Heraclides Ponticus (Ἡρακλείδης ὁ Ποντικός) was a 4th-century BCE Greek philosopher and astronomer, born in Heraclea Pontica. He studied at Plato’s Academy in Athens under both Plato and Speusippus and was a contemporary of Aristotle. Diogenes Laertius notes he was wealthy, fond of luxury, and wrote in a stylish, dramatic manner [2]. He was considered for the headship of the Academy in 339 BCE [1].

His prolific writings, now mostly lost, spanned dialogues on ethics, natural philosophy, literature, music, and history. Specific titles include On Justice, On Temperance, On the Soul, and works on the constitutions of various states [2]. In astronomy, he proposed that Venus and Mercury revolve around the Sun, a theory later associated with Tycho Brahe [1][3].

Heraclides was a significant eclectic thinker in the Platonic tradition. His astronomical hypotheses were innovative steps in understanding planetary motion [1][3]. He was also noted for his literary style and influential works on music and poetry, remembered as a versatile figure of the Early Academy [1][2].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Heraclides Ponticus (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heraclides-ponticus/) 2. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Heraclides Ponticus (https://iep.utm.edu/heraclid/) 3. Encyclopædia Britannica: Heraclides Ponticus (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Heraclides-Ponticus)