Reference

Heraclitus' work was extraordinarily rare, which made it unavailable to Simplicius and scholars at the Platonic Academy in Athens. The scarcity of his writings is mentioned in multiple sources. This rarity could be attributed to various factors:

1. Limited Distribution: Heraclitus' works were not widely disseminated. They were probably available only in select locations, and many copies might not have survived through the years.

2. Fragmentary Nature: Much of what is known about Heraclitus comes from fragments cited by later authors rather than complete texts. This makes it difficult to piece together his complete theories and writings.

3. Historical Context: During ancient times, many works did not survive due to wars, natural disasters, or the general degradation of materials over time. Important texts could easily be lost or destroyed.

For more detailed information, you can refer to sources such as:

• Kiddle Encyclopedia on Heraclitus
• Enjoy Today article on Heraclitus explained

These factors combined likely resulted in the unavailability of Heraclitus' works to Simplicius and others in the Platonic Academy.