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Aesara of Lucania (Greek: Αἰσάρα Aisara) (fl. 400BC - 300BC) was a conjectured Pythagorean philosopher who may have written On Human Nature, a fragment of which is preserved by Stobaeus, although the majority of critical scholars follow Holger Thesleff^[1] in attributing it to Aresas,^[2] a male writer from Lucania who is also mentioned by Iamblichus in his Life of Pythagoras.^[3]

On Human Nature

The full text of Aesara's exposition of the On Human Nature is:

Human nature seems to me to provide a standard of law and justice both for the home and for the city. By following the tracks within himself whoever seeks will make a discovery: law is in him and justice, which is the orderly arrangement of the soul. Being threefold, it is organized in accordance with triple functions: that which effects thoughtfulness is [the mind], that which effects strength and ability is [high spirit], and all that effects love and kindliness is desire. These are all so disposed relatively to one another, that the best part is in command, the most inferior is governed, and the one in between holds a middle place; it both governs and is governed.^[4]

The writing asserts that the soul had three parts: the mind, the spirit, and desire. These three forces work in harmony, interacting in different ways for the achievement of different tasks.

Notes

^ Thesleff, Holger (1961). An introduction to the pythagorean writings of the hellenistic period (in German). °Abo Akademi. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
^ "Review of: Pythagorean Women: Their History and Writings". Bryn Mawr Classical Review. ISSN 1055-7660. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
^ Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, 266
^ A History of Women Philosophers: Volume I: Ancient Women Philosophers, 600 B.C.-500 A.D.. (1987). Netherlands: Springer Netherlands.

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[1] Thesleff, Holger (1961). An introduction to the pythagorean writings of the hellenistic period (in German). °Abo Akademi. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.

[2] "Review of: Pythagorean Women: Their History and Writings". Bryn Mawr Classical Review. ISSN 1055-7660. Archived from the original on 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03.

[3] Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, 266

[4] A History of Women Philosophers: Volume I: Ancient Women Philosophers, 600 B.C.-500 A.D.. (1987). Netherlands: Springer Netherlands.

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+{{short description|Ancient Greek philosopher}}
-'''Aesara of Lucania''' (or Aisara, {{lang-el|Αισάρα}}; 4th or 3rd century BC) was a [[Pythagoreanism|Pythagorean]] philosopher, who wrote a work ''On Human Nature'', of which a fragment is preserved by [[Stobaeus]].
+'''Aesara of Lucania''' ({{lang-el|Αἰσάρα}} ''Aisara'') (''fl.'' 400BC - 300BC) was a conjectured [[Pythagoreanism|Pythagorean]] philosopher who may have written ''On Human Nature'', a fragment of which is preserved by [[Stobaeus]], although the majority of critical scholars follow Holger Thesleff<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thesleff |first1=Holger |title=An introduction to the pythagorean writings of the hellenistic period |date=1961 |publisher=°Abo Akademi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c_PIzQEACAAJ |access-date=12 July 2023 |language=de |archive-date=12 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712011251/https://books.google.com/books?id=c_PIzQEACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> in attributing it to [[Aresas]],<ref>{{cite journal |title=Review of: Pythagorean Women: Their History and Writings |journal=Bryn Mawr Classical Review |url=https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2014/2014.08.58/ |issn=1055-7660 |access-date=2024-06-03 |archive-date=2024-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603130110/https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2014/2014.08.58/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a male writer from Lucania who is also mentioned by [[Iamblichus]] in his ''Life of Pythagoras''.<ref>Iamblichus, ''Life of Pythagoras'', 266</ref>
+== ''On Human Nature'' ==
-==Life==
-Nothing is known about the life of Aesara, she is known only from a one-page fragment of her philosophical work entitled ''On Human Nature'' preserved by [[Stobaeus]].<ref>Stobaeus, i. 49. 27</ref> [[Lucania]], where she came from, was an ancient district of southern [[Italy]] and part of [[Magna Graecia]] where many Pythagorean communities existed. It has been conjectured that her name is a variation on the name ''Aresa'', who, according to one minor tradition, was a daughter of [[Pythagoras]] and [[Theano (philosopher)|Theano]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Plant|2004|pp=81–82}}</ref> A male writer from Lucania called ''Aresas'' is also mentioned by [[Iamblichus]] in his ''Life of Pythagoras''.<ref>Iamblichus, ''Life of Pythagoras'', 266</ref>
+The full text of Aesara's exposition of the On Human Nature is:
-==Work==
-''On Human Nature'' is written in the [[Doric Greek|Doric]] prose characteristic of the 3rd century BC or earlier,<ref>{{Harvnb|Waithe|1987|p=72}}; {{Harvnb|Plant|2004|pp=81–82}}</ref> although that doesn't exclude the possibility that it was written later in an archaic style.<ref>{{Harvnb|Waithe|1987|p=68}}</ref> It has been argued that the fragment is a [[Neopythagorean]] forgery dating from the [[Roman era]], although this at least implies that there was an earlier Pythagorean called Aesara of Lucania worth imitating.<ref>{{Harvnb|Waithe|1987|pp=61–62}}</ref> It has also been suggested that the fragment is [[pseudonym]]ous, and comes from a textbook produced by one of the dissenting successor schools to [[Archytas of Tarentum]] in Italy in the 4th or 3rd century BC.<ref>{{Harvnb|Waithe|1987|pp=63–65}}</ref> In the absence of any strong evidence supporting either hypothesis, there is no reason to suppose that the fragment was not written by a woman philosopher called Aesara in the 4th or 3rd centuries BC.<ref>{{Harvnb|Waithe|1987|pp=72–73}}; {{Harvnb|Plant|2004|pp=81–82}}</ref>
+<blockquote>Human nature seems to me to provide a standard of law and justice both for the home and for the city. By following the tracks within himself whoever seeks will make a discovery: law is in him and justice, which is the orderly arrangement of the soul. Being threefold, it is organized in accordance with triple functions: that which effects thoughtfulness is [the mind], that which effects strength and ability is [high spirit], and all that effects love and kindliness is desire. These are all so disposed relatively to one another, that the best part is in command, the most inferior is governed, and the one in between holds a middle place; it both governs and is governed.<ref>A History of Women Philosophers: Volume I: Ancient Women Philosophers, 600 B.C.-500 A.D.. (1987). Netherlands: Springer Netherlands.</ref></blockquote>
-Aesara argues that it is by studying our own [[human nature]] (and specifically the human soul) that we can understand the philosophical basis for [[natural law]] and [[morality]]:<ref name="waithe19">{{Harvnb|Waithe|1987|p=19}}</ref>
-<blockquote>
-Human nature seems to me to provide a standard of law and justice both for the home and for the city.</blockquote>
-Aesara divides the soul into three parts: the mind which performs judgement and thought, the spirit which contains courage and strength, and desire which provides love and friendliness:
-<blockquote>
-Being threefold, it is organized in accordance with triple functions: that which effects judgment and thoughtfulness is [the mind], that which effects strength and ability is [high spirit], and that which effects love and kindliness is desire.
-</blockquote>
-These things, being divine, are the rational, mathematical, and functional principles at work in the soul.<ref>{{Harvnb|Waithe|1987|p=22}}; {{Harvnb|Plant|2004|pp=81–82}}</ref> Aesara's theory of natural law concerns three applications of morality, concerning the individual, the family, and social institutions.<ref name="waithe19"/>
+The writing asserts that the soul had three parts: the mind, the spirit, and desire. These three forces work in harmony, interacting in different ways for the achievement of different tasks.
-The Pythagoreans were notable as a sect for including women in their ranks. This did not necessarily equate to modern ideas of equality; they believed that women were responsible for creating harmony and justice in the home, in the same way that men had the same responsibility towards the state.<ref name="waithe25">{{Harvnb|Waithe|1987|p=25}}</ref> Seen in this context, Aesara's theory of natural law is fundamental to justice and harmony in society as a whole.<ref name="waithe25"/>
 ==Notes==
 {{reflist|2}}
+{{Authority control}}
-==References==
-*{{Citation
-| last = Plant
-| first = Ian
-| year = 2004
-| title = Women Writers of Ancient Greece and Rome: An Anthology
-| publisher = Equinox
-| isbn = 1904768024
-}}
-*{{Citation
-| last = Waithe
-| first = Mary Ellen
-| year = 1987
-| title = A History of Women Philosophers: Volume I: Ancient Women Philosophers, 600 BC - 500 AD
-| publisher = Springer
-| isbn = 9024733685
-}}
-==External links==
-*[http://www.women-philosophers.com/Aesara-of-Lucania.html Aesara of Lucania] at [http://www.women-philosophers.com/ Women-philosophers.com]
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Aesara}}
+[[Category:Pythagoreans]]
-[[Category:4th-century BC women]]
-[[Category:3rd-century BC women]]
-[[Category:4th-century BC philosophers]]
 [[Category:Ancient Greek women philosophers]]
 [[Category:Ancient Greek women writers]]
 [[Category:Doric Greek writers]]
 [[Category:Lucanian Greeks]]
+[[Category:People from Basilicata]]
 [[Category:Pythagoreans of Magna Graecia]]
 [[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
 [[Category:Year of death unknown]]
+[[Category:4th-century BC Greek philosophers]]
+{{AncientGreece-philosopher-stub}}
-[[es:Aresas]]
-[[nl:Aesara van Lucania]]
-[[pt:Esara de Lucânia]]
-[[fi:Aisara]]

Authority control databases
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