{{Short description|Early philosopher}} {{distinguish| Moschus}} '''Mochus''' ({{langx|grc|Μωχός}}), also known as '''Mochus of Sidon''' and '''Mochus the Phoenician''', is listed by Diogenes Laërtius along with Zalmoxis the Thracian and Atlas of Mauretania, as a proto-philosopher.<ref>Diogenes Laërtius, i. 1; cf. the Suda, ω 283, which calls him ''Ochus''</ref> Athenaeus claimed that he authored a work on the history of Phoenicia.<ref>Athenaeus, iii. 126</ref> Strabo, on the authority of Posidonius,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q4O8DrKO4B4C&q=mochus+atomic+theory&pg=PA343|title=Rethinking the Other in Antiquity|last=Gruen|first=Erich S.|date=16 September 2012|isbn=978-0691156354}}</ref> speaks of one Mochus or Moschus of Sidon as the author of the atomic theory and says that he was more ancient than the Trojan War.<ref>Strabo, ''Geographica'', XVI.2.24.</ref> He is also referred to by Josephus,<ref>Josephus, ''Ant. Jud.'' i. 107</ref> Tatian,<ref>Tatian, ''adv. Gent.''</ref> Eusebius,<ref>Eusebius, ''Praeparatio Evangelica'', x.</ref> and Damascius.<ref>Damascius, ''de Princ''. 125c. See, Guy Darshan, [https://www.academia.edu/41189353/Rua%E1%B8%A5_Elohim_in_Genesis_1_2_in_Light_of_Phoenician_Cosmogonies_A_Tradition_s_History_JNSL_45_2_2019_51_78 "Ruaḥ ’Elohim in Genesis 1:2 in Light of Phoenician Cosmogonies: A Tradition's History,"] Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 45,2 (2019), 51–78, esp. 59–60.</ref>
According to Robert Boyle, the father of modern chemistry, "‘Learned men attribute the devising of the atomical hypothesis to one Moschus a Phenician".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100202999|title=Mochus|website=The Oxford Companion to Philosophy}}</ref> Isaac Newton, Isaac Causabon, John Selden, Johannes Arcerius, Henry More, and Ralph Cudworth also credit Mochus of Sidon as the author of the atomic theory and some of them tried to identify Mochus with Moses the Israelite lawbringer.<ref>[http://ls.poly.edu/~jbain/mms/texts/B12.Pipes_of_Pan.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614045412/http://ls.poly.edu/~jbain/mms/texts/B12.Pipes_of_Pan.pdf|date=June 14, 2010}}</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist}}{{Phoenicia-stub}}{{AncientGreece-philosopher-stub}} Category:13th-century BC Phoenician people Category:Phoenician philosophers Category:Historians of Phoenicia Category:Legendary Greek people