THEODOSIUS TRIPOLITA 1588

Description

Θεοδοσίου Τριπολίτου σφαιρικών βιβλία Γ΄ – Theodosii tripolitae spaericorum libri tres nunquam antehac graece excusi, Iidem latinè redditi Ioannem Penam Regium mathematicum, Parisiis, Apud Andream Wechelum, sub Pegaso in vico Bellouaco, 1558

Theodosius of Bithynia (second half of the 2nd century or 1st century BC) was a Greek mathematician and astronomer. He is also quoted as Theodosios of Tripoli.

Little is known about Theodosius. Strabo counts him among the most important scholars of Bithynia, and his sons were also well-known mathematicians after Strabo. Since Strabo mentions him in his geography in his enumeration after Hipparchus and he usually proceeds chronologically, Theodosios is probably to be classified chronologically after Hipparchus.

In the Byzantine lexicon Suda, Tripoli is given as the place of origin, but there is probably a mix-up. However, the entry in the Suda has often led to him being referred to as Theodosios of Tripoli.

His chief work, the Spherics (Greek: Σφαιρικά), provided the mathematics for spherical astronomy, and may have been based on a work by Eudoxus of Cnidus. It is reasonably complete, and remained the main reference on the subject at least until the time of Pappus of Alexandria (4th century AD).The work was translated into Arabic in the 10th century, and then into Latin in the early 16th century, but these versions were faulty. Francesco Maurolico translated the works later in the 16th century.

Printed editions appeared first in Venice in 1518 (Latin, translation from Arabic), in Vienna in 1529 (Johannes Vögelin), in Paris in 1558 (J. Pena), in Strasbourg in 1572 (Conrad Dasypodius) and then, among others, by Clavius (Rome 1586) , J. Auria (Rome 1587), Marin Mersenne (1644), Isaac Barrow (1675).

In addition to the Spherics, two other works by Theodosius have survived: On Habitations, describing the appearances of the heavens at different climes and different times of the year, and On Days and Nights, a study of the apparent motion of the Sun. Both were published in Latin in the 16th century. Theodosius was cited by Vitruvius as having invented a sundial suitable for any place on Earth.

The Souda dictionary also lists the titles of the following additional works: Memoir on the Theudas chapters, Memoranda on Archimedes Ephodion, Erasing houses in three books, Speculative chapters and Astrological. It is possible that these works come from another Theodosius.

Adams T-548; Houzeau & Lancaster 846.