Book 4, Chapter 3

We shall speak of the other studies elsewhere if the need arises, as we have often done already. The pursuit of wisdom is indeed ancient among our people, yet before the age of Laelius and Scipio I find no one whom I can name. When they were young, I find that the Athenians sent Diogenes the Stoic and Carneades the Academic as ambassadors to the senate. Neither had ever taken any part in public affairs, and one was a native of Cyrene, the other of Babylon. Surely they would never have been summoned out of their schools or chosen for that duty unless some of our leading men at the time had been interested in learning. These men committed other things to writing—some the civil law, some their speeches, some the records of our ancestors—but this greatest of all arts, the discipline of living well, they pursued in their lives rather than in their books.

6 Consequently there are almost no Latin records, or at most very few, of that true and refined philosophy which originated with Socrates and has endured to this day among the Peripatetics and among the Stoics, who express the same things differently, while the Academics judge their disputes. Perhaps the reasons were the magnitude of public business and the demands on men’s time; perhaps they also thought that these subjects could not win approval from the unlearned. Meanwhile, during their silence, Gaius Amafinius emerged as a writer. The publication of his books stirred the multitude to attach themselves above all to that school, whether because it was very easy to understand, because they were invited by the flattering enticements of pleasure, or because, with nothing better published, they held to what was available.

7 After Amafinius, many rivals following the same doctrine wrote at length and took possession of all Italy. The very thing that is the strongest proof that these teachings lack subtlety—that they are so easily learned and win the approval of the uneducated—they regard as their doctrine’s firm foundation.

If necessary, I’ll return elsewhere to the other branches of learning, as I’ve often done already. Our people’s pursuit of wisdom is old, certainly, but I can’t put a name to any practitioner earlier than Laelius and Scipio. In their youth, Athens sent the senate an embassy made up of the Stoic Diogenes and the Academic Carneades, as I find recorded. They had never been involved in any aspect of public administration, and their birthplaces were Babylon and Cyrene, respectively. Surely no one would have fetched them from their schools and picked them for this assignment without an interest in learning among some leading Romans of the day. Those Romans did write other things down: civil law, speeches they had delivered, records of their forebears. Yet they practiced the most important art of all, learning to live well, through their conduct more than through writing.

6 So we have almost no Latin writings, or at any rate very few, on that genuine, refined philosophy that began with Socrates. It has continued to this day among the Peripatetics, and among the Stoics, who say the same things in a different way, while the Academics judge their disputes. Perhaps the subjects were too large and people too busy. Or perhaps they thought uneducated readers couldn’t appreciate them. Meanwhile, while those men kept silent, Gaius Amafinius came forward to speak. The publication of his books stirred the general public, who turned to his school above all others. Perhaps it was very easy to understand; perhaps pleasure’s attractive invitations drew them in; or perhaps, since nothing better had been published, they held on to what was available.

7 After Amafinius, many followers of the same approach wrote a great deal and took over all Italy. Their teaching is so easy to learn by heart and so popular with the uneducated that this is the strongest evidence of its lack of subtlety. Yet they take that as proof of their school’s strength.