of Ascalon in Palestine, was the disciple of Philo, the founder
of Ascalon in Palestine, was the disciple of Philo, the founder of the fourth academy of the Platonic school, and founded himself a fifth, which procured him the name of Antiochus the Academician. He attempted to reconcile the tenets of the different sects, and maintained that the doctrines of the Stoics were to be found in the writings of Plato. Cicero greatly admired his eloquence, and the politeness of his manners; and Lucullus took him as his companion into Asia. He resigned the academic chair in the 157th olympiad, or B. C. 80, and was the last preceptor of the Platonic school in Greece. After his time the professors of the Academic philosophy were dispersed by the tumults of war, and the school itself was transferred to Rome.
, of Ascalon in Palestine, a Greek mathematician of the sixth century,
, of Ascalon in Palestine, a Greek mathematician of the sixth century, was one of the most intelligent of those who lived in the decline of Greek literature. He wrote Commentaries on the Conies of Apollonius, which were addressed to Anthcmius, and are inserted in Halley’s edition of that author, published at Oxford in 1710; and on the most important works of Archimedes, which lately appeared with every advantage of elegance and correctness, in the folio edition of Archimedes, jssued from the Clarendon press in 1792, which was prepared for publication by Torelli of Verona. Eutocius has some of the best qualities of a commentator. He very seldom passes over a difficult passage in his author without explaining it, or a chasm in the reasoning without supplying the defect. His remarks are usually full; and so anxious is he to render th text perspicuous, that sometimes he undertakes to elucidate where his author may be thought sufficiently clear. Writers have differed about his age; Saxius, one of the latest, and generally most accurate, authorities, places him in the fifth century; but Eutocius addresses Anthemius; and we find from his own writings, that Isidorus was his preceptor, both of whom were, according to Procopius, the architects of the church of St. Sophia, built at Constantinople, about the year 532; consequently, Eutocius must have flourished in the middle of the sixth century.