Life Philitas of Cos

the ptolemaic kingdom, c. 300 bc, centered on alexandria in ancient egypt; cos on northwest frontier.

philetas appointed philadelphus tutor, suggests moved alexandria c. 297/6 bc , moved cos in later 290s bc. may have tutored arsinoe ii, philadelphus older sister , eventual wife. later tutors of royal offspring in ptolemaic egypt headed library of alexandria, unknown whether philitas held position. philitas taught poets hermesianax , theocritus , grammarian zenodotus, , after returned cos seems have spent @ least ten years leading brotherhood of intellectuals , poets included aratus, hermesianax, , theocritus.

hermesianax wrote of philitas, singing of nimble bittis , , ovid twice calls battis . commonly thought bittis or battis philitas mistress, , hermesianax referred love poetry; possibility name connoted chatterbox , , humorous personification of philitas passion words.

philitas thin , frail, , may have suffered , died wasting disease. seems have died in cos sometime in 280s bc. pupil hermesianax wrote statue of him erected under plane tree people of cos, depicting him frail glosses . contemporary posidippus wrote philadelphus commissioned bronze of philitas in old age sculptor hecataeus, included nothing physique of heroes. no, ... cast old man full of cares. 3rd century ad roman author aelian skeptically passed along story philitas thin put lead weights in soles of shoes avoid being blown away stiff wind. 2nd century ad greek author, athenaeus of naucratis, wrote philitas studied false arguments , erroneous word-usage intensely wasted away , starved death, , epitaph read:

st. george stock analyzed story saying philitas studied megarian school of philosophy, cultivated , studied paradoxes such liar paradox: if says lying , says true or false? stock wrote philitas worried on liar paradox died of insomnia, , translated epitaph follows:

a more literal translation suggests invented epitaph pokes fun @ philitas focus on using right words: