Praxiphanes () a Peripatetic philosopher, was a native of Mytilene, who lived a long time in Rhodes.Algra, K., The Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy. Page 36. Cambridge University Press. (1999). Cf. Clement of Alexandria, i.; Strabo, xiv. He lived in the time of Demetrius Poliorcetes and Ptolemy I Soter, and was a pupil of Theophrastus, about 322 BC.Proclus, i. in Timaeum; John Tzetzes, ad Hesiod. Op. et Dies, 1. He subsequently opened a school himself, in which Epicurus is said to have been one of his pupils.Diogenes Laërtius, x. 13 Praxiphanes paid special attention to grammatical studies, and is hence named along with Aristotle as the founder and creator of the science of grammar.Clement of Alexandria, i.
Writings Of the writings of Praxiphanes, which appear to have been numerous, two are especially mentioned, a Dialogue ποιητῶν (Poiitón, 'Poetry')Diogenes Laërtius, iii. 8 in which Plato and Isocrates were the speakers, and an historical work cited by Marcellinus in his Life of ThucydidesMarcellinus, Thucydides, §29 under the title of Περὶ ἱστορίας (Perí istorías, 'About History').
Praxiphanes also wrote a works titled On Friendship,Carneiscus, Philistas fr. 95 On Rare Words,Demetrius, De elocutione 55-58 On the Universe,Epiphanius, De fide 9.35-39 On Poems, and commentaries on Homer's Odyssey, Hesiod's Works and Days, Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus, and Plato's Timaeus.Proclus, In Timaeum, 5c
Notes
References
Further reading