The Context of De Spiritu

Abstract

This paper underlines the importance of the Pseudo-Aristotelian treatise De spiritu for our knowledge of early Hellenistic anatomical and physiological theories. We claim that the treatise verifies reports on certain 4th- and 3rd-century conceptions and debates otherwise attested only in later sources, and offers invaluable information on otherwise unknown ideas and discussions. Our claim is based on ten case-studies in which we explore the relation between the views found in De spiritu and known to us from other ancient sources, regarding ten specific topics. Following the results of our case-studies, we argue that De spiritu should be dated to the early decades of the 3rd century BC, after the circulation of the doctrines of Praxagoras of Cos, but before the discovery of the central nervous system by Herophilus and Erasistratus.

Erasistratus’ Triplokia of Arteries, Veins and Nerves

“…The coincidence has led some scholars to conclude that the Erasistratean triplokia must have been known to the ps.-Aristotelian author. Even if it is accepted that the theories are closely connected, however, it is far from clear in which direction the influence is likely to have run, as emphasised in Lewis & Gregoric (forthcoming 2015) (I am very grateful to the authors for allowing me to read an earlier draft of this article).…”