Sextus Empiricus and Greek Scepticism. 14

Therefore, the school must have been removed from Alexandria, in or before the time of the teacher of Sextus, to some other center. The Hypotyposes are from beginning to end a direct attack on the Dogmatics; therefore, Sextus must have taught either in some city where the dogmatic philosophy was strong, or in some rival philosophical center. The Hypotyposes show also that the writer had access to some large library. Alexandria, Rome, and Athens are the three places most probable for selection for such a purpose. For whatever reason the seat of the school was removed from Alexandria by the master of Sextus, or by himself, from the place where it had so long been united with the Empirical School of medicine, Athens would seem the most suitable city for its recontinuance, in the land where Pyrrhonism first had its birth. Sextus, however, in one instance, in referring to things invisible because of their outward relations, says in illustration, "as the city of Athens is invisible to us at present."¹ In other places also, he contrasts the Athenians with the people whom he is addressing, equally with the Alexandrians, thus putting Athens as well as Alexandria out of the question.

Of the different writers on Sextus Empiricus, those who have treated this part of the subject most critically are Haas and Pappenheim. We will therefore consider, somewhat at length, the results presented by these two authors. Haas thinks that the Hypotyposes were delivered in Rome for the following reasons.