Posidonius against Epicurus' Method of Multiple Explanations?

The main purpose of this short paper is to study the possible criticism that Posidonius might have raised against Epicurus’ method of multiple explanations. We know this Epicurean doctrine mainly thanks to the Letter to Pythocles, a doctrinal epistle preserved by Diogenes Laertius and fully devoted to the study of celestial and meteorological phenomena. In his Commentary on Aristotle’s Physics (291, 21–292, 31 Diels = Posid. F18 Edelstein-Kidd = 255 Theiler) Simplicius quotes Alexander of Aphrodisias, which in turn refers to a passage of Geminus’ Concise Exposition of the Meteorology of Posidonius. Here Posidonius deals with the distinction between philosophy and the special sciences. Although Posidonius enters into a rich debate of his day, I believe it would be legitimate to include Epicurus and his doctrine of multiple explanations among Posidonius’ potential polemical targets.