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

258 PHERECYDES. PHERECYDES.
meets the obvious objection, that the term Auradv- here: those who are curious in such matters will
dow7rot, which Plato applies to the Chorus, is not find some details in the sections devoted to him in
suitable to describe Satyrs or Centaurs, by changing Diogenes Lairtius (i. 116-122). It may just be
it into rjLaLv0pw7roL (Demonstratio et Restitutio loci mentioned that, according to a favourite tradition
corrzrpti e Platonis Protasora, Kiliae, 1813, and in antiquity, Pherecydes died of the lousy disease
also in his work Rpimenides aus Creta, 4-c. pp. 188, or Morbus Pediculosus; though others tell us that
192, foll.). The same view is adopted by Ast and he put an end to his life by throwing himself
Jacobs, but with a less violent change in Plato's down from a rock at Delphi, and others again give
text, namely, ucizaOpw7rot. The common reading other accounts of his death.
is, however, successfully defended by Meineke, who Pherecydes was, properly speaking, not a philoshows that there is no sufficient reason for sup- sopher. He lived at the time at which men began
posing that Cheiron appeared in the "A-ypro at all, to speculate on cosmogony and the nature of the
or that the Chorus were not really what the title gods, but had hardly yet commenced the study of
and the allusion in Plato would naturally lead us true philosophy. Hence he is referred to by
to suppose, namely, wild men. The play seems to Aristotle (I2et. xiii. 4) as partly a mythological
have been a satire on the social corruptions of Athens, writer; and Plutarch (Sull. 36) as well as many
through the medium of the feelings excited at the other writers give him the title of Theologus.
view of them in men who are uncivilized themselves The most important subject which he is said to
and enemies to the civilized part of mankind. The have taught was the doctrine of the Metemplay was acted at the Lenaea, in the month of psychosis, or, as it is put by other writers, the
February, B. c. 420 (Plat. I.c.; Ath. v. p. 218, d.). doctrine of the immortality of the soul (Suidas;
The subjects of the remaining plays are fully dis- Cic. Tusc. i. 16). He gave an account of his
cussed by Meineke. The name of Pherecrates is views in a work, which was extant in the Alexsometimes confounded with Crates and with Phe- andrian period. It was written in prose, which
ecycldes. (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. ii. pp. 473-476; he is said to have been the first to employ in the
Meineke, re.ag. CoGn. Graec. vol. i. pp. 66-86, vol. explanation of philosophical questions: others go
ii. pp. 252-360; Bergk, Reliq. Conzoed. Att. even so far as to state that he was the first who wrote
Antiq. pp. 284-306). [P. S.] any thing in prose, but this honour, however, must
PHERECY'DES (IepeCKdV5s), the name of two be reserved for Cadmus of Miletus. The title,
Greek writers, one a philosopher of Syros, and which Pherecydes himself gave to his work, seems
another a logographer of Athens, who are frequently to have been'EorrtvXoes, though others called it
confounded with one another. Suidas, indeed, )eosrpaifa, and others again Oeoyovla or OeoAoyia.
mentions a third Pherecydes of Leros, but he is Suidas says that it was in two books; and there is
the same person as the Athenian, as is shown below. no reason for rejecting this statement on account of
1. Of SYRos, one of the Cyclades, was a son of its title'E7rcaiuvXo0s, since this title has evident
Babys. The name of his birthplace, coupled with reference to the nature of its contents. He mainthe traditions respecting the Eastern origin of his tained that there were three principia (Zeus or
philosophical opinions, led many writers to state Aether, Chthona or Chaos, and Crones or Time),
that he was born in Syria or Assyria. There is and four elements (fire, earth, air, and water),
some difference respecting his date. Suidas places from which were formed every thing that exists.
him in the time of Alyattes, king of Lydia, 2. Of ATHENS, was one of the most celebrated
Diogenes Lairtius (i. 121) in the 59th Olympiad of the early logographers. Suidas speaks of a
n.c. 544. Now as Alyattes died in the 54th Pherecydes of Leros, who was likewise an hisOlympiad, both these statements cannot be correct, torian or logographer; but Vossius (De list.
and the attempt of Mr. Clinton to reconcile them Graecis, p. 24, ed. Westermalmn) has shown that
(F. H. ad ann. 544), cannot be admitted, as this Pherecydes is the same as the Athenian. tIe
Miiller has shown (Fraym. Hist. Grace. p. xxxiv.). is called a Lerian from having been born in the
The date of Diogenes is the more probable one, island of Leros, and an Athenian from having
and is supported by the authority of Cicero, who spent the greater part of his life at Athens; and it
makes Pherecydes a contemporary of Servius may be added that, except in Suidas, we find men.
Tullius (Tusc. i. 16). tion of only one historical writer of this anmie.
According to the concurrent testimony of anti- (Comp. Diog. Laa'rt. i. 119; Strab. x. p. 487, b.)
quity, Pherecydes was the teacher of Pythagoras. Suidas also makes a mistake in calling him older
It is further stated by many later writers, such as than his namesake of Syros; but the exact time
Clemens Alexandrinus, Philo Byblius, &c., the at which he lived is differently stated. Suidas
references to whom are all given in the work of places him before the 75th Olympiad, B. c. 480;
Sturtz quoted below, that Pherecydes did not but Eusebius and the Chronicon Paschale in the
receive instruction in philosophy from any master, 81st Olympiad, B.c. 456, and Isidorus (Oriiy. i.
but obtained his knowledge from the secret books 41) in the 80th Olympiad. There can be no
of the Phoenicians. Diogenes Labirtius relates (i. doubt that he lived in the former half of the fifth
116, ii. 46) that Pherecydes heard Pittacus, and was century a. c., and was a contemporary of Hela rivalof Thales; which latter statement also occurs lanicus and Herodotus. He is. mentioned by
in Suidas. It is further related, that, like Thales Lucian as one of the instances of longevity, and is
and Pythagoras, Pherecydes was a disciple of the said to have attained the age of 85 years. (Lucian,
Egyptians and Chaldaeans, and that he travelled de Allacrob. 22, where he is erroneously called
in Egypt. (Joseph. c. Apion. p. 1034, e.; Ce- d cViplos instead of o Aepios.)
drenus, i. p. 94, b.; Theodorus Meliteniota, Suidas ascribes several works to the Athenian
Prooeme. in Astron. c. 12.) But all such state- or Lerian Pherecydes. This lexicographer relates
ments cannot, from the nature of the case, rest on that some looked upon Pherecydes as the collector
any certain foundation. The other particulars of the Orip}ic writings; but this statement has
related of Pherecydes are not worth recordinlg reference to the philosopher. He also mIlentionls a