T The family of the Ptolemies, who, after Alexander, obtained the government of Egypt, from motives of policy encouraged this new establishment. Ptolemy Lagus, who had obtained the crown of Egypt by usurpation, was particularly careful to secure the interest of the Greeks in his favour; and, with this view, invited people from every part of Greece to settle in Egypt, and removed the schools of Athens to Alexandria. This enlightened prince spared no expense to raise the literary, as well as the civil, military, and commercial credit of his country. In order to provide, in Alexandria, a permanent residence for learning and philosophy, he laid the foundation of a library, which, after his time, became exceedingly famous; granted philosophers of every class immunity from public offices; and encouraged science and literature by royal munificence. Demetrius Phalereus, who was eminent in every kind of learning, especially in philosophy, assisted the liberal designs of the prince, by his judicious advice and active services. Ptolemy Philadelphus adopted, with great ardour, the liberal views of his predecessor, and afforded still further aid to philosophy, by enriching the Alexandrian library with a vast collection of books in every branch of learning, and by instituting a college of learned men, who, that they might have leisure to prosecute their studies, were maintained at the public expense.39 Under the patronage, first, of the Egyptian princes, and afterwards of the Roman emperors, Alexandria long continued to enjoy great celebrity as the seat of learning, and to send forth eminent philosophers of every sect to distant countries. It remained a school of learning, as well as a commercial emporium, till it was taken, and plundered of its literary treasures, by the Saracens. Philosophy, during this period, suffered a grievous cor→ ruption from the attempt which was made by philosophers of different sects and countries, Grecian, Egyptian, and Oriental, who were assembled in Alexandria, to frame, from their different tenets, one general system of opinions. The respect which had long been universally paid to the schools Diod. Sic. l. xviii. Pausan. in Att. Phot. Cod. 92. Ælian, I. iii. c. 17. Clems Alex. Stro. I. i. p. 341. Philostr. Vit. Soph. 1. i. c, 22. Laert. 1. viii. c. 46. A. Gell. 1. iv. c. 2. A of Greece, and the honours with which they were now adorned by the Egyptian princes, induced other wise men, and even the Egyptian priests and philosophers themselves, to submit to this innovation. Hence arose an heterogeneous mass of opinions, of which we shall afterwards take more particular notice under the name of the Eclectic Philosophy; and which we shall find to have been the foundation of endless confusion, error, and absurdity, not only in the Alexandrian school, but among Jews and Christians; producing among the former that spurious kind of philosophy, which they called their Cabbala; and, among the latter, innumerable corruptions of the Christian faith. 212,4243 Abstinence of the Pythagorean fraternity .... .... the Old, its character the Middle, its origin and doctrine difference between it and the Sceptic sect Æschines, a disciple of Socrates author of the Socratic dialogues Air, according to Anaximenes, the first principle Alcmæon, a Pythagorean, his tenets said to have first dissected a dead body Alexander, the influence of his fortune upon philosophy ..... ..... flattered by Anaxarchus contemned by Diogenes Alexandria, the Grecian philosophy transferred thither .249, &c. 253 494 188 ib. 157 87 $400 401 497 435 308 498 Anaximander, the first public teacher of philosophy in Greece his doctrine mathematics and astronomy improved by him Anaximenes, an Ionic philosopher, his doctrine Anicerris, a Cyrenaic philosopher Animals, how produced, according to Epicurus Annius, a monk, the author of the Chaldaic history ascribed to Antiochus, the last preceptor of the Platonic school in Greece 116 ib. 117 ib. 425 157 * 158 ib. 159---161 165 **453 *154 ib. 155 *156 * $196 $467 51 388 258 389 Arimanius, a Persian divinity, the cause of eviled ahtoob vimeA Aristaus, successor of Pythagoras Aristippus, founder of the Cyrenaic sect ana 61 400 190 3067 Page Aristippus, causes of jealousy against him shumouros atida ait moidq191 furnished by Alexander with articles of natural history institution of his school, the Lyceum his method of instruction accused of impiety his writings, their character and fate 296 352 129 175 259--292 forex 260 263 ib. causes of uncertainty respecting his philosophy leading design of his philosophy his doctrine of logic Egyptians Ethiopians iq džol fis „sual introduced among the Greeks by Thales taught by Pythagoras Atlas, an astronomer |