A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

THEOPHRASTUS. THEOPHRASTUS. 1089
on the Soul and Sensuous Perception (ib. 46), not more or less ample fragments of works by Theowithout regard to the corresponding works of phrastus, or extracts from them, among which the
Aristotle, as may at least in part be demonstrated. ethical characters, that is, delineations of characIn like manner we find mention of monographies of ter, and the treatise on sensuous perception and
Theophrastus on the older Greek physiologians its objects (7repl atl00ojews [cKa aol077TcrY]) are
Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Empedocles, Archelaus the most considerable, the first important as a con(Diog. Lairt. v. 42, 43), Diogenes of Apollonia, De- tribution to the ethical history of that time, the
mocritus (ib. 43), which were not unfrequently made latter for a knowledge of the doctrines of the more
use of by Simplicius; and also on Xenocrates (ib. ancient Greek philosophers respecting the subject
47), against the Academics (49), and a sketch of the indicated. With the latter class of works we may
political doctrine of Plato (ib. 43), which shows connect the fragments on smells ('repi oryiu,), on
that the Eresian followed his master likewise in fatigue (7repl sci7rcov), on giddiness (-rep! iAiyywc),
the critico-historical department of inquiry. That on sweat (7repl IbpC6rv), on swooning (7repl heL7rohe also included general history within the circle *vxtaq), on palsy (repl 7rapaNv0'ecws), and on honey
of his scientific investigation, we see from the quo- (repl/ IE'ATos). To physics, in the narroNw;er sense
tations in Plutarch's lives of Lycurgus, Solon, of the word, belong the still extant sections on fire
Aristides, Pericles, Nicias, Alcibiades, Lysander, (WrepI 7rvoos), on the winds (repl &a4Yvey), on the
Agesilaus, and Demosthenes, which were probably signs of waters, winds, and storms (7repi e-?71E[wv
borrowed from the work on Lives (7repl Oiw'v', s5'Twev ical 7rveVUaTWov Kal XetIU06vCYv IKCl Ebl6;V,
Diog. Laert. v. 42). But his principal endeavours probably out of the fourth book of the Meteorology
were directed to the supplementation and continua- of Theophrastus: repl EeTapotwv: see Plut. Quaest.
tion of the labours of Aristotle in the domain of Gr, vii.; comp. Schneider, iv. p. 719, &c.) To the
natural history. This is testified not only by a zoology belong six other sections. Also the treanumber of treatises on individual subjects of zoo- tise on stones (repl AleOwv, written 01. 116. 2, see
logy, of which, besides the titles, but few fragments Schneider, 1. c. iv. p. 585), and on metaphysics
remain, but also by his books on Stones and (Tcvv Sue& h'& VaTKcd), are only fragments, and
Metals, and his works on the History, and on the there is no reason for assigning the latter to sonle
Parts of Plants, which have come down to us en- other author because it is not noticed in Hermippus
tire. In politics, also, he seems to have trodden in and Andronicus, especially as Nicolaus (Damasthe footsteps of Aristotle. Besides his books on the cenus) had already mentioned it (see the scholia
State, we find quoted various treatises on Education at the end of the book). But throughout the text(ib. 42, 50), on Royalty (ib. 47, 45), on the Best of these fragments and extracts is so corrupt that
State, on Political Morals, and particularly his the well-known story of the fate of the books of
works on the Laws, one of which, containing a re- Aristotle and Theophrastus [ARISTOTELES] might
capitulation of the laws of various barbaric as well very well admit of application to them. The same
as Grecian states (Ndow'v Kas& aeroTxeZEo c8', Diog. is the case with the books on colours, on indivisible
Laert. v. 44, ib. Menag.), was intended to form a lines, and on Xenophanes, Gorgias, and Melissus,
pendant to Aristotle's delineation of Politics, and which may with greater right be assigned to Theomust have stood in close relation to it. (Cic. de phrastus than to his master, among whose works
Fin. v. 4.) we now find them. (Respecting the first of these
Of the books of Theophrastus on oratory and books - 7repl Xpwad'-cwv - see Schneider, 1. c. iv
poetry, almost all that we know is, that in them p. 864; respecting the second, Diog. Laeirt. v. 42,
also Aristotle was trot passed by without reference. ib. Menag.) Much superior to the older editions of
(Cic. de Invent. i. 35.) Theophrastus (Aldina, 1498, Basileensis, 1541,
Theophrastus, without doubt, departed farther Camotiana, Venet. 1552, that of Daniel Heinsius,
from his master in his ethical writings (ib. 42, 43, 1613, &c.) is that by J. G. Schneider (ThLeopltrasli
44, 45, 47, 49, 50), as also in his metaphysical Eresii quae sepersunt opera, Lips. 181 8-21. 5 vols.),
investigations respecting motion, the soul, and the which, however, still needs a careful revision, as
Deity. (Ib. 47, 48.) the piecemeal manner in which the critical appaBesides the writings belonging to the above- ratus came to his hands, and his own ill health
mentioned branches of science, Theophrastus was compelled the editor to append supplements and
the author of others, partly of a miscellaneous kind, corrections, twice or thrice, to the text and comas, for instance, several collections of problems, out mentary. Fried. Wimmer has published a new
of which some things at least have passed into the and much improved edition of the history of
Problems which have come down to us under the plants, as the first volume of the entire works of
name of Aristotle (Diog. Lalrt. v. 45, 47, 48; comp. Theophrastus. (Tlzeophrasti opera qzcae supersunt
Plin. H. N. xxviii. 6; Arist. Probl. xxxiii. 12), onznia cmendata edidit cur apparatu critico Fr.
and commentaries (Diog. Laiirt. v. 48, 49; comp. Wimneer, Tomus primus historiam plantarum con43), partly dialogues (Basil. Magn. Epist. 167), to tinens, Vratislaviae, 1842. 8vo.)
which probably belonged the'EpwTen-o's (Diog. Laert. For the explanation of the history of plants conv. 43; Athen. xii. 2, xiii. 2), Megacles (Diog. Lairt. siderable contributions were made before Schneider
47), Callisthenes (I wrepl 7rimOovs, Diog. LaUrt. v. by Bodaeus a Stapel (Amstelod. 1644, fol.) and
44; Cic. Tusc. iii. 10; Alex. Aphrod. de Aninia J. Stackhouse. (Theoplir. Eres. de historia plantaii. extr.), and Me'yapKc's (Diog. Lairt. v. 44), and rum libri X.graece cuse syllabo generumn et specierueml
letles (Diog. Laert. v. 46, 50), partly books on ma- glossario et notis, curante Job. Stackhouse, Oxon.
thelnatical sciences and their history (ib. 42, 46, 1813. 2 vols. 8vo.)
480, 50). III. How far Theophrastus attached himself to
Besides the two great works on botany (-repi the Aristotelic doctrines, how he defined themo
TpVTu-v Lr'opla, in ten books, written about (1. more closely, or conceived them in a different folrm,
I 18; see Schneider, Tl/eoph. Opp. iv. p. 586; and and what additional structures of doctrine he formed
ahl-a 4omuoKd, in six books), we only possess some upon them, can be determined but very partially
V(L. III. 4