Heraclides (Herakleides)

Heraclides; Herakleides, of Heraclea on the Black Sea (hence the nickname of Pontus, gr. Pontikos), also known as the Elder, ca. 388-310 years. BC. e., Greek philosopher. He studied in Athens with Plato, who during his third trip to Sicily (361-360 gg.) Confided G. Academy leadership. After the death Spevsippa in 339, when the leadership of the Academy by a small majority was given to Xenocrates, D. returned to Geraleyu and possibly founded there own school. Rich creativity G. Diogenes Laertius share on ethical, physical, grammatical, musical, rhetorical and historical writings. Survived only a few fragments. G. interpreted the teachings of Plato, in the spirit pifagorizma and common folk beliefs. Especially he was interested in unusual phenomena and insights.

Several works he devoted Ethics city-state, its religion and state and law. Philological Works G. represented a middle ground between the works of the sophists and the Alexandrian philologists (Zenodot, Aristophanes of Byzantium, Aristarchus of Samothrace). The writings on the nature and structure of the world's original contribution to G. was different from the atomic theory of Democritus' theory, which asserts the existence of small particles of matter, not related, however, between a. According to later sources, G. took into account the possibility of the daily turnover of the Earth around its axis, and, possibly, turnover of at least two planets (Mercury and Venus) around the Sun. (In this hypothesis, referred to Copernicus in a letter to Paul III.) D. often wrote their works in the form of live, freely constructed dialogue, which was attended by celebrities of the time. These dialogues become models for Cicero and Plutarch.