The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

PREFACE.

HIstory (which by expounding actions past teacheth to regulate the future, and fur∣nisheth us with wisdom at the cost of other mens experience) is not unlike Painting: their scope is the same; and as in the latter it argues want of skill to look upon the whole draught with an indifferent eye, but to select and insist upon some chiefe particular is proper to an Artist; so he who rests satisfied with the generall relation of affairs, (not fixing upon some eminent Actour in that story) loseth it greatest benefit; since what is most particular, by its nearer affinity with us, hath greatest influence upon us.

Hence it is that there are two kinds of History; One re∣presents generall affairs of State; The other gives account ef particular persons, whose lives have rendred them emi∣nent. Homer hath given an essay of each; of the first in his Iliads, a relation of a war betwixt different Nations; of the second in his Odysses, confined to the person of Ulysses.

Now the life of man being either practick, busied in civill affairs of peace and war, or Contemplative, retir'd from publick businesse to speculation and study of wisdome, divine or humane, it followes that this personall history bee twofold likewise, describing either the actions of such per∣sons as are wholly interested in affairs of state (properly compar'd to the persons of a drammaticall designe, whose single Characters and parts serve one onely to make up one joint plot. Such are most of those whose lives are related by Plutarch, & the twelve Caesars of Sueronius) Or the lives of such as have been excellent in some kind of learn∣ing;

Thus Antipho writ of Poets; Eudemus of Astrolo∣gers; Cicero and Plutarch of Oratours, Suetonius of Grammarians. They who writ of Philosophers exceeded the rest far in number, of whom to give a particular accompt will be unnecessary, because their workes are not extant, and therefore we shall onely name them, Aetius, Ana••ilides, Antigonus, Antisthenes, Aristocles, Aristoxenus, Cal∣limachus, Clitomachus, Diocles, Diogenes La••rtius, Eunapius, Heraclides, Hermippus, Hesychius, Hippobo∣tus, son, Idomeneus, Nicander, Nicias, Panaetius, Por∣rius, Plutarch, Sotion and Theodorus.

Of almost all these (which is much to be deplored) there remaine not any footsteps; the onely Author in this kind for the more antient Philosophers is Diogenes La∣ertius, for the later Eunapius And to make the misfortune the great••r, that which Laertius gives us is so far short of what he might have done, that there is much more to be found of the same persons dispersed amongst other authors, which I have here collected and digested, with what diligence I could.

Nor is it unseasonable at this time to examine the tenents of old Philosophers, when so great variety of opinions daily spring up; some of which are but raked out of the ruines of antiquity, which ought to be restored to their first owners; others being of late invention will receive addition, when advanced to such height wee look down to the bottom from which Philosophy took her first rise, and see how great a progresse she hath made, whose beginnings are almost inscrutable.

Although some Grecians have challenged to their Nation the Originall of Philosophy, yet the more learned of them have acknowledged it derived from the East. To omit the dark traditions of the Athenians concerning Musa••us, of the Thebans concerning Linus, and of the Thracians about

Orpheus, it is manifest that the original of the Greek Philoso∣phy is to be deriv'd from Thales, who travelling into the East, first brought Naturall learning, Geometry, and Astrology, thence into Greece, for which reason the attribute of wise was conferred upon him, and at the same time upon six others for their eminence in morality & politicks Thus learning in the antientest times was by the Greeks called Sophia (wisdom) and the prafessour thereof, who raised his soul to an 〈◊〉〈◊〉 degree of knowledge, Sophos (wise) Pythagoras first na∣med it Philosophy (love of wisdom) and himself a Phi∣losopher, affirming that no man is wise; but onely God.

* 1.1 As concerning those who were honoured with this attri∣bute of wise, Damon the Cyrenaean undervalues them all, especially the seven. Anaximenes saith, they were all ad∣dicted to Poetry; Dicaearchus, that they were neither wise men, nor Philosophers, but upright men and Law givers: Archetimus the Syracusian wrote concerning their meeting with Cypselus (Father to Periander) whereat he saith himself was present. Ephorus affirms they all met with Croesus, Thales onely excepted. Some say they met also at the Panionian feast, and at Corinth with Periander at Delphi.

There is some controversy concerning their sentences, of which some are ascribed to severall persons, as that,

Lacedaemonian Chilon this profest, Nothing too much; a mean in all is best.

There is no lesse dissent concerning their number. Leandri∣us for Cleobulus and Myson, inserts Leophantus Son of * 1.2 Gorsiades a Lebedion, or Ephesian, and Epimenides the Cretan. Plato (in his Protagoras) substitutes Myson for Periander: Ephorus, Anacharsis for Myson. Some adde Pythagoras. Dicaearchus alledgeth four, acknow∣ledg'd

by all Thales, Bias, Pittacus and Solon: then names six more, out of which are to be selected three, Aristode∣mus, Pamphilus, Chilon, the Lacedaemonian, Cleobulus, Anacharsis, Periander; some adde* 1.3 Acusilaus Son of Ca∣ba or Scabra an Argive. Hermippus in his Treatise of the seven wise men saith, they were in all seven∣teen, of which seven were variously named, which were Solon, Thales, Pittacus, Bias, Chilon, Cleobulus, Pe∣riander, Anacharsis, Acusilaus, Epimenides, Leophan∣tus, Pherecydes, Aristodemus, Pythagoras, Lasus of Hermionea, Son of Charmantides, or (according to Aristoxenus) of Simbrinus, Anaxagoras. Hippobotus in his commentary of Philosophers reckons Linus, Orphe∣us, Solon, Periander, Anacharsis, Cleobulus, Myson, Thales, Bias, Pittacus, Epicharmus, Pythagoras.

Laertius reckons them thus, Thales, Solon, Chilon, Pittacus, Bias, Cleobulus, Periander; whereto he addes Anacharsis, Myson, Epimenides, and Pherecydes. These saith he were called the wise men, to whom some annex Pi∣sistratus the Tyrant.

Amongst the Romans also three had the sirname of Sapi∣ens, M. Cato, C. Laelius, and L. Acilius.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Laert. vi••. Thalet.
• * 1.2

  Not Leophan∣tum Gorsiadem as the Interpre∣ters render.
• * 1.3

  Se Suidas 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: by which Laertius is ex∣plain'd contra∣ry to the inter∣preters.