on the Soul and Sensuous Perception (ib. 46), not
without regard to the corresponding works of
Aristotle, as may at least in part be demonstrated.
In like manner we find mention of monographies of
Theophrastus on the older Greek physiologians
Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Empedocles, Archelaus
(Diog. Laert. v. 42, 43), Diogenes of ApoUonia, De-
mocritus (ib. 43), which were not unfrequently made
use of by Simplicius ; and also on Xenocrates (ib.
47), against the Academics (49), and a sketch of the
political doctrine of Plato (ib. 43), which shows
that the Eresian followed his master likewise in
the critico-historical department of inquiry. That
he also included general history within the circle
of his scientific investigation, we see from the quo-
tations in Plutarch's lives of Lycurgus, Solon,
Aristides, Pericles, Nicias, Alcibiades, Lysander,
Agesilaus, and Demosthenes, which were probably
borrowed from the work on Lives {irepl fiiwv 7',
Diog. Laert. v. 42), But his principal endeavours
were directed to the supplementation and continua-
tion of the labours of Aristotle in the domain of
natural history. This is testified not only by a
number of treatises on individual subjects of zoo-
logy, of which, besides the titles, but few fragments
remain, but also by his books on Stones and
Metals, and his works on the History, and on the
Parts of Plants, which have come down to us en-
tire. In politics, also, he seems to have trodden in
the footsteps of Aristotle. Besides his books on the
State, we find quoted various treatises on Education
(ib. 42, 50), on Royalty (ib. 47, 45), on the Best
State, on Political Morals, and particularly his
works on the Laws, one of which, containing a re-
capitulation of the laws of various barbaric as well
as Grecian states (Noficov Karb. (Ttoix^'iov k8 Diog.
Laert. v. 44, ib. Menag.), was intended to form a
•pendant to Aristotle's delineation of Politics, and
must have stood in close relation to it. (Cic. de
Fin. V. 4.)
Of the books of Theophrastus on oratory and
poetry, almost all that we know is, that in them
also Aristotle Avas not passed by without reference.
(Cic. de Invent, i. 35.)
Theophrastus, without doubt, departed farther
from his master in his ethical writings {ih. 42, 43,
44, 45, 47, 49, 50), as also in his metaphysical
investigations respecting motion, the soul, and the
Deity, {lb. 47, 48.)
Besides the writings belonging to the above-
mentioned branches of science, Theophrastus was
the author of others, partly of a miscellaneous kind,
as, for instance, several collections of problems., out
of which some things at least have passed into the
Problems which have come down to us under the
name of Aristotle (Diog. Laert. v. 45, 47, 48; comp.
I Plin. //. N. xxviii. 6 ; Arist. Probl. xxxiii. 12),
I and commentaries (Diog. Laert. v. 48, 49 ; comp.
I 43), partly dialogues (Basil. Magn. Epist. 167), to
I which probably belonged the 'EpiariKos (Diog. Laert.
I V.43; Athen. xii. 2, xiii. 2), Megacles (Diog. Laert.
! 47), Callisthenes iji Trepl ir4vdovs^ Diog. Laert. v.
44; Cic. Tusc. iii. 10; Alex. Aphrod. de Anima
ii. extr.), and MeyapiKSs (Diog. Laert. v. 44), and
letters (Diog. Laert. v. 46, 50), partly books on ma-
thematical sciences and their history (Jb. 42, 46,
48,60).
Besides the two great works on botany {vepi
fvTuu {(TTopia, in ten books, written about 01.
118; see Schneider, TheopL 0pp. iv. p. 586 ; and
airia (puaiKd, in six books), we only possess some
VOL. III.
THEOPHRASTUS. 1089
more or less ample fragments of works by Theo-
phrastus, or extracts from them, among which the
ethical characters, that is, delineations of charac-
ter, and the treatise on sensuous perception and
its objects (irepl alaQ-fja-ews [koI alaOrjTwv]) are
the most considerable, the first important as a con-
tribution to the ethical history of that time, tht
latter for a knowledge of the doctrines of the more
ancient Greek philosophers respecting the subject
indicated. With the latter class of works we may
connect the fragments on smells (ir^pl baixcov), on
fatigue (Trepi Koirwv)., on giddiness {irepX iKiyyuv)^
on sweat (irepl iSpcoroi/), on swooning (Trepl AeiTro-
i/zyXias), on palsy (Trepl 7rapaA.yo-ews), and on honey
(irepl fxeAiTos). To physics, in the narrower sense
of the word, belong the still extant sections on fire
{irepl irvDos), on the winds (vrepl avijuuv), on the
signs of waters, winds, and storms (irepl <Tr]iJ.elwv
iSdrcav Kal Trpev/j.a.Twv /col x^'M'^^'w "^al cvSiwy^
probably out of the fourth book of the Meteorology
of Theophrastus : Trepi fxerapaiwy : see Plut. Quacst.
Gr. vii. ; comp. Schneider, iv. p. 719, &c.) To the
zoology belong six other sections. Also the trea-
tise on stones (irepl Aiduiv, written 01. 116. 2, see
Schneider, /. c. iv. p. 585), and on metaphysics
{twv fxerh ra (pvcriKa), are only fragments, and
there is no reason for assigning the latter to some
other author because it is not noticed in Hermippus
and Andronicus, especially as Nicolaus (Daiiias-
cenus) had already mentioned it (see the scholia
at the end of the book). But throughout the text
of these fragments and extracts is so corrupt that
the well-known story of the fate of the books of
Aristotle and Theophrastus [Aristoteles] might
very well admit of application to them. The same
is the case with the books on colours, on indivisible
lines, and on Xenophanes, Gorgias, and Melissus,
which may with greater right be assigned to Theo-
phrastus than to his master, among whose works
we now find them. (Respecting the first of these
books — Trepl xpcw/iaTwj/ — see Schneider, ^. c. iv
p. 864 ; respecting the second, Diog. Laert. v. 42,
ib. Menag.) Much superior to the older editions of
Theophrastus {Aldina, 1498, Basileensis, 1541,
Camotiana, Venet. 1552, that of Daniel Heinsius,
1613, &c.) is that by J. G. Schneider {Theophrasti
Eresii quae supersunt opera., Lips. 1 8 1 8-2 1 . 5 vols.),
which, however, still needs a careful revision, as
the piecemeal manner in which the critical appa-
ratus came to his hands, and his own ill health
compelled the editor to append supplements and
corrections, twice or thrice, to the text and com-
mentary. Fried. Wimmer has published a new
and much improved edition of the history erf
plants, as the first volume of the entire works of
Theophrastus. {Theophrasti opera quae supersunt
omnia cmcndata edidit cum apparaiu critico Fr.
Wimmer., Tomus primus historiam plantarum con-
tinens, Vratislaviae, 1842. 8vo.)
For the explanation of the history of plants con-
siderable contributions were made before Schneider
by Bodaeus a Stapel (Amstelod. 1644, fol.) and
J. Stackhouse. {Tkeophr. Eres. de historia planta-
rum libriX.graece cum syllabo generum et spederum
glossario et notis, curante Job. Stackhouse, Oxon.
1813. 2 vols. 8vo.)
III. How far Theophrastus attached himself to
the Aristotelic doctrines, how he defined them
more closely, or conceived them in a diflferent form,
and what additional structures of doctrine he formed
upon them, can be determined but very partially
a
