Colotes

From Epicurus Wiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Colotes [Κολώτης] of Lampsacus, was a student of Epicurus, and one of the most famous of his disciples. Tradition has it that Colotes, upon first hearing Epicurus lecture on nature, clasped his knees in reverence, and that Epicurus chided his extravagant admirer by returning the gesture in kind.

He wrote a work to prove, That it is impossible even to live according to the doctrines of the other philosophers. It was de­dicated to king Ptolemy Philopator. In refutation of it, Plutarch wrote two works, a dialogue, to prove, That it is impossible even to live pleasantly according to Epicurus, and a work entitled Against Colotes.

Colotes held that it is unworthy of the truthfulness of a philosopher to use fables in his teaching, a notion which Cicero opposes. (reference?)

Some fragments of another work of Colotes, against the Lysis of Plato, have been discovered at Herculaneum (PHerc 208).

Personal tools