Diogenes Laërtius ( dy-OJ-in-eez lay-UR-shee-əs; Ancient Greek: Διογένης Λαέρτιος, romanized: Diogénēs Laértios, IPA: [di.o.ɡé.nɛːs laː.ér.ti.os]; fl. 3rd century CE) was a biographer of the Greek philosophers. Little is definitively known about his life, but his surviving work, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, remains a primary source for the history of ancient Greek philosophy. His reputation is controversial among scholars because he often repeats information from his sources without critically evaluating it. In many cases, he focuses on insignificant details of his subjects' lives while ignoring important details of their philosophical teachings and he sometimes fails to distinguish between earlier and later teachings of specific philosophical schools. However, unlike many other ancient secondary sources, Diogenes Laërtius tends to report philosophical teachings without trying to reinterpret or expand on them, and so his accounts are often closer to the primary sources.
Keep every book you read and the lines you loved, scan your shelf in seconds, and read along with three monthly book clubs. Free on iPhone, Android and the web.
Author
