Aesara of Lucania c. 350 BC – c. 280 BC
Aesara of Lucania (c. 350 BC – c. 280 BC) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
Aesara of Lucania was a Pythagorean philosopher of the fourth or third century BC, possibly the daughter of the Pythagorean Aresas, and one of the few female Pythagoreans whose writings have come down to us in any form. The fragments of her On Human Nature, preserved in Stobaeus, present an early philosophical account of the soul as having three parts, the rational, the spirited, and the appetitive, harmonized by the central virtue of justice and modeled on the structure of the well-governed family and city. Her treatment anticipates, and in some details prefigures, the more famous tripartite soul of Plato's Republic.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Pre-Socratic, Ancient Greek Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Aesara of Lucania:
“The soul has three parts: the rational, the spirited, and the appetitive; their right harmony is justice.”
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Attributed to Aesara of Lucania:
“Justice in the soul is what justice is in the city, only smaller and more intimate.”
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Attributed to Aesara of Lucania:
“What we are by nature is the foundation; what we make of it is our virtue.”
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Attributed to Aesara of Lucania:
“He who has not put his own soul in order cannot put a city in order.”
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Attributed to Aesara of Lucania:
“Music in the soul is the harmony of its three parts; without it, the soul is dissonant.”
Frequently asked about Aesara of Lucania
- When did Aesara of Lucania live?
- Aesara of Lucania was born in c. 350 BC and died in c. 280 BC.
- Where was Aesara of Lucania from?
- Aesara of Lucania was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
- What philosophical movements is Aesara of Lucania associated with?
- Aesara of Lucania was associated with Pre-Socratic and Ancient Greek Philosophy.
- What was Aesara of Lucania known for?
- Aesara of Lucania was a Pythagorean philosopher of the fourth or third century BC, possibly the daughter of the Pythagorean Aresas, and one of the few female Pythagoreans whose writings have come down to us in any form.
- How many quotes are attributed to Aesara of Lucania?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Aesara of Lucania in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.