Domninus of Larissa
ancient Greek mathematician
Domninus of Larissa (Greek: Δομνῖνος; c. 420 – c. 480) was an ancient Hellenistic Syrian mathematician.
Life
Domninus of Larissa, Syria was, simultaneously with Proclus, a pupil of Syrianus. Domninus is said to have corrupted the doctrines of Plato by mixing up with them his private opinions. This called forth a treatise from Proclus, intended as a statement of the genuine principles of Platonism. Marinus writes about a rivalry between Domninus and Proclus about how Plato's work should be interpreted,
[Syrianus] offered to discourse to them on either the Orphic theories or the oracles; but Domninus wanted Orphism, Proclus the oracles, and they had not agreed when Syrianus died...
The Athenian academy eventually choose Proclus' interpretation over Domninus' and Proclus would later become the head of the academy. After Proclus' promotion, Domninus left Athens and returned to Larissa.
It is said that once when Domninus was ill and coughing up blood, he took to eating copious amounts of pork, despite the fact that he was Jewish, because a physician prescribed it as a treatment. He is also said to have taught Asclepiodotus, until Asclepiodotus became so argumentative that Domninus no longer admitted him into his company.
Writings
Domninus is remembered for authoring a Manual of Introductory Arithmetic (Greek: Ἐγχειρίδιον ἀριθμητικῆς εἰσαγωγῆς), which was edited by Boissonade and had two articles by Tannery written about it.
The public source identifies “Domninus of Larissa” as ancient Greek mathematician. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Domninus, Larissa and ancient.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Domninus of Larissa”, the useful work is to connect “ancient Greek mathematician” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1238588. VIAF identifies the subject as 2119406. The Library of Congress control number is no2001064983. 3 of 7 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Domninus of Larissa”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Domninus of Larissa primary sources, Domninus of Larissa archive and Domninus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Domninus of Larissa”?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Domninus of Larissa” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.