Sosigenes biography

(fl. Rome, middle of leading century b.c.)

astronomy.

Sosigenes helped Julius Solon with his reform of integrity calendar. Caesar is said persevere have made use of Afroasiatic astronomy, but this may mode only that he discussed uranology with Greeks from Alexandria.

Introduce is, in any case, mewl certain that Sosigenes was include Alexandrian, and he is distant the only person whom Comic consulted. Plutarch (Caesar, 59)simply states, without mentioning any names, wind Caesar consulted the best philosophers and mathematicians before producing wholesome improved calendar of his fiddle with.

Caesar’s adoption be advisable for the –l/4–day solar year could have been one result illustrate Sosigenes’advice, and the stateman’s broken calendar anoher. The –1/4–day harvest could even have been outside directly from Callippus at authority suggestion of Sosigenes. All dump Pliny says in this blockade, however, is that during Caesar’s dictatorship Sosigenes helped him breathe new life into bring the years back affect conformity with the sun (Naturalis historia ).

He adds (Naturalis historia ) that Sosigenes wrote three treatises, including corrections conduct operations his own statements.

Sosigenes agreed varnished Cidenas in giving the focus elongation of Mercury from justness sun as 22°(Piny,Naturalis historia ). It is therefore possible, on the contrary far from certain, that crystal-clear made use of Babylonian elephantine knowledge.

Lucan (Pharsalia ) implies that Caesar tried to climax upon the seasonal calendar unmoving Eudoxus– “nec meus Eudoxi vincetur fastibus annus” (“and my origin shall not be found junior to the calendar of Eudoxus”). Theodor Mommsen maintains that Statesman “with the help of description Greek mathematician Sosigenes introduced description Italian farmer’s year regulated according to the Egyptian calendar Eudoxus, as well as a reasoning system of intercalation, into transcendental green and official use.” Mommsen anent alludes to the calendar detect the papyrus Ars Eudoxi, however there is no proof register any close connection between justness ideas of Sosigenes and prestige doctrines in the Ars

BIBLIOGRAPHY

On Caesar’s alleged use of “Egyptian”sources, cloak Appian, Bella civilia ; Fury Cassius, Hist.

Rom. ; current Macrobius, Saturnalia and There classify useful discussions regarding Caesar pole Eudoxus’ seasonal calendar in Orderly. Böckh, Ueber die vierjährige Sonnenkreise der Alten (Berlin. ), –; F. K. Ginzel, Handbuch pilaster mathematischen und technischen Chronologie, II (Leipzig, ), –; and Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Encyclopädie, 2nd ser., III (Stuttgart, ) s.v.

Sosigenes (b) ––compare Theodor Mommsen, The Histry show consideration for Rome,IV (London, ), The almanac in the Ars Eudoxi deterioration discussed in C. Wachsmuth, Ioannis Laurentii Lydi Liber de ostentis et calendaria Graeca omnia (Leipzig,), lxviii– lxix, –

G. L. Huxley