Stoicism - College of Stoic Philosophers

PROFESSIONAL MORALISTS AT ROME.IO9sophistry, from formal speeches of parade, which aimat nothing higher than applause. Thanks to him Iam weaned from rhetoric and poetry, from affectedelegance of style, and can write now with simplicity.From him I have learned to concentrate my thoughtson serious study, and not to be surprised into agreeingwith all the random utterances of fluent speech."In the description which Aulus Gellius gives us ofhis student life at Athens we have a pleasant pictureof the close relations that existed between the teachersand the pupils, in the case at least of Taurus, thephilosopher,^ who was not content with formal lectures,^but did his best to form the character of his youngfriends by personal converse, chatting with them athis bedroom door when they walked home with himfrom lecture, travelling with them sometimes in thecountry, taking long walks to see them when he heardthat they were sick, and wiling away their wearinessby pleasant talk, in which the serious mingled withthe gay. If he asked his pupils to his table, he didnot care to tempt the appetite with costly viands, butthe simple fare of pudding or of salad was seasonedwith true Attic salt, and his guests were happier andwiser when they left him. He had a way of delicatelyhinting that a fault might be mended or bad habitdropped, which served its end while it spared hishearer's self-respect. Yet Taurus was no easy-goingteacher, with a standard easily attained. He liked totell his youthful friends the story of Euclides, who'"University Life at Athens," p. 48.