The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

CHAP. IX.

His Disciples.

ZENO (saith Laertius) had many Disciples; the most emi∣nent these:

PERSAEUS Son of Demetrius,* 1.1 a Cittiean; some affirm hee was Zeno's Scholer, others that he was one of the servants which were sent by Antigonus to Zeno to transcribe his writings;* 1.2 whence Bion seeing this inscription on his Statue, PERSEAEUS OF ZENO A CITTIEAN said, the Graver mistook, for instead of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he should have put 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a servant.

Afterwards he returned to Antigonus King of Macedonia; An∣tigonus to make a tryall of him caused a false report to be brought him, that his lands were spoiled by the Enemy; whereat

ap∣pearing troubl'd, Do you not see, saith Antigonus, that riches are not to be reckon'd amongst indifferent things?

Antigonus so much favour'd him, that he preferr'd him to the government of Acrocorinthus; on which Fort depended not only Corinth, but all Peloponnesus; in this charge he was unfortunate; for the Castle was taken by the cunning of Aratus a Sicyonian (* 1.3 Athenaeus saith, whilst Perfaeus was feasting) who turned out Persaeus, whereupon afterwards to one that maintained onely a wise man is a Governour: and I saith he, was once of the same mind, being so taught by Zeno, but now am of another opinion; the Sicyonian young man (meaning Aratus) hath taught me otherwise; Thus Plu∣tarch; But Pausanias saith, that Aratus upon taking of the Fort, amongst others put Persaeus the Governour to death.

He said,* 1.4 that those were esteemed Gods who had invented some things very usefull to humane life.

He wrote these Books; Of a Kingdom; The Lacedaemonian Com∣monwealth; of marriage; of impiety; Thyestes; Of Love, Protrepticks, Exercitations; Chryas, 4. Commentaries; against Plato's Laws 7. * 1.5 Symposiack Dialogues.

ARISTO Son of Miltiades, a Chian, sirnamed the Siren: when Zeno fell into a long sicknesse, he left him, and went (as Diocles saith) to Polemo: He was also a follower of Persaeus, whom he flatter'd much, because of his favour with Antigonus; for hee was much given to pleasure even unto his end; Thus revolting from his Master Zeno, he asserted,

That the end consists in those mean things which are betwixt virtue and vice, that is, in indifference; not to be moved on either side, nor to imagine the least difference to be in these things, but that they are all alike; For a wise man is like a good Player, who whether he personate Agamemnon or Thersides,* 1.6 will act either part very well: Thus he took away the dignity which Zeno held to be in these mean things betwixt virtue and vice;* 1.7 holding that there is no difference in them.

He took away Physick and Logick, affirming that one is above us, the other appertaines nothing to us; Ethick onely appertaines to us; he compared Dialectick reason to cobwebs, which though they seem artificiall, yet are of no use.

He introduced not on any virtues as Zeno, nor one called by severall names as the Megarick Philosophers, but affirmed they have a quodammodotative relation to one another.

Professing these tene••s, and disputing in Cunosarges, he came to be called Author of a Sect; whence Milciades and Diphilus were called Aristonians.

He was very perswasive, and wrought much upon the com∣mon people, whence Timon in Sillis,

One of Aristo's smooth perswasive race.

He defended eagerly this Paradox of the Stoicks, that a wise

man doth not opinionate, but know, which Persaeus opposing, caused of two like twins, first, one to give a depositum to him, then the other to come and redemand it, and by his doubting, if it were the same person, convinced him.

He inveigh'd against Arcesilaus, [* 1.8 calling him a corrupter of youth.] On a time, seeing a Monster like a Bull, but of both sex∣es, he said, Alas! here is an argument for Arcesilaus against ener∣gy. To an Academick who said, he comprehended nothing, Do you not see (saith he) him who sitteth next you? which he denying,

Who struck you blinde, saith he, or took your light away?

He wrote these Treatises, Protrepticks 2. of Zeno's Doctrine Scholastick Dialogues 6. of Wisdome dissertations 7. Erotick dissertations: Commentaries upon vain-glory: Commentaries 15. Memorialls 3. Chrias 11. against Oratours: against Alexinus his oppositions: to the Dialecticks 3. to Cleanthes Epistles 4. But Panaetius and Sosicrates affirm the Epistles only to be his, the rest to be Aristo's the Peri∣patetick.

The Sun striking hot upon his head (which was bald) occasi∣on'd his death. There was another of the same name, a Juliite, a Peripatetick; another an Athenian, a Musician; a fourth a Tra∣gick Poet; a fift an Alaean, who writ the Rhetoricall art; a sixt of Alexandria, a Peripatetick.

ERILLUS (or as Cicero,* 1.9 Herillus) was a Carthaginian: when he was a boy, he was loved and courted by many, which Zeno, by causing him to be shaved, diverted.

He held, that the end is science, which is to live so, as to re∣fer all things to Science, joyned with life: That Science is a habit susceptive of phantasies, falling under reason.

Yet, sometimes he said, there is no end; but, that the end it selfe is changed by the things, and those which are joyned to the things, as Brasse, of which the Statues of Alexander or Socra∣tes is made.

That 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the end, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 differ; one is objected to un∣wise persons as well as wise, the other to wise only.

Those things which are betwixt vertue and vice are indiffe∣rents.

His Bookes are written in a short stile, consisting of few words, but very efficacious, wherein is contain'd what he held contrary to Zeno.

His writings these, of Exercitation, of Passion, of Suspition, the Law-giver, Majeutick, Antipheron, the Master, the Prepa∣rative, the Directive, Hermes, Medea, Dialogues, morall Theses.

His Disciples were called Herilians, named by Cicero as a par∣ticular Sect amongst the Socraticks.

DIONYSIUS, son of Theophantus,* 1.10 an Heracleot, from the change of his opinion sirnamed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the retractor. He was

from the beginning studiously addicted to learning, and writ Poems of all kinds; then betook himselfe to Aratus, being much pleased with him. Of Philosophers he first heard, as Diocles af∣firmes, Heraclides his country-man; then Alexinus, and Menede∣mus; after these Zeno.

Revolting from Zeno, he addicted himselfe to the Cyrenaeans; he went to common houses, and addicted himselfe to other pleasures.

He asserted the end to be pleasure, and that by reason of his own purblindnesse; for being much grieved thereat, he durst not affirm griefe to be one of the indifferents.

He died eighty years old, starved.

His writings are thus intitled, Of apathy 2. of riches and favour and punishment, of the use of men, of good fortune, of the Kings of the antients, of things that are praised, of the customes of the Barbarians.

SPHAERUS was of Bosphorus, he first heard Zeno, then Cleanthes, and having made a sufficient progresse in learning, went to A∣lexandria to Ptolomy Philopater, where there arising a dispute, whether a wise man doth opinionate, and Sphaerus maintaining that he doth not, the King commanded some Quinces, Athenaeus saith Birds, of wax to be set before him, wherewith Sphaerus being cosen'd, the King cried out, that he assented to a false phantasy: Sphaerus presently answered, that he assented not that they were quinces, but that it was probable they were quinces: but comprehensive phantasie differs from probable;* 1.11 for that is never false, but in probable matters sometimes a thing falleth out otherwise than we imagined.

* 1.12 Mnesistratus accusing him, that he denyed Ptolomy to be King, he answered, that he thought Ptolomy, or such a one was King.

His writings are these: Of the world, of the seed of Elements, of fortune, of leasts, against atomes and apparitions, of the organs of sense, upon Heraclitus five dissertations; of morall description, of office, of appetite, of passions 2. dissertations of a Kingdome; of the Lacedemoni∣an Common-wealth, of Lycurgus and Socrates 3. of Law, of Divina∣tion, Erotick Dialogues, of the Eretriack Philosophers, of things like, of definitions, of habit, of contraries 3. of reason, of riches, of glory, of death, of the art of Dialectick 2. of categorems, of ambiguities, Epistles.

CLEANTHES, whom Zeno compared to writing tables, that are so hard, they will not easily admit an impression; but ha∣ving once received it, keep it long. He succeeded Zeno, of him therefore apart.

Philon, a Theban.

Callippus, a Corinthian.

Possidonius, an Alexandrian.

Athenodorus of Soli; there were two more of the same name, Stoicks.

Zeno, a S••donian.

Last in the Catalogue of his Disciples must be remembred

an Eretrian youth (mention'd by* 1.13 Stobaeus) who heard Zeno till he came to be a man; then returning to Eretria, his Father asked him what he had learn'd all that time, he answered, he would shortly let him see, and did so; for, not long after his Father in anger did beat him, which he took quietly, saying, This I have learn'd, to bear with the anger of a Father, and not to oppose it.

In the life of Zeno (for as much as he is author of that Sect) it will be requisite to give account of the Doctrine of the Stoicks in generall; wherein, if the terms seem harshly rendred, it will easily be forgiven by those, who consider, the Stoicks were no lesse particular in their words, then in their doctrines.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Laert.
• * 1.2

  Athen:
• * 1.3

  Deipn.
• * 1.4

  C••.
• * 1.5

  Athen. Deipn.
• * 1.6

  Cic. Acad. quast. 4.
• * 1.7

  Cic. de finib. 4.
• * 1.8

  Laert: vit. Arces.
• * 1.9

  Laert.
• * 1.10

  Laert.
• * 1.11

  Athen.
• * 1.12

  Laert.
• * 1.13

  Ethic. Serm. 198.