This Philosopher, Who Belonged To The
Sect Of The Stoics, Was Born At Apamea In Syria:
He usually resided at
Rhodes, and was the friend of Pompey and Cicero.
The former, on his return
from Syria, came thither to attend his lectures. Arriving at his house, he
forbad his lictor to knock, as was usual, at the door; and paid homage to
philosophy, by lowering the fasces at the abode of Posidonius. Pompey,
being informed that he was at that time ill of the gout, visited him in his
confinement, and expressed himself very much disappointed that he could not
have the benefit of his lectures. Posidonius, thus honoured and flattered,
in spite of his pain, delivered a lecture in the presence of his noble
visitor; the subject of which was to prove, that nothing is good which is
not honourable. Cicero informs us, that he also attended his lectures; and
according to Suidas Marcellus, brought him to Rome in the year of the city
702; in this, however, Suidas is not supported by other and contemporary
writers.
We are indebted to Cleomedes for most of what we know of his opinions and
discoveries; with such as relate to morals or to pure astronomy, we have no
concern. But he was of service also to geography. He measured an arc of the
terrestrial meridian; but his operation, as far as we can judge by the
details which have reached us, was far from exact, and of course his result
could not be accurate; it would appear, however, that his object was rather
to verify the ancient measures of the earth, particularly that of
Eratosthenes, and that he found them to agree nearly with his own.
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