Boethus of Sidon ( grc-gre, Βόηθος, Bóēthos; – ) was a

Peripatetic Peripatetic may refer to: *Peripatetic school The Peripatetic school was a school of philosophy in Ancient Greece. Its teachings derived from its founder, Aristotle (384–322 BC), and ''peripatetic'' is an adjective ascribed to his followers. ...

philosopher from

Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...

, who lived towards the end of the 1st century BC. None of his work has been preserved and the complete collection of quotings and paraphrases appeared first in 2020.

Biography

As Boethus was a disciple of

Andronicus of Rhodes Andronicoos of Rhodes ( grc, Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ Ῥόδιος, translit=Andrónikos ho Rhódios; la, Andronicus Rhodius; ) was a Greek philosopher from Rhodes who was also the scholarch (head) of the Peripatetic school. He is most famous ...

, he must have travelled at an early age to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

, in which cities Andronicus is known to have taught.

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...

, who mentions him and his brother Diodotus among the celebrated persons of Sidon, speaks of him at the same time as his own teacher (or fellow pupil) in Peripatetic philosophy. Among his works, all of which are now lost, there was one on the nature of the

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

, and also a commentary on Aristotle's Categories, which is mentioned by Ammonius in his commentary on the same work of Aristotle. Ammonius quotes also an opinion of Boethus concerning the study of the works of Aristotle, viz. that the student should begin with the Physics, whereas Andronicus had maintained that the beginning should be made with the Logic writings of Aristotle. According to Giovanni Reale, in ''The Schools of the Imperial Age'', Boethus believed that ‘substance’ was ‘matter’ – that it was the composite of being, and not the individual form of being. Thus “form falls outside of the category of substance and enters into the scope of other categories”. The significance of this is that individuality is not only how we understand and interpret reality, but is actually the basic nature of that reality. That 'true reality' was not some universal substance, but consisted of individual forms. Similarly, in ethics, Boethus declared that “the original goal (the ''proton oikeion'') towards which we tend is ourselves in relation to ourselves. In agreement with that view, he says that we do not love anyone in preference to ourselves and finally that we only love others in reference to ourselves”.''The Schools of the Imperial Age'', Giovanni Reale, p. 19.

Notes

References

* * Strabo, ''Geographica'', Volumes i-xvii. {{DEFAULTSORT:Boethus Of Sidon 1st-century BC Greek people 1st-century BC philosophers Commentators on Aristotle Roman-era Peripatetic philosophers Roman-era philosophers in Athens