Xenokrate ̄s of Khalke ̄do ̄n (ca 375 – 314/3 BCE)
Student of P and Head of the Academy for 25 years after the death of S,
probably also a candidate for the position on Plato’s death; said to have died at the age of
- Known as a systematizer, he organized philosophy into its three branches of physics,
ethics and logic, and tried to integrate all kinds of reality into his kosmos. While closer to
Plato than Speusippos had been, Xenokrate ̄s helped remove Platonism from any tran-
scendent features. He is usually associated with dogmatic teaching, but it should be noted
that mythical features abound in extant material, suggesting that he often communicated
somewhat indirectly. At times, this makes the reconstruction of a supposedly systematic
philosophy somewhat difficult.
This trend is observable in the epistemological fragment (S E Adv. Math.
7.147–9 = fr.83), where the intelligible objects (above the heavens) are linked with truth and
scientific knowledge, sensory objects (below the heavens) with some qualified truth and
sensation, and mixed or opinable objects (in the heavens) with both either truth or falsehood
and with belief. The three fates, Atropos, Lachesis, and Clo ̄tho ̄, are associated with the three
realms respectively.
The triads, observable here, recur elsewhere (e.g. P Def. Orac. 416C–E = fr.222;
Fac. Orb. 943E–4A = fr.161), and Xenokrate ̄s produced a variation on Plato’s triad of Ideas,
Mathematicals, and Sensibles, according to which the Ideas (treated as the patterns behind
naturally occurring species) were themselves a kind of number (fr.103), superior to mathe-
matical numbers. The definition of Ideas illustrates a further difficulty, that of knowing
whether Xenokrate ̄s speaks for himself or as an interpreter of Plato, in which capacity he
appears in Plutarch (Anim. Proc. 1012D–13D = fr.188) and later commentators. His “the-
ology” (fr.213) begins with the quasi-Platonic Monad (odd, male, father, supra-heavenly
ruler, Zeus, intellect) and Dyad (even, female, mother, sub-heavenly ruler, universal soul).
Doubts arise with regard to the last three attributes (Dillon 2003: 103), particularly for those
who emphasize the systematic nature of Xenokrate ̄s’ philosophy. The theology continues
with Heaven, heavenly bodies (= Olympians), and daimonic powers pervading air, water,
and earth (= Hade ̄s, Poseido ̄n, De ̄me ̄te ̄r).
A famous physical-mathematical doctrine is that of the existence of indivisible lines, meet-
ing with typical hostility from the Peripatetic tradition, as observed in the A
C O I L. Various fragments of Xenokratean ethics and logic sur-
vive, but do not, on the whole, set him apart from the early Academic tradition. This
may reflect the influence of Antiokhos of Askalon who had minimized differences. It may,
however, indicate Xenokrate ̄s’ profound influence over it.
Ed.: M. Isnardi Parente, Senocrate–Ermodoro: Frammenti (1982).
Dillon (2003) 89–155.
Harold TarrantXenokritos of Ko ̄s (325 – 275 BCE)
Hippokratic commentator prior to K B, cited twice by
E, pr. (p. 4.24 Nachm.) and A-5 ( p. 12.7 Nachm.).
RE 9A.2 (1967) 1533 (#4), M. Fuhrmann.
PTK
XENOKRATE ̄S OF KHALKE ̄DO ̄N