Aristocles of Rhodes explained

Aristocles (; Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἀριστοκλῆς) of Rhodes was grammarian, rhetorician, Platonist, and musician^[1] of Ancient Greece, who was a contemporary of Strabo.^{[2] [3]} He is probably the writer whose work "On Poetics" (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: περὶ ποιητκῆς) is mentioned in the book "On the Differences of Synonymous Expressions" (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: περὶ ὁμοίων καὶ διαφόρων λέξεων),^[4] which was traditionally attributed to Ammonius Grammaticus, but which scholars since the 19th century have begun to believe was actually written by Philo of Byblos.^[5]

There are several other grammatical and historical works that are only ascribed to "Aristocles" and which some writers over the years have ascribed or suspected were the works of this Aristocles but it is ambiguous whether Aristocles of Rhodes, specifically, was intended as the writer, or some other Aristocles was meant:^{[6] [7] [8]}

• "On Plato's Dialogues" (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: περὶ διαλέκτου)^{[9] [10] [11]}
• "The Spartan State" (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Λακῶνων πολιτεία)^[12]
• An unnamed work on the history of Italy^[13]

Aristocles of Rhodes was also at times described as the author of the (lost) dialogue Magikos—principally by late 19th century scholar Valentin Rose—which has elsewhere variously been attributed to Aristotle and others, but most scholars consider this extremely unlikely.^{[14] [15]}

Similarly, in the 4th century, the philosopher Proclus mentions an Aristocles who wrote a work on Plato's Timaeus, and elsewhere talks about a "philosopher from Rhodes",^[16] and scholars are divided over whether Aristocles of Rhodes is meant here or whether it is first century philosopher Aristocles of Messene.^{[17] [18]}

Notes and References

1. Book: Sonnino , Maurizio . Giulio . Colesanti. Manuela . Giordano . Submerged Literature in Ancient Greek Culture: An Introduction . Comedy Outside the Canon: from Ritual Slapstick to Hellenistic Mime . . 2014 . 147 . English . 9783110334081 . 2023-03-25.
2. [Strabo]
3. Book: Dueck , Daniela . Strabo of Amasia: A Greek Man of Letters in Augustan Rome . . 2002 . 141 . English . 9781134605613 . 2023-03-25.
4. On the Differences of Synonymous Expressions, s.v. ἐπικήδιος
5. Ammonius Grammaticus . 1 . 864 . 1.
6. [Clement of Alexandria]
7. [Marcus Terentius Varro]
8. [Dionysius of Halicarnassus]
9. Etymologicum Magnum, s.v. κῦμα
10. [John Cramer (priest)|John Cramer]
11. Book: Montanari . Franco . History of Ancient Greek Scholarship: From the Beginnings to the End of the Byzantine Age . . 2020 . English . 9789004430570 . 2023-03-25.
12. [Athenaeus]
13. [Plutarch]
14. Book: Zeller , Eduard . Eduard Zeller

    . Eduard Zeller . John Henry . Muirhead . J. H. Muirhead. Benjamin Francis Conn . Costelloe . Aristotle and the Earlier Peripatetics . . 1897 . 81 . English . 2023-03-25.

15. Book: Philodemus . Philodemus

    . Philodemus . Janko . Richard . Richard Janko . Philodemus, On Poems, Books 3-4 . The Title and Date of Aristotle's De poetis . . 2010 . 387 . English . 978-0-19-157669-0 . 2023-03-25.

16. Book: Posidonius . Posidonius

    . Posidonius . Kidd . I. G.. Edelstein . Ludwig . Posidonius Volume 2: The Commentary . . 1989 . F86–D . English . 2023-03-25.

17. Book: Karamanolis , George E. . Plato and Aristotle in Agreement? Platonists on Aristotle from Antiochus to Porphyry . . 2006 . 42 . English . 9780191532634 . 2023-03-25.
18. Book: Curnow , Trevor . The Philosophers of the Ancient World: An A-Z Guide . . 2006 . 43 . English . 9781849667708 . 2023-03-25.