CE)
A major Greek commentator on A, born ca 317 at Buzantion, the son of a
philosopher, Euge ̄nios. After a traditional education in Greek culture, he established a philo-
sophical school at Constantinople (as Buzantion had by then become) and prepared para-
phrases on several Aristotelian works. After about 350 he became involved in the political
life of the eastern empire, and served several emperors as an ambassador, administrator and
adviser, a phase of his career richly documented in his orations, some of which reflect his
philosophical interests.
Themistios’ extant paraphrases (of Aristotle’s De anima, De caelo, Metaphysics Book 12,
Physics, and Posterior Analytics) generally follow the Aristotelian text closely and are designed
to facilitate study. He was clearly influenced by the work of the great Peripatetic commen-
tator A A, while also being thoroughly versed in the Platonic
tradition. His interest in science is largely limited to responses to the Aristotelian text into
which he never incorporates material from scientific writers, as did later commentators,
notably I P, with the exception of his polemical reaction to G’
views on void, place, and time in his paraphrase of Book 4 of the Physics. In general,
however, he clarifies the essentials of Aristotelian scientific method and physical theory
without developing original interpretations. He was well respected by later Aristotelian
commentators in the Arabic, Hebrew and western Latin traditions, and during the
Renaissance.
DSB 13.307–309, G. Verbeke; J. Vanderspoel, Themistius and the Imperial Court: Oratory, Civic Duty and
Paideia from Constantine to Theodosius (1995); Robert B. Todd (trans.), Themistius on Aristotle on the Soul
in ACA (1996); OCD3 1497, R. Browning; ECP 549 – 550, H.J. Blumenthal; REP 9.324–326,
J. Bussanich; CTC 8 (2003) 57–102, Robert B. Todd; Idem (trans.), Themistius on Aristotle Physics 4 in
ACA (2003); Idem (trans.), Themistius on Aristotle Physics 5– 8 in ACA (2008: forthcoming).
Robert B. Todd
T S ⇒ X A
T- ⇒ T-
Theoda ̄s of Laodikeia on Lukos (100 – 150 CE)
Empiricist physician, pupil (with M N) of the skeptic phil-
osopher Antiokhos of Laodikeia on Lukos (D L 9.116: “Theio ̄das”). He
wrote: an Introduction to Empiricist medicine, on which G wrote a commentary in five
books (On My Own Books 9 [2.115 MMH]); Outlines (P. Petersburg 13), on which there were
commentaries by Gale ̄n (in three books) and by T; On the parts of medicine (Gale ̄n
Subf. emp. 5). As Me ̄nodotos already had, Theoda ̄s emphasized the rationalistic element of
Empiricism, as is shown by the definition of “reasonable experience” he gives in order to
THEODA ̄S OF LAODIKEIA ON LUKOS