284 HEIDEL. 



mander was the first to set forth an opinion regarding the sizes and 

 intervals of the planets.^^ Eudemus of course regarded Anaximander 

 solely from the point of view of the mathematician and astronomer. 

 But we know that such matters engaged the attention of historians 

 before Eudemus. Herodotus speaks not only of Egyptian mathe- 

 matic, but also of Thales' prediction of an eclipse; and Hippias of 

 Elis about the same time interested himself in the earlier history of 

 mathematics. To what source Plutarch ^'^ owed his reference to 

 Anaximander's theory of the origin of man from fishes it is not possible 

 to say. He as well as Censorinus ^^ may have derived their informa- 

 tion from the doxographers ; but there is reason to believe that there 

 was an even earlier tradition on this question among the historians 

 who treated of Egj'pt. 



The data regarding Anaximander's map we ha^•e already traced 

 back to Eratosthenes and his geographical treatise. From him derive 

 the statements of Agathemerus and Strabo as well as the other extant 

 references. But one naturally asks whether Eratosthenes had access 

 to a map unquestionably belonging to Anaximander. This possi- 

 bility cannot be denied; ^^ but in view of the evidence that even in 

 Herodotus' day there existed numerous Ionian maps, and of the great 

 probability that charts were both multiplied and modified almost 

 at will, it cannot be regarded as very likely. But, under such cir- 

 cumstances, one must ask, Where did Eratosthenes find the informa- 

 tion which justified his statements regarding the charts of Anaxi- 

 mander and Hecataeus? The reasonable answer is surely that 

 they were referred to by historical and geographical writers now lost 

 to us but accessible to him. This is made all but certain by the confi- 

 dent tone in which the charts of Anaximander, Hecataeus and Dam- 

 astes are mentioned. Statements such as we find in Agathemerus, 

 who depends on Eratosthenes, presuppose a critical discussion of 

 maps and accompanying texts with clear distinctions drawn between 

 the several contributions and indebtedness of geographers in chrono- 

 logical order; and these geographers cannot, as in Herodotus, have 

 been left unnamed or thrown together under the collective title of 

 'lomans.' Thus we have every reason for postulating even before 



/i^3\Kr}\J?'. ^^- V'^^^^^'" *^® questionable report of Theon Smvrnaeus 

 U 1. 2U, 20) derives from Eudemus is doubtful; for Theon is known to have 

 Q^T^?? oT° °^^®^ sources also, DercylUdes and Adrastus. 



98 F3 1. 21, 9. 



99 For a remark on the sources at Eratosthenes' command are Strabo 2.1, 5 

 v.. b9. ' 



