Aesara
Aesara of Lucania (Aisara) (fl. 400BC - 300BC) was a Pythagorean philosopher and attested author of On Human Nature, a fragment of which is preserved by Stobaeus. The authorship has been contested, most notably by Holger Thesleff in a critical note to the Greek text.
Also recorded as Aesara of Lucania
Aesara
- Born
- 400
- Died
- 300 · Crotone.
- Occupation
- philosopher · writer
- Languages
- Ancient Greek
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Documentary summary
Aesara of Lucania (Aisara) (fl. 400BC - 300BC) was a Pythagorean philosopher and attested author of On Human Nature, a fragment of which is preserved by Stobaeus. The authorship has been contested, most notably by Holger Thesleff in a critical note to the Greek text.
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wikidata · Q2637222 · wikipedia · Aesara
In this article
On Human Nature
Thesleff suggests that the attribution by Stobaeus to Aesara (a feminine name) is an emendation error in the manuscript. He attributes it instead to Aresas, a male writer from Lucania who is also mentioned by Iamblichus in his Life of Pythagoras.
The following is excerpted from the extant fragment of Aesara's On Human Nature: Human nature seems to me to provide a standard of law and justice both for the home and for the city. By following the tracks within himself whoever seeks will make a discovery: law is in him and justice, which is the orderly arrangement of the soul. Being threefold, it is organized in accordance with triple functions: that which effects thoughtfulness is [the mind], that which effects strength and ability is [high spirit], and all that effects love and kindliness is desire. These are all so disposed relatively to one another, that the best part is in command, the most inferior is governed, and the one in between holds a middle place; it both governs and is governed. The writing asserts that the soul had three parts: the mind, the spirit, and desire. These three forces work in harmony, interacting in different ways for the achievement of different tasks.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Stobaeus, i. 49. 27
- 2.Aesara of Lucania (fl. 400s–300s BCE). Encyclopedia.com.
- 3.Plant 2004 S. 81–82
- 4.Plant 2004 S. 72, 81–82
- 5.Waithe 1987, S. 68
- 6.Waithe 1987, S. 61–62
- 7.Waithe 1987, S. 63–65
- 8.Waithe 1987, S. 72–73; Plant 2004 S. 81–82
- 9.Waithe 1987, S. 19
- 10.Waithe 1987, S. 22; Plant 2004 S. 81–82
- 11.Waithe 1987, S. 19
- 12.Waithe 1987, S. 25
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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