Sphaerus (, sometimes transliterated as Sphaeros; – ) of BorysthenesPlutarch, Cleomenes, 2.2. or the Bosphorus,Diogenes Laërtius, vii. 37, 177 was a Stoic philosopher.
Life Sphaerus studied first under Zeno of Citium, and afterwards under Cleanthes. He taught in Sparta, where he acted as advisor to Cleomenes III. He moved to Alexandria at some point, (possibly when Cleomenes himself was exiled there in 222 BC) where he lived in the court of Ptolemy IV Philopator.
Ideas Little survives of his works, but Sphaerus had a considerable reputation among the Stoics for the accuracy of his definitions.Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, iv. 24.
Diogenes LaërtiusDiogenes Laërtius, vii. 177 and AthenaeusAthenaeus, Deipnosophists, viii. 354 tell a story of how he once saved himself from admitting that he had been deceived by a trick played upon him by King Ptolemy:
Writings According to Diogenes Laërtius, Sphaerus wrote the following works:Diogenes Laërtius, vii. 178
Περὶ κόσμου δύο – On the Universe (two books) Περὶ στοιχείων – On the Elements [Περὶ] σπέρματος – [On] Seed Περὶ τύχης – On Fortune Περὶ ἐλαχίστων – On the Smallest Things Πρὸς τὰς ἀτόμους καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα – Against Atoms and Images Περὶ αἰσθητηρίων – On the Senses Περὶ Ἡρακλείτου πέντε διατριβῶν – On Heraclitus (five lectures) Περὶ τῆς ἠθικῆς διατάξεως – On the Arrangement of Ethics Περὶ καθήκοντος – On Duty Περὶ ὁρμῆς – On Impulse Περὶ παθῶν δύο – On Passions (two books) Περὶ βασιλείας – On Kingship Περὶ Λακωνικῆς πολιτείας – On the Lacedaemonian Constitution Περὶ Λυκούργου καὶ Σωκράτους τρία – On Lycurgus and Socrates (three books)
Περὶ νόμου – On Law Περὶ μαντικῆς – On Divination Διαλόγους ἐρωτικούς – Dialogues on Love Περὶ τῶν Ἐρετριακῶν φιλοσόφων – On the Eretrian Philosophers Περὶ ὁμοίων – On Things Similar Περὶ ὅρων – On Terms Περὶ ἕξεως – On Habits Περὶ τῶν ἀντιλεγομένων τρία – On Contradictions (three books) Περὶ λόγου – On Discourse Περὶ πλούτου – On Wealth Περὶ δόξης – On Glory Περὶ θανάτου – On Death Τέχνης διαλεκτικῆς δύο – Art of Dialectics (two books) Περὶ κατηγορημάτων – On Predicates Περὶ ἀμφιβολιῶν – On Ambiguity Ἐπιστολάς – Letters
Notes
References
The surviving fragments of Sphaerus' writings are collected in: