Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §37.1

Time as the Revolution of the Universe in Plato

Passage 27 of 196 · Greek

Summary

The fragment discusses the definition of time as the movement and revolution of the universe, noting that Eudemus, Theophrastus, and Alexander attribute this view to Plato.

§37.1Fr. 37 Οἱ μὲν τὴν τοῦ ὅλου κίνησιν καὶ περιφορὰν τὸν χρόνον φασὶν ὡς τὸν Πλάτωνα νομίζουσιν ὅ τε ὔδημος καὶ ὁ Θεόφραστος καὶ ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος.
Fr. 37 Some say that time is the movement and revolution of the universe, as Eudemus, Theophrastus, and Alexander believe Plato to have held.

Notes

  1. §37.1ὔδημος — This is a corruption in the text resulting from the omission of the initial letter E, and it clearly refers to the philosopher Eudemus (Εὔδημος), which is reflected in the translations.
  2. §37.1ὡς τὸν Πλάτωνα νομίζουσιν — The conjunction ὡς refers back to the preceding statement that time is the movement and revolution of the universe. The subject of νομίζουσιν is the following ὅ τε ὔδημος... (Eudemus and others), and τὸν Πλάτωνα functions as the accusative subject of the implicit infinitive governed by νομίζουσιν, meaning 'they believe that Plato thought thus (ὡς)'. Alternatively, it can be parsed as νομίζω taking an accusative object (Plato) with ὡς introducing the state or opinion attributed to him.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §37.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:37.1

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