Book 2, Chapter 25

60 “You will say: what about peacetime, at home, in bed? You call me back to the philosophers, who do not often go into battle. One of them, Dionysius of Heraclea, a decidedly fickle man, had learned courage from Zeno, but pain unlearned it for him. Suffering from his kidneys, he cried out amid his howls that his former opinions about pain were false. When his fellow student Cleanthes asked what reasoning had led him away from his position, he answered: ‘Because if I had devoted only a little effort to philosophy and still could not bear pain, that would be sufficient proof that pain is an evil. But I have spent very many years in philosophy, and I cannot bear it. Therefore pain is an evil.’ They say that Cleanthes then stamped his foot and quoted a line from The Epigoni:

“‘Do you hear this, Amphiaraus, hidden beneath the earth?’

“He meant Zeno, whose degenerate pupil grieved him.

61 “Not so our Posidonius. I often saw him myself, but I shall tell the story Pompey used to relate. On coming to Rhodes as he was leaving Syria, Pompey wanted to hear Posidonius lecture. He heard that Posidonius was seriously ill, suffering intense pain in his joints, but still wanted to visit so distinguished a philosopher. He saw and greeted him, addressed him in respectful terms, and said how sorry he was that he could not hear him. ‘But you can,’ Posidonius replied, ‘and I shall not allow bodily pain to make so great a man’s visit to me fruitless.’ Pompey said that, lying in bed, he then argued with dignity and eloquence on this very proposition, that nothing is good except what is honorable. Whenever the torches of pain seemed to be brought against him, he would often say:”

60 “‘What about when there’s peace?’ you’ll ask. ‘What about at home, in bed?’ That brings me back to the philosophers, who aren’t often on the battlefield. Take Dionysius from Heraclea, a rather unreliable fellow. He learned courage from Zeno; pain then undid the teaching. Suffering from kidney trouble, he howled and shouted that his own earlier ideas about pain were wrong. His fellow pupil Cleanthes asked what argument had shifted his view. Dionysius replied, ‘Suppose I’d devoted only a little time to philosophy and couldn’t stand pain even then: that would prove well enough that pain was bad. In fact I’ve given philosophy a great many years, and still can’t stand it. Therefore pain is bad.’ Cleanthes, they say, stamped on the ground and spoke a line from The Epigoni: “‘Amphiaraus, buried under the earth, do you hear this?’ “He was referring to Zeno, distressed that Dionysius was proving unworthy of him.

61 “My friend Posidonius wasn’t like that. I’ve often seen him myself, and I’ll tell you a story Pompey used to tell. On his way back from Syria, Pompey arrived at Rhodes and wanted to hear Posidonius speak. Then he heard that Posidonius was very ill, suffering terribly in his joints. Even so, he wanted to visit this very famous philosopher. When he saw him, greeted him, and paid him respectful compliments, he said how sorry he was that he couldn’t hear him speak. Posidonius said, ‘But you can. I won’t let bodily pain mean that such a great man has come to me for nothing.’ Pompey said that, lying there, Posidonius discussed with great force and fullness this very point: nothing is good except what’s morally right. And as if flaming torches of pain were being put to him, he kept saying:”