Hermodorus

Hermodorus (Greek: Ἑρμόδωρος), an Ephesian[1] who lived in the 4th century BC, was an original member of Plato's Academy and was present at the death of Socrates.[2] He is said to have circulated the works of Plato (combined Socratic tenets with the Eleaticism of Parmenides[2]), and to have sold them in Sicily.[3] Hermodorus himself appears to have been a philosopher, for we know the titles of two works that were attributed to him: On Plato (Greek: Περὶ πλάτωνος), and On Mathematics (Greek: Περὶ μαθημάτων).[4]

A.E. Taylor says:

"Hermodorus, an original member of Plato's Academy, stated that for the moment the friends of Socrates felt themselves in danger just after his death, and that Plato in particular, with others, withdrew for a while to the neighbouring city of Megara under the protection of Euclides of that city, a philosopher who was among the foreign friends present at the death of Socrates and combined certain Socratic tenets with the Eleaticism of Parmenides."[2]

There is a Roman tradition of Hermodorus that dates his exile to the 5th Century BC.

Heraclitus (c 535 – 475 BCE) in fragment 114 says:

"The Ephesians deserve, man for man, to be hung, and the youth to leave the city, inasmuch as they have banished Hermodorus, the worthiest man among them, saying : 'Let no one of us excel, and if there be any such, let him go elsewhere and among other people.' "[1]

John Burnet says the exile of Hermodoros was during the reign of Dareios (c. 550–486 BCE):

"...but there is no difficulty in supposing that the Ephesians may have sent one of their citizens into banishment when they were still paying tribute to the Great King. The spurious Letters of Herakleitos show that the expulsion of Hermodoros was believed to have taken place during the reign of Dareios..."[5]

Burnet also says in the footnote to the above paragraph:

"This is quite consistent with the Roman tradition that Hermodoros took part later in the legislation of the Twelve Tables at Rome. There was a statue of him in the Comitium. The Romans were well aware that the Twelve Tables were framed on a Greek model;...the fact is attested as few things are in the early history of Rome."[5]

Notes
  1. Bywater, translated by Patrick (1889). The Fragments of The Work of Heraclitus of Ephesus on Nature. Baltimore: N. Murray. p. 110.
  2. Taylor, A. E. (1955). Plato The Man and His Work. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd. p. 4.
  3. Suda, Hermodoros; Cicero, ad Atticum, xiii. 21.
  4. Cf. Diogenes Laertius, Prooem. 8; ii. 106; iii. 6
  5. Burnet, John (1930). Early Greek Philosophy. 4, 5 & 6 Soho Square, London, W.1: A. & C. Black, Ltd. pp. 130–131.CS1 maint: location (link)

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "article name needed". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

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