In Antiquity: the Time Factor, between Writing & Popularity

Discuss the world of the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, and Egyptians.
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billd89
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In Antiquity: the Time Factor, between Writing & Popularity

Post by billd89 »

Poseidonius of Apameia (about 135-50 B.C.) was first referenced by what other author(s) in Antiquity? If Cleomedes wrote about him c.50 AD, that's three (3) generations later. Is that lag-time typical, for the dissemination/popularity of a philosopher's work?

Josephus cites Philo Judaeus about 50 years after the Alexandrian's death and perhaps 75 years (2 generations) after most of his works were composed.

Given the obscurity of the small sects (in many cases, poorly described, misunderstood or basically unknown beyond mouldy texts found in church libraries), it follows that heresiologists of the 3rd and 4th C.s were most likely working with materials +50-200 yrs older than their time.

If they identified a similar heretic, that conflation wasnt necessarily legitimate either. Likewise, a copycat religious innovator might have 'borrowed' concepts vaguely known, but imported, that were generations older at the source.
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