Talk:Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the younger)

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Contents 1 Quote 2 Disambiguation 3 WikiProject class rating 4 Mistakes in Smith's dictionary

[edit] Quote

Hopefully someone can verify whether the quote "A single ear of corn in a large field is as strange as a single world in infinite space" is accurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by an unspecified IP address (talk)

The quote is accurate. It is found in Aëtius Placita (Opinions of the Philosophers), i.5.4. To all likelyhood however, the quote is from Metrodorus of Chios, one of Epicurus' forerunners, and not from Epicurus' associate Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the younger), the subject of the present article. I have therefore moved the quote to the appropriate article. Fabullus 23:31, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Disambiguation

There have been several historical figures named Metrodorus', three of whom were philosophers. For this reason I have created a disambiguation page to distinguish them. As if this is not enough, not one, but two philosophers are known as Metrodorus of Lampsacus, sometimes distinguished as the elder and the younger (to whom the present article is devoted. At some later stage it may become necessary, therefore, to rename the present article Metrodorus of Lampsacus the younger (or something of the kind), and create another article devoted to Metrodorus of Lampsacus the elder. If someone can think of a shorter and more elegant way to distinguish between the two, please share or apply your suggestion. Fabullus 13:33, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

I have conducted the change! Metrodorus of Lampsacus is now Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the younger). --Fabullus 14:55, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiProject class rating

This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as stub, and the rating on other projects was brought up to Stub class. BetacommandBot 04:17, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mistakes in Smith's dictionary

The article at present incorporates text from Smith's "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology". However, as regards the present subject Smith's information presents a number of mistakes. Smith says that Diogenes Laërtius (X 22) says that according to some people Metrodorus was an Athenian, but look what Diogenes (according to modern editions) actually said: "Metrodorus, the son of Athenaeus or Timocrates and of Sande, a citizen of Lampsacus" So there is no question of Metrodorus being an Athenian; he may have been the son of someone called 'Athenian' (Athenaeus), but there is no doubt that he was a native of Lampsacus. Smith adduces as further evidence for Metrodorus' Athenian citizenship the 'fact' that his brother Timocrates was an Athenian citizen of the deme Potamus. This is also wrong. It is clear from the text of Diogenes Laërtius that there were actually two different persons called Timocrates: one of them Metrodorus' brother (X 6), who was first a disciple of Epicurus but later left him and started to spread malicious slander about him, the other an Athenian citizen from the deme of Potamus (X 16) who – together with Amynomachus – was appointed by Epicurus as executor of his will and guardian to the late Metrodorus' children (X 16-21). --Fabullus 06:06, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

Go ahead and change the entry - there is nothing particularly sacred about Smith's Dictionary. It's a useful source because it contains so many references, but mistakes like this crop up throughout the dictionary: I've noticed that if anything sounds a bit strange or a bit doubtful, it's usually because it's nonsense. A 19th century version of Wikipedia in other words. :) Singinglemon (talk) 01:48, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

I certainly meant no criticism of your work! It just so happens that I know Diogenes Laërtius book X (on Epicurus) pretty well, but since others may not I first wanted to explain my arguments before making the changes I have. As you may notice in the article I have indicated two further pages for you to create: Timocrates of Lampsacus and Timocrates of Potamus ;-) . --Fabullus (talk) 07:27, 23 January 2008 (UTC)