Stilpo's Life

I. Stilpo, a native of Megara in Greece, was a pupil of some of Euclides’ school. But some say that he was a pupil of Euclides himself. And also of Thrasymachus, the Corinthian, who was a friend of Icthyas, as Heraclides informs us.

I. Stilpo was from Megara in Greece. He studied under some members of Euclides’ school. But some say he studied under Euclides himself. Heraclides also tells us that Stilpo studied under Thrasymachus of Corinth, a friend of Icthyas.

II. And he was so much superior to all his fellows in command of words and in acuteness, that it may almost be said that all Greece fixed its eyes upon him, and joined the Megaric school. And concerning him Philippus of Megara speaks thus, word for word:—“For he carried off from Theophrastus, Metrodorus the speculative philosopher, and Timagoras of Gela; and Aristotle the Cyrenaic, he robbed of Clitarchus and Simias; and from the dialecticians’ school also he won men over, carrying off Pæoneius from Aristides, and Diphilus of the Bosphorus from Euphantus, and also Myrmex of the Venetes, who had both come to him to argue against him, but they became converts and his disciples.” And besides these men, he attracted to his school Phrasidemus the Peripatetic, a natural philosopher of great ability; and Alcimus the rhetorician, the most eminent orator in all Greece at that time; and he won over Crates, and great numbers of others, and among them Zeno the Phœnician.

II. He surpassed all his peers so greatly in command of words and sharpness of mind that it may almost be said that all Greece turned its attention to him and joined the Megaric school. Philippus of Megara says this about him: “He drew Metrodorus the speculative philosopher and Timagoras of Gela away from Theophrastus. He also drew Clitarchus and Simias away from Aristotle the Cyrenaic. He won men over from the dialecticians’ school as well. He drew Pæoneius away from Aristides, and Diphilus of the Bosphorus away from Euphantus. He also won over Myrmex of the Venetes. Diphilus and Myrmex had both come to argue against him, but they became converts and his disciples.” Besides these men, he attracted Phrasidemus the Peripatetic, a highly capable natural philosopher, to his school. He also attracted Alcimus the rhetorician, the most eminent orator in all Greece at that time. He won over Crates and many others, including Zeno the Phœnician.

III. And he was very fond of the study of politics. And he was married. But he lived also with a courtesan, named Nicarete, as Onetor tells us somewhere. And he had a licentious daughter, who was married to a friend of his named Simias, a citizen of Syracuse. And as she would not live in an orderly manner, some one told Stilpo that she was a disgrace to him. But he said, “She is not more a disgrace to me than I am an honour to her.”

III. Stilpo was very interested in politics. He was married, but he also lived with a courtesan named Nicarete, as Onetor tells us somewhere. He had a licentious daughter who married his friend Simias, a citizen of Syracuse. Because she would not live respectably, someone told Stilpo that she was a disgrace to him. But he replied, “She is no more a disgrace to me than I am an honor to her.”

IV. Ptolemy Soter, it is said, received him with great honour; and when he had made himself master of Megara, he gave him money, and invited him to sail with him to Egypt. But he accepted only a moderate sum of money, and declined the journey proposed to him, but went over to Ægina, until Ptolemy had sailed. Also when Demetrius, the son of Antigonus had taken Megara, he ordered Stilpo’s house to be saved, and took care that everything that had been plundered from him should be restored to him. But when he wished Stilpo to give him in a list of all that he had lost, he said that he had lost nothing of his own; for that no one had taken from him his learning, and that he still had his eloquence and his knowledge. And he conversed with Demetrius on the subject of doing good to men with such power, that he became a zealous hearer of his.

IV. Ptolemy Soter, it is said, welcomed him with great honor. After taking Megara, Ptolemy gave him money and invited him to sail with him to Egypt. But he accepted only a modest sum and declined the invitation. Instead, he went to Ægina until Ptolemy had sailed. When Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, took Megara, he ordered that Stilpo’s house be spared. He also made sure that everything plundered from Stilpo was returned to him. Demetrius asked Stilpo for a list of everything he had lost. But Stilpo said he had lost nothing of his own. No one had taken away his learning, and he still had his eloquence and knowledge. Stilpo spoke to Demetrius so powerfully about doing good to others that Demetrius became an eager listener.

V. They say that he once put such a question as this to a man, about the Minerva of Phidias:—“Is Minerva the Goddess the daughter of Jupiter?” And when the other said, “Yes;” “But this,” said he, “is not the child of Jupiter, but of Phidias.” And when he agreed that it was so—“This then,” he continued, “is not a God.” And when he was brought before the Areopagus for this speech, he did not deny it, but maintained that he had spoken correctly; for that she was not a God (θεὸς) but a Goddess (θεὰ); for that Gods were of the male sex only.²⁹ However the judges of the Areopagus ordered him to leave the city; and on this occasion, Theodorus, who was nicknamed θεὸς, said in derision, “Whence did Stilpo learn this? and how could he tell whether she was a God or a Goddess?” But Theodorus was in truth a most impudent fellow. But Stilpo was a most witty and elegant-minded man. Accordingly when Crates asked him if the Gods delighted in adoration and prayer; they say that he answered, “Do not ask these questions, you foolish man, in the road, but in private.” And they say too that Bion, when he was asked whether there were any Gods, answered in the same spirit:—

V. They say that Stilpo once asked a man a question about Phidias’s statue of Minerva. “Is the goddess Minerva the daughter of Jupiter?” The man said, “Yes.” “But this Minerva,” Stilpo said, “is the child of Phidias, not Jupiter.” The man agreed. “Then this is not a god,” Stilpo continued. When Stilpo was brought before the Areopagus for saying this, he did not deny it. He maintained that he was right, because she was not a god (θεὸς) but a goddess (θεὰ). For only males were gods.²⁹ Nevertheless, the judges of the Areopagus ordered him to leave the city. On this occasion, Theodorus, who was nicknamed θεὸς, mocked him. “Where did Stilpo learn this? How could he tell whether she was a god or a goddess?” In truth, Theodorus was a thoroughly shameless fellow. But Stilpo was witty and refined. Once, Crates asked Stilpo whether the gods took pleasure in worship and prayer. They say Stilpo answered, “Do not ask such questions in the street, you foolish man. Ask them in private.” They also say that when Bion was asked whether there were any gods, he answered in the same spirit:

VI. But Stilpo was a man of simple character, and free from all trick and humbug, and universally affable. Accordingly, when Crates the Cynic once refused to answer a question that he had put to him, and only insulted his questioner—“I knew,” said Stilpo, “that he would say anything rather than what he ought.” And once he put a question to him, and offered him a fig at the same time; so he took the fig and ate it, on which Crates said, “O Hercules, I have lost my fig.” “Not only that,” he replied, “but you have lost your question too, of which the fig was the pledge.” At another time, he saw Crates shivering in the winter, and said to him, “Crates, you seem to me to want a new dress,” meaning, both a new mind and a new garment; and Crates, feeling ashamed, answered him in the following parody:—

VI. But Stilpo was straightforward, completely free of tricks and deception, and friendly to everyone. Once, when Crates the Cynic refused to answer a question Stilpo had asked and instead insulted him, Stilpo said, “I knew he would say anything except what he should.” Another time, Stilpo asked Crates a question and offered him a fig at the same time. So he took the fig and ate it. Then Crates said, “O Hercules, I have lost my fig.” “Not only that,” he replied, “but you have lost your question too. The fig was a pledge for an answer.” At another time, Stilpo saw Crates shivering in winter and said, “Crates, you seem to me to need a new outfit.” He meant both a new mind and new clothes. Crates felt ashamed and replied with the following parody:

And it is said that at Athens he attracted all the citizens to such a degree, that they used to run from their workshops to look at him; and when some one said to him, “Why, Stilpo, they wonder at you as if you were a wild beast,” he replied, “Not so; but as a real genuine man.”

It is said that in Athens, he attracted so much attention from all the citizens that they ran from their workshops to see him. Someone said to him, “Stilpo, they stare at you as if you were a wild beast.” He replied, “No, they stare at me as a real, genuine man.”

VII. And he was a very clever arguer; and rejected the theory of species. And he used to say that a person who spoke of man in general, was speaking of nobody; for that he was not speaking of this individual, nor of that one; for speaking in general, how can he speak more of this person than of that person? therefore he is not speaking of this person at all. Another of his illustrations was, “That which is shown to me, is not a vegetable; for a vegetable existed ten thousand years ago, therefore this is not a vegetable.” And they say that once when he was conversing with Crates, he interrupted the discourse to go off and buy some fish; and as Crates tried to drag him back, and said, “You are leaving the argument;” “Not at all,” he replied, “I keep the argument, but I am leaving you; for the argument remains, but the fish will be sold to some one else.”

VII. He was a very clever debater and rejected the theory of species. He used to say that someone who spoke of man in general was speaking of nobody. Such a person was not speaking of this individual or that one. When speaking generally, how could he mean one person more than another? Therefore, he was not speaking of that person at all. Another of his examples was: “What is shown to me is not a vegetable. A vegetable existed ten thousand years ago, so this is not a vegetable.” They say that once, while talking with Crates, he broke off the conversation to buy some fish. Crates tried to pull him back and said, “You are leaving the argument.” “Not at all,” he replied. “I am keeping the argument, but I am leaving you. The argument will remain, but the fish will be sold to someone else.”

VIII. There are nine dialogues of his extant, written in a frigid style: The Moschus; the Aristippus or Callias; the Ptolemy; the Chœrecrates; the Metrocles; the Anaximenes; the Epigenes; the one entitled To my Daughter, and the Aristotle.

VIII. Nine of his dialogues survive. They are written in a dull style: The Moschus, the Aristippus or Callias, the Ptolemy, the Chœrecrates, the Metrocles, the Anaximenes, the Epigenes, the dialogue entitled To my Daughter, and the Aristotle.

IX. Heraclides affirms that Zeno, the founder of the Stoic school, had been one of his pupils.

IX. Heraclides says that Zeno, the founder of the Stoic school, had been one of his students.

X. Hermippus says that he died at a great age, after drinking some wine, in order to die more rapidly. And we have written this epigram upon him:—

X. Hermippus says that he died at a great age, after drinking wine to hasten his death. We have written this epigram about him:

And he was ridiculed by Sophilus the comic poet, in his play called Marriages:—

And Sophilus, the comic poet, mocked him in his play Marriages: