Note 25 — Chapter III · HISTORY OF THE STOICS UNTIL THE END OF THE SECOND CENTURY B.C.

Citium was his birthplace. His father’s name was Demetrius (Diog. 6; 36), and his own nickname Dorotheus (Suid. Περσ.). According to Diog. 36; Sotion and Nicias in Athen. iv. 162, d; Gell. ii. 18, 8; Orig. C. Cels. iii. 483, d; he was first a slave of Zeno’s, which agrees with his being a pupil and inmate of his house (Diog. 36; 13; Cic. N. D. i. 15, 38; Athen. xiii. 607, e; Pausan. ii. 8, 4). It is less probable that he was presented by Antigonus to Zeno as a copyist (Diog. 36). He subsequently lived at the court of Antigonus (Athen. vi. 251, c; xiii. 607, a; Themist. Or. xxxii., p. 358), whose son Halcyoneus (Ælian, V. H. iii. 17, says falsely himself) he is said to have instructed (Diog. 36), and with whom he stood in high favour (Plut. Arat. 18; Athen. vi. 251, c). He, however, allowed the Macedonian garrison in Corinth to be surprised by Aratus, in 243 B.C., and, according to Pausan. ii. 8, 4; vii. 8, 1, perished on that occasion. The contrary is asserted by Plut. Arat. 23, and Athen. iv. 162, c. In his teaching and manner of life, he appears to have taken a very easy view of the Stoic principles (Diog. 13; 36; Athen. iv. 162, b; xiii. 607, a). It is therefore probable that he did not agree with Aristo’s Cynicism (Diog. vii. 162), and his pupil Hermagoras wrote against the Cynics (Suid. Ἑρμαγ.). Political reasons were at the bottom of Menedemus’ hatred for him (Diog. ii. 143). Otherwise, he appears as a genuine Stoic (Diog. vii. 120; Cic. N. D. i. 15, 38; Minuc. Felix Octav. 21, 3; Philodem. De Mus., Vol. Herc. i. col. 14). Compare p. 39, 2. The treatises mentioned by Diog. 36 are chiefly ethical and political. In addition to these, there was a treatise on Ethics (Diog. 28); the συμποτικὰ ὑπομνήματα, or συμποτικοὶ διάλογοι, from which Athen. (iv. 162, b; xiii. 607, a) gives some extracts; and the Ἱστορία (in Suid.). Whether Cicero’s statement is taken from a treatise omitted by Diogenes, or from that περὶ ἀσεβείας, it is hard to say. ↑