Timaeus
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Timaeum Proper-name noun: masculine genitive plural, Proper-name noun: masculine accusative singular of Timaeus
- A Greek historian of Sicily, under Agathocles, Cic. de Or. 2, 14, 58; id. N. D. 2, 27, 69; id. Fam. 5, 12, 2; id. Rep. 3, 31, 43; id. Brut. 16, 63; Nep. Alcib. 11, 1.—
- II A Pythagorean philosopher, a contemporary of Plato, Cic. Fin. 5, 29. 87; id. Rep. 1, 10, 16. — After him was named the Platonic dialogue Timaeus, which Cicero translated into Latin, Cic. Tusc. 1, 25, 63; id. N. D. 1, 8, 18; id. Ac. 2 (Luc.), 39, 123; id. Fin. 2, 5, 15; v. the fragment of this translation (Timaeus sive de Universo), Cic. ed. B. and K. vol. viii. p. 131 sqq.
- 1. pythagoreeër uit Locri in Z.-Italië, tijdgenoot v. Plato, die een dialoog naar hem noemde;
- 2. Gr. geschiedschrijver uit Tauromenium op Sicilië (ca. 350—260 v. Chr.).
(Τίμαιος).
1. Of Tauromenium in Sicily, the celebrated historian, was the son of Andromachus, who collected the Naxian exiles, after their city had been destroyed by Dionysius, and settled them in the town of Tauromenium, which had been recently founded, and of which he became the tyrant, or supreme ruler, B. C. 358 (Diod. 16.7, comp. 14.59, with Wesseling's note). Andromachus received Timoleon at Tauromenium, when he came to Sicily in B. C. 344, and he was almost the only one of the tyrants whom Timoleon left in possession of their power (Plut. Tim. 10 ; Marcellin. Vit. Thue. § 42). We do not know the exact date of the birth or death of Timaeus, but we can make an approximation to it, which cannot be very far from the truth. We know that his history was brought down to B. C. 264 (Plb. 1.5), and that he attained the age of ninety-six (Lucian, Macrob. 22). Now as his father could not have been a very young man between B. C. 358 and 344, during which time he held the tyrannis of Tauromenium, we probably shall not be far wrong in placing the birth of Timaeus in B. C. 352, and his death in B. C. 256. We learn from Suidas that Timaeus received instruction from Philiscus, the Milesian, a disciple of Isocrates; but we have no further particulars of his life, except that he was banished from Sicily by Agathocles, and passed his exile at Athens, where he had lived fifty years when he wrote the thirty-fourth book of his history (Diod. Exc. ex libr. xxi. p. 560, Wess.; Polyb. Exc. Vat. pp. 389, 393; Plut. de Exil. p. 605c). We are not informed in what year he was banished by Agathocles, but it may have been in the year that the latter crossed over to Africa (B. C. 310), since we are told that the tyrant, fearing an insurrection in his absence, either put to death or drove into exile all the persons whom he suspected to be hostile to his government. (Diod. 20.4.) Works History of Sicily
Timaeus wrote the history of Sicily from the earliest times to B. C. 264, in which year Polybius commences the introduction to his work (Plb. 1.5). This history was one of great extent. Suidas quotes the thirty-eighth book (s. v. ᾧ τὸ ἱερὸν πν͂ρ), and there were probably many books after this. It appears to have been divided into several great sections, which are quoted with separate titles, though they in reality formed a part of one great whole. Thus Suidas speaks of ʼΙταλικὰ καὶ Σικελικὰ in eight books, and of Ἐλληνικὰ καὶ Σικελικά. It has been conjectured that the Italica and Sicelica were the title of the early portion of the work, during which period the history of Sicily was closely connected with that of Italy; and that the second part of the work was called Sicelica and Hellenica, and comprised the period during which Sicily was brought more into contact with Greece by the Athenian invasions as well as by other events. The last five books contained the history of Agathocles (Diod. p. 561, Wess.). Timaeus wrote the history of Pyrrhus as a separate work (Dionys. A. R. 1.6; Cic. Fam. 5.12); but, as it falls within the time treated of in his general History, it may almost be regarded as an episode of the latter. Assessment
The value and authority of Timaeus as an historian have been most vehemently attacked by Polybius in many parts of his work. He maintains that Timaeus was totally deficient in the first qualifications of an historian, as he possessed no practical knowledge of war or politics, and never attempted to obtain by travelling a personal acquaintance with the places and countries he described ; but on the contrary confined his residence to one spot for fifty years, and there gained all his knowledge from books alone. Polybius also remarks that Timaeus had so little power of observation, and so weak a judgment, that he was unable to give a correct account even of the things he had seen, and of the places he had visited; and adds that he was likewise so superstitious, that his work abounded with old traditions and well-known fables, while things of graver importance were entirely omitted (Polyb. lib. xii. with the Fragmenta Vaticana of his work). His ignorance of geography and natural history appears to have been very great, and Polybius frequently mentions his errors on these subjects (e.g. 2.16, 12.3, 5). But Polybius brings still graver charges against Timaeus. He accuses him of frequently stating wilful falsehoods, of indulging in all kinds of calumnies against the most distinguished men, such as Homer, Aristotle, and Theophrastus, and of attacking his personal enemies, such as Agathocles, in the most atrocious manner. These charges are repeated by Diodorus and other ancient writers, among whom Timaeus earned so bad a character by his slanders and calumnies, that he was nick-named Epitimaeus (Ἐπιτίμαιος), or the Fault-Finder (Athen. 6.272b; comp. Diod. 5.1, 13.90, Exc. xxi. p. 561, Wess.; Strab. xiv. p.640). Lastly, Polybius censures the speeches in the history of Timaeus, as unsuitable to the speakers, and the times at which they are represented as delivered, and as marked by a scholastic, verbose, and inflated style of oratory.
Most of the charges of Polybius against Timaeus are unquestionably founded upon truth; but from the statements of other writers, and from the fragments which we possess of Timaeus's own work, we are led to conclude that Polybius has greatly exaggerated the defects of Timaeus, and omitted to mention his peculiar excellencies. Nay, several of the very points which Polybius regarded as great blemishes in his work, were, in reality, some of its greatest merits. The rationalizing Polybius quite approved of the manner in which Ephorus and Theopompus dealt with the ancient myths, which they attempted, by stripping them of all their miracles and marvels, to turn into sober history ; but it was one of the great merits of Timaeus, for which he is loudly denounced by Polybius, that he attempted to give the myths in their simplest and most genuine form, as related by the most ancient writers. There can be little doubt that if the early portion of the history of Timaeus had been preserved, we should be able to gain a more correct knowledge of many points than from the histories of Theopompus and Ephorus. Ὀλυμπιονῖκαι ἢ χρονικὰ πραξίδια
Timaeus also collected the materials of his history with the greatest diligence and care, a fact which even Polybius is obliged to admit (Exc. Vat. p. 402, init.). He likewise paid very great attention to chronology, and was the first writer who introduced the practice of recording events by Olympiads, which was adopted by almost all subsequent writers of Greek history (Diod. 5.1). For this purpose he drew up a list of the Olympic conquerors, which is called by Suidas Ὀλυμπιονῖκαι ἢ χρονικὰ πραξίδια. Cicero formed a very different opinion of the merits of Timaeus from that of Polybius. He says (de Orat. 2.14) :--" Timaeus, quantum judicare possim, longs eruditissimus, et rerum copia et sententiarum varietate abundantissimus, et ipsa compositione verborum non impolitus, magnam eloquentiam ad scribendum attulit, sed nullum usum forensem." (Comp. Cic. Brut. 95.) On Syria and Rhetorical Arguments
In addition to the Sicilian history and the Olympionicae, Suidas assigns two other works to Timaeus, neither of which is mentioned by any other writer, namely, An Account of Syria, its cities and kings, in three books (περὶ Συρίας καὶ τῶν αὺτῆς πόλεων καὶ βασιλέων βιβλία γ́), and a collection of rhetorical arguments in sixty-eight books (Συλλογὴ ῥητορικῶν ἀφορμῶν), which was more probably written, as Ruhnken has remarked, by Timaeus the sophist. Editions
The fragments of Timaeus have been collected by Göller, in his De Situ et Origine Syracusarum, Lips. 1818, pp. 209-306, and by Car. and Theod. Müller, in the Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum, Paris, 1841, pp. 193-233, both of which works also contain dissertations on the life and writings of Timaeus. Further Information
Compare Vossius, De Historicis Graecis, pp. 117-120, ed. Westermann; Clinton, Fast. Hell. vol. iii. pp. 489, 490.
2. Of Locri, in Italy, a Pythagorean philosopher, is said to have been a teacher of Plato. (Cic. de Fin. 5.29, de Re Publ. 1.10.) Works περὶ ψυχᾶς κόσμου καὶ φύσιος
There is an extant work, bearing his name, written in the Doric dialect, and entitled περὶ ψυχᾶς κόσμου καὶ φύσιος ; but its genuineness is very doubtful, and it is in all probability nothing more than an abridgment of Plato's dialogue of Timaeus. Editions Latin Edition
This work was first printed in a Latin translation by Valla, along with several other works, Venice, 1488 and 1498. Greek Editions
It was first printed in Greek at Paris, 1555, edited by Nogarola. It is also printed in many editions of Plato, and in Gale's Opuscula Mythologica, Physica et Ethica, Cambridge, 1671, and Amsterdam, 1688. The Greek text was published with a French translation by the Marquis d'Argens, Berlin, 1762.
The last and best edition is by J. J. de Gelder, Leyden, 1836. (Comp. Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iii. p. 93, foll.) Life of Pythagoras mentioned by Suidas
Suidas says (s. v.) that Timaeus wrote the life of Pythagoras, but as no other writer mentions such a work by the Locrian Timaeus, it is not improbable that this life of Pythagoras was simply a portion of the history of Timaeus of Tauromenium, who must have spoken of the philosopher in that portion of his work which related to the early history of Italy. Timaeus of Crotona and Timaeus of Paros
3 and 4. Pythagorean philosophers. (Iamblich. Vit. Pyth. cap. extr. ; Clem. Alex. Strom. p. 604; Theodoret. ii. Therap. p. 36.)
5. Timaeus of Cyzicus, a disciple of Plato, endeavoured to seize the supreme power in the state (Athen. 11.509a.). Diogenes Laertius (3.46) mentions Timolaus of Cyzicus and not Timaeus among the disciples of Plato; and hence it has been conjectured that there is a corruption in the name, either in Athenaeus or Diogenes.
6. Timaeus the Sophist. Works Lexicon to Plato
He wrote a Lexicon to Plato, addressed to a certain Gentianus, which is still extant. The time at which this Timaeus lived is quite uncertain. Ruhnken places him in the third century of the Christian aera, which produced so many ardent admirers of the Platonic philosophy, such as Porphyry, Longinus, Plotinus, &c. The Lexicon is very brief, and bears the title Τιμαίου σοφιστοῦ ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Πλάτωνος λέξεων, from which it might have been inferred that it is an extract from a larger work, had not Photius (Phot. Bibl. 151), who had read it, described it as a very short work βραχὺ ποιημάτιον ἐν ἑνὶ λόγψ̓. It is evident, however, that the work, as it stands, has received several interpolations, especially in explanations of words occurring in Herodotus. Notwithstanding these interpolations the work is one of great value, and the explanations of words are some of the very best which have come down to us from the ancient grammarians. Editions
It was printed for the first time, from a manuscript at Paris, edited by Ruhnken, Leyden, 1754, with a very valuable commentary, and again, with many improvements, Leyden, 1789. There are also two more recent editions by Koch, Leipzig, 1828, and 1833. On Rhetorical Arguments
The work on rhetorical arguments in sixty-eight books (Συλλογὴ ῥητορικῶν ἀφορμῶν) which Suidas assigns to Timaeus of Tauromenium, was more probably written by Timaeus, the author of the Lexicon to Plato, as has been already remarked. (Ruhnken's Preface to his edition of the Lexicon.)
7. The Mathematician, is quoted by Pliny (Plin. Nat. 5.9, 16.22, 2.8). Suidas says that Timaeus, the Locrian [No. 2] wrote Μαθηματικά, but whether this was really the work of the Locrian or not, cannot be determined. The fragment on the Pleiades, preserved by the Scholiast on the Iliad (18.486), and usually assigned to Timaeus of Tauromenium, is supposed by Göller to belong to the mathematician.
(1) The historian, was the son of Andromachus, tyrant of Tauromenium in Sicily, and was born about B.C. 352. He was banished from Sicily by Agathocles, and passed his exile at Athens, where he had lived 50 years when he wrote the 34th book of his history. He probably died about 256. The great work of Timaeus was a history of Sicily from the earliest times to 264. The fragments are edited by C. and Th. Müller (Paris, 1841). Timaeus is said to have been the first to record events by Olympiads. (See Olympias.)
(2) Of Locri, in Italy, a Pythagorean philosopher, is said to have been a teacher of Plato. He gives his name to a dialogue of Plato, in which is given the account of the mythical island Atlantis, lying in the Western Ocean, and supposed by many in modern times to have been suggested by vague stories of the American continent.