Heraclides Ponticus facts for kids

Heraclides Ponticus (Greek: Ἡρακλείδης ὁ Ποντικός Herakleides; around 390 BC – around 310 BC) was an important Greek philosopher and astronomer. He was born in Heraclea Pontica, which is now Karadeniz Ereğli, Turkey. Later, he moved to Athens.

Heraclides is best known for suggesting that the Earth spins on its own axis. He believed it rotated from west to east once every 24 hours. Some people also think he was the first to suggest a heliocentric theory. This means the Sun is at the center of our solar system. However, this idea is still debated by historians.

His Life

Heraclides' father was Euthyphron. He was a rich nobleman. Euthyphron sent his son to study at the famous Platonic Academy in Athens. Heraclides studied there under its founder, Plato. He also learned from Plato's successor, Speusippus.

According to an ancient book called the Suda, Plato left Heraclides in charge of the Academy. This happened when Plato went to Sicily in 361 or 360 BC. Heraclides almost became the head of the Academy himself. This was in 339 or 338 BC, after Speusippus. But he lost the election to Xenocrates by a small number of votes.

His Work and Ideas

Sadly, almost all of Heraclides' writings are lost today. We only have a few small pieces of his work.

Earth's Rotation

Like other thinkers, Heraclides suggested that the Earth spins on its axis once a day. This explains why the stars seem to move across the sky every day. This idea was different from what most people believed then. The accepted view, from Aristotle, said the Earth was still. It claimed the stars and planets moved around the Earth.

A writer named Simplicius said that Heraclides thought the planets' strange movements could be explained. He believed this could happen if the Earth moved while the Sun stayed still.

Planets and the Sun

Some historians have thought that Heraclides taught that Venus and Mercury orbit the Sun. However, after looking closely at old writings, experts now doubt this. There is no clear mention in ancient texts that Heraclides supported any kind of heliocentric idea for planets.

His Writings and Interests

Heraclides was a very active writer. He wrote about many different subjects. These included philosophy, mathematics, music, grammar, physics, history, and rhetoric. Many of his works were written as dialogues, like conversations.

Heraclides also seemed interested in unusual or mysterious things. He tried to explain trances, visions, and prophecies. He thought they might be linked to the gods or to people being reborn.

One important quote from Heraclides is about the city of Rome. He said that in the fourth century BC, Rome was a Greek city. This is interesting for historians.

Heraclides also admired Pythagoras. He mentioned that Pythagoras remembered being other people in past lives.

A Quote from Heraclides

Here is a quote from a speech by a character named "Heraclides." It is from Aristotle's work called Protrepticus:

So nothing divine or happy belongs to humans apart from just that one thing worth taking seriously, as much insight and intelligence as is in us, for, of what’s ours, this alone seems to be immortal, and this alone divine. And by being able to share in such a capacity, our way of life, although by nature miserable and difficult, is yet so gracefully managed that, in comparison with the other animals, a human seems to be a god.

(translated by Hutchinson and Johnson, 2015)

See also

In Spanish: Heráclides Póntico para niños