R. W. Sharples

"This volume contains modern editions of three physiological treatises by Theophrastus of Eresus, who was Artistotle's pupil and successor as head of the Peripatetic School." "The treatises are concerned with the human phenomena of sweat, dizziness and fatigue, and exhibit close ties to the contemporary medical literature."--Cover.

The Hellenistic philosophers and schools of philosophy are emerging from the shadow of Plato and Aristotle and are increasingly studied for their intrinsic philosophical value. They are not only interesting in their own right, but also form the intellectual background of the late Roman Republic. This study gives a comprehensive and readable account of the principal doctrines of the Stoics, Epicureans and various sceptical traditions from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. to around 200 A.D. Discussions are arranged topically in order to address underlying issues and to make clear what the different schools have in common and how they differ. At the same time the coherence of each system as a whole is emphasized.

The problem of free will, human responsibility, and determinism is one that has fascinated philosophers and laymen alike from antiquity to the present day, and which is far from settled yet. The treatise To the Emperors on Fate and Responsibility by Alexander of Aphrodisias (c. 200 AD) is perhaps the most comprehensive discussion of this complex issue surviving from antiquity. After an introduction outlining the earlier history of the problem, it is here presented in a new English translation with a detailed commentary; a Greek text and an updated critical apparatus. Also included are a number of shorter discussions dealing with related topics selected from the body of writings attributed to Alexander.

"This book provides a collection of sources, many of them fragmentary and previously scattered and hard to access, for the development of Peripatetic philosophy in the later Hellenistic period and the early Roman Empire. It also supplies the background against which the first commentator on Aristotle from whom extensive material survives, Alexander of Aphrodisias (fl. c. AD 200), developed his interpretations which continue to be influential even today. Many of the passages are here translated into English for the first time, including the whole of the summary of Peripatetic ethics attributed to 'Arius Didymus'"-- "This Introduction, and the chronological table that follows it, are intended to give readers who may not be familiar with this period of Peripatetic philosophy a guide to the major trends and developments, and to introduce some of the philosophers who will be considered in the following pages. The actual ancient evidence relating to some of the identifications and dates will be found below in section 1, "People""--