Xeno'crates
a statuary of the school of Lysippus, was the pupil either of Tisicrates or of Euthycrates. both of whom he surpassed in the number of his works.
He also wrote works upon the art. (Plin.
H. N 8. s. 34.23;
D. L. 4.15.)
He must have flourished about Ol. 130, B. C. 260.
In another passage of Pliny (
35.10. s. 36.5) Xenocrates is quoted for a statement respecting Parrhasius.
It does not necessarily follow that he wrote a distinct work on painting, for the observation quoted might very well have been made in connection with the general subject of artistic composition.
In the
Elenchus of book xxxiii. Xenocrates is mentioned, among Pliny's authorities, as a writer on the toreutic art (
de torentice), and in that of book xxxv., as a writer on metal-work in general (
de metallica discipline).
In the latter passage (and in the former also, according to some MSS.) he is called
Xenocrate (abl.)
Zenonis. Whether his father's name was
Zeno, or
Zenonis is an error for
Zenone, we have not the means of deciding.
It should also be mentioned, with respect to the second passage quoted above from Pliny (
Plin. Nat. 35.10. s. 36.5), that Junius (
de Pict. Vet. 2.3; comp. Menag.
ad Diog. 4.15) proposes to read
Hypsicrales for
Xenocrates ; but all the MSS. have
Xenocrates, and the reasons assigned by Junius for altering it are insufficient.
[
P.S]
