Stilpon . Greek philosopher. He was a disciple of Diogenes and a teacher of Zeno of Citius . He taught at Athens (c. 320 BC) and applied Eleatism to the doctrine of good, consistent for him in the impassivity of the soul. He is representative of the school of Megara, through which Platonism and Stoicism are related .
Biographical synthesis
A native of Megara in Greece , he was a disciple of the disciples of Euclid ; well that many say it was of Euclides himself, and even of Thrasymachus Corinth, a friend of Ictiah , according to Heraclides . He was so far ahead of the others in invention and eloquence that it was not long before the whole of Greece became mega by following his dogmas. Philip MegarenseSpeaking of his eloquence, he says: «He took Metrodoro, the theoretician, and Timágoras of Gela from the school of Theophrastus; from Aristotle Cyrenaicus to Clitarch and Simias; from the dialecticians he took out Peonio; from the school of Aristides to Dífilo Bosforiano and Mirmeco Enetense, disciples of Eufanto. These two went to argue with Estilpón, and their most supportive fans remained.
Out of these, he attracted to his sect Frasidemo Peripatetic, a physical doctor, and Alcimo, the most skillful orator that Greece had then. He also took Crates with many others, and Zeno of Phenicia. He was very political, and despite being married, he had a concubine named Nicareta; so says Onetor too. He had a very dishonest daughter, with whom he married his relative Simia Siracusano. As she did not live modestly, one told Stilpon that his daughter served him as a disgrace, to which he replied: “She will not be as much disgraceful to me as I am to honor her.” They say that Ptolemy Sotero received him well and that, now owner of Megara, gave him money and urged him to sail with him to Egypt; but he, admitting only a part of that money and excusing the trip to Egypt, withdrew to Aegina until Ptolemy left Megara.
It was of a simple character and without any fiction, accommodated to the property. Having once asked a question to Crates Cynic, and he, instead of answering, fired a wind from his body, he said: “I already knew that you had to speak everything, except what is convenient.” Crates also asked Stilpon a question, and at the same time left a dried fig in his sight; Stilpon ate it instantly, and as Crates said: “By God I have lost my fig!”, he replied: “Not only the fig, but also the question, whose garment was the fig.” Seeing Crates once chilled with cold, he said to him: “Oh Crates, it seems to me you have a lack of new clothes.” As if to say: “Of dress and of judgment.” For this, although Crates was ashamed, he was mocked twice in these verses: I saw Stilpon suffering severe penalties in Megara his homeland, where he nests, as they refer, the voracious Typhus. There I saw him arguing, surrounded by a mob of young men. Nor did he teach anything other than a deceptive and verbal virtue.
They say that in Athens he attracted men to himself in such a way that, leaving their offices, they ran to see him; and to one who said to him: “Oh Stilpon, they are amazed to see you as an animal!”, replied: “It is not like that, but to see a real man.” As he was staunch in controversies, he denied the species of things, affirming that what was said of the man of no one in particular was said; for ‘why should it be this and not that? Then not this one ». Likewise: «If you show me a herb, I will say that it is not especially; for the grass existed more than a thousand years ago; then this one that you show me is not grass ». It is said that while with Crates, in the middle of the conversation he ran to buy some fish; and how Crates wanted to stop him, saying: “Do you break the thread of the speech?” «No», Stilpon replied: «I carry the speech with me; you are who I leave Our conversation doesn’t go away; but the provisions are sold.
Nine rather cold dialogues run from him. Their titles are: Mosco, Aristipo, that is, Callias, Ptolemy, Querécrates, Metrocles, Anaximenes, Epigen, To his daughter, Aristotle. Heraclides says that Zeno, author of the Stoic sect, was a disciple of Stilpon. He died old, according to Hermippus, having previously drunk wine to die more quickly. My epigram to him is the following:
Old age and sickness together took Stilpon Megarense: you know him.
Unhappy Yunta by the way both do:
But he knew how to form pure wine
a more agile driver than those hard beams.
So he left this world by drinking it.
The comedian Sofilo nicknamed Estilpon in the drama entitled Las nupcias, saying:
Of Estilpon the hidden thoughts are patent discourses of Carino.